The Real Reason I Want You To Learn to Meditate

 Why am I so excited you’re considering learning how to meditate?

There’s several reasons.

Primarily I want you to have a less painful, less stressful postpartum - that’s what we’re aiming for.

Yes of course I want you to experience all of the benefits of meditating such as improved sleep, less stress, lower blood pressure…all very worthwhile reasons to learn how to meditate but there’s an even bigger reason. As an expectant mom these benefits probably don’t seem very relevant to you – and you’d be absolutely correct.  They wouldn’t motivate me to dedicate much time to these skills as a healthy woman.  But there’s another aspect to mindfulness -  it’s like you level up to a hidden bonus game.

Listen or read below.

Mindfulness has the potential to change your life in a positive way long after your breastfeeding journey ends and I don’t mean this in a ‘woo’ way. There’s a reason why more people are meditating than ever before - it’s not just for the stress management. (Mindfulness is not hypnobirthing or a relaxation technique).

Meditation isn't a quick fix for breastfeeding difficulties. It's a practice that changes your perspective on life itself. By understanding how your tricky brain can make postpartum emotions more intense and longer lived - leaving you feeling worse for longer.  You're not just learning to meditate you're also learning to incorporate insights that come up that will help you parent in a more gentle way.

Mindfulness isn’t just about feeling less stressed when your baby wakes up for the 5th time tonight and you’re beyond exhausted.  You will experience those benefits.  What you’re really learning is how to notice what goes on in your own mind that can be so detrimental to your breastfeeding journey.  You already know what it’s like to have an untrained mind, happiness is always somewhere out there that we’re chasing…and even when we are happy and breastfeeding is going well there’s a sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop.  We rarely allow ourselves to be in the moment and feel a sense of contentment with our newborns…if you do experience that elusive feeling  - it’s quickly interrupted by the mind whispering to you that the house is untidy or that you haven’t showered all day. Sometimes it just feels like unease or dissatisfaction…far from a feeling of contentment. When was the last time you actually felt content (for more than a fleeting moment).  Even when things are going well the mind is wandering off looking for problems, or replaying events or anticipating what might happen in the future.  While our busy brain is racing about looking for problems we miss so many opportunities to connect with those around us, to be in this moment here right now.

The purpose of Mindful Breastfeeding isn’t to turn you into a cross legged expert meditator that glides through postpartum on a cloud of oxytocin and incense.    It’s a way to help you meet the challenges of postpartum in the best possible physical, mental and emotional shape.  There is of course a myriad of documented benefits to practicing meditation.  You may be aware of some of them such as pain management, addiction,  improved sleep, blood pressure management. As a pregnant mom these benefits probably don’t seem that relevant to you – and you’d be absolutely correct.  They wouldn’t motivate me to start a practice either but there’s another aspect to mindfulness it’s like you level up to a bonus game.

As you establish a simple meditation practice you soon notice that those restorative nurturing few minutes engaging with one of my audios seems to flow into other parts of your day.  As you notice negative patterns of thought that can make breastfeeding and parenting more difficult you engage with them less which also takes the emotional sting out of them.  Your life becomes the meditation.   You naturally become more present focused as you catch that wandering mind before it goes off on a rampage about how you SHOULD be coping better or how your husband SHOULD be helping more… When you experience the clarity that comes with recognizing that at any second during your day (or night) you can decide the direction of your brain’s activity.  As you notice thoughts and emotions and ask yourself this simple question – is this thought helpful – your breastfeeding experience will be infinitely less stressful and you’ll profoundly change your perspective on life.  This insight is equally important for any moms who stop breastfeeding before they wanted to  - those moms need this approach even more.

If you use this approach consistently it will become a kind of nurturing postpartum companion, and will change how you experience your life long after you stop breastfeeding.

Try it as an experiment and take what works for you - I think you'll find that it's worth it.

Tracy