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The Roots of Discontent
Here, it seems, we see “science and spirit” intersecting. Hard research from the field of neuroscience is now giving empirical credence to what many esoteric and spiritual traditions have maintained through the ages—that during the time we are being knit together in the womb, we are wired with lifelong lessons about who we are and how we fit into the world.
If a pregnant mother’s thoughts and emotions are persistently negative—if she is under unrelenting stress—the internal message delivered by hormones to the developing baby is, “It’s a dangerous world out there,” and the fetal brain is then wired to thrive in a dangerous world.
The kind of brain that is wired for stress is reactive, impulsive and short on attention. There are theories that disorders such as ADD, ADHD and OCD may have formed their roots in the womb, where the brain’s basic regulatory wiring is laid. Although the origins of autism remain a mystery, science has identified certain zones of “malfunctioning circuitry” in brains of autistic people— such as in the area that processes faces. Why is this?
One place to look—though few have—is the development that occurs during and immediately after birth. This is a period of rapid reorganization of brain development, mediated by many hormones—most notably oxytocin, the so-called “love” or “bonding” hormone. Several studies have found that autistic children show abnormalities in their oxytocin system.
Early circuitry-wiring of the orbitofrontal cortex—our socialemotional “success center”—occurs just after birth, when a complex hormonal cocktail orchestrates intricate exchanges between a mother and her newborn child, all organized around their faceto- face engagement. In spite of much scientific data attesting to the neurobiological havoc that ensues for a newborn separated from its mother after birth, hospital protocols nonetheless typically disturb the first hours of life. The result is that many newborns end up receiving a “faulty imprint,” causing the newborn to connect with things instead of people. This can prevent healthy synaptic formation in social areas of the brain, such as those responsible for processing faces and, indeed, human rapport.
What’s a Mother-to-Be to Do?
The research may sound daunting and hopeless, but parents who know a few basics of fetal development hold an important key to their children’s lifelong emotional health and well-being. Parents need to be mindful of the unceasing question being asked by the baby in the womb: What kind of world am I coming into, Mommy? It’s a question continually being answered chemically and energetically via the mother’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. When parents understand that this basic question— and its nine months worth of answers—drives fundamental aspects of their baby’s brain development, they realize how important it is for the pregnant mother to feel supported, loved and safe. These feelings ensure that their baby can arrive ready to love and learn, not struggle and fight.
Author and teacher Laura Huxley offers this practical suggestion in her book, The Child of Your Dreams: “If you can take even five minutes a day to think good thoughts, listen to your favorite music, or nourish yourself in any way you want, your kindness will be multiplied a thousandfold and become an organic part of a person’s being for years to come. Five minutes of care is worth years of well-being.” U.C. Berkeley biology professor Marian Diamond points out that the Japanese have said this for more than 2,000 years, with the phrase “Tykio,” meaning “think pleasant thoughts.”
The situation is similar for a father-to-be. One of the best ways that a “pregnant father” can contribute to his baby’s optimal development in the womb is to love, support, celebrate and cherish his baby’s mother—and to dream of the great and noble qualities he wishes for his child. His perception of life strongly influences his baby’s mother, who will relish his strength, creativity and sense of hope at this momentous time.
One of the best ways you can support your baby’s psychological development in the womb is to embrace pregnancy as an honor and to greet your baby as an aware being, registering everything you do and say. This conscious approach to prenatal parenting leads to healthy child development, cultivates early loving relationships toward your unborn child, and strengthens your parental and family bonding at the very start. There’s no reason to wait…and every reason not to.
 About the Author:
Marcy Axness, Ph.D., is an early-development specialist, parent counselor, and adjunct professor at Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. She welcomes contact via Quantum Parenting.com.
 This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #25.
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