Birthing Art

In the little time I have been reading about pregnancy, there has been one thing I have noticed repeatedly. Books often talk about the changes your body will endure or the process of labor, but few deal with the emotional side of things. The discussion of fears and expectations isn't a conversation I have heard about when I have been around other pregnant women. I am sure these conversations go on, but I think it is easier to discuss logistics and remain very logical about birth. In so many ways there is nothing logical about pregnancy.

One of the hard things is that any time you leave one way of life for another there is both joy and sadness. I want to be able to enjoy these last 3 months with Will and for myself. I know that we won't be able to have the ease, flexibility, or time we are accustomed to and that makes me sad. On the flip side there will be a little baby that is both me and Will coming into this world.

My quest has been to bridge this gap of medical information with emotional life transitions. I was able to find a book, which I mentioned in this post, that attempts this very process. It uses art exercises to help you connect to your body and what you are feeling in regards to pregnancy.  Being a first time mother I have no idea what to expect. I am not even sure what questions I should be asking. I found these exercises to be helpful and of course I loved that they combined both art and feelings. I thought I would share a few of the pictures I painted.

This is how I perceive pregnancy.

What about you? What internalized cultural messages do you have about pregnancy? I would love to hear your thoughts.