While it may seem farfetched to some people, many of my clients remember what they felt and experienced while still in the womb. Comments such as these are not unusual:

"I knew even before I was born that my mother didn't want me."

"I could feel my mother's fear and anxiety even before I was born."

“I think I was born anxious because I absorbed my mother’s anxiety about being pregnant.”

Parenting does not start once the child is born. It starts during pregnancy - caring about what you eat, how much exercise and sleep you get, and making sure that you are taking responsibility for your feelings of anxiety and stress. Your baby will feel what you feel, so practicing Inner Bonding and learning how to be in peace and joy before getting pregnant is part of good parenting.

I loved being pregnant. I had always wanted children, so I was thrilled. I loved the feeling of the baby moving within me and was awed by the very fact of creating new life. I loved feeling an elbow or a knee slide across my stomach. I loved that my body could be a receptacle for bringing through this soul, this angel from heaven. I could not think of anything more profound, more worth doing. Who was this unique little person growing in my body?

I read every book I could on parenting and thought endlessly about how I wanted to be a different parent than my parents were.
 

The problem was that I never thought about how much my relationship with myself and with my husband might affect this child.

My husband was angry, distant, and withdrawn during my pregnancy and for the first three months after giving birth to our son. He was a person who wanted control and he was not happy that I got pregnant six months before we had planned. He didn't open his heart until our son smiled at him at three months of age.

Being young, I had no idea how to handle the loneliness I felt at not having my husband joyfully involved in the hugest event of my life. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done anything I could to get the help we needed to bring caring into our relationship. We can't go back, but I'm sure that my son felt the lack of joy that existed between my husband and me. I'm sure he felt the depth of my loneliness. I wish I knew then what I know now about taking responsibility for my own feelings. I wish I had the Inner Bonding process available to me then.

Being pregnant and giving birth are enormous events in a woman's life, especially the first child, which changes your life so dramatically. If you do not know how to take responsibility for your own feelings of anger, hurt, anxiety, depression, and loneliness, things will only get worse after giving birth. A child does not solve problems for you.

It's hard to imagine before having a child what it is like to be responsible for another life 24/7. If you have not learned how to lovingly parent yourself before giving birth, you might find yourself getting lost as you parent your baby. Good parenting starts before getting pregnant, with practicing Inner Bonding and learning how to take loving care of yourself.
 

If you have a desire to be a good parent, here are steps you can take before getting pregnant:

1. Physical health: make sure that you are in good physical shape by eliminating sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, factory farmed meats, chicken, and fish, industrial processed oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and corn. Start to shop in health food stores and buy organic products as much as possible. Eliminating pesticides and food additives is essential for good health. Also be sure to get enough exercise and sleep.
    
2. Emotional health: instead of having your eyes on your partner, turn your eyes inward and begin to compassionately notice your own feelings - Step One of Inner Bonding. Start to treat your own feelings in the same way you are planning on treating your future child's feelings - with caring and understanding. Start to practice taking loving action in your own behalf - standing up for yourself, speaking your truth, taking time for yourself (Step Five of Inner Bonding). Practice taking loving care of your own feelings instead of making your partner responsible for how you feel. Begin to notice what you think and do that may be causing you stress (Step Three of Inner Bonding). Changing thoughts and behavior that cause stress before getting pregnant is essential for good parenting.
    
3. Spiritual health: practice opening to a higher source of guidance, wisdom, strength, and comfort (Step Four of Inner Bonding). This can be your own highest, wisest self within you, or a higher power outside of you. You will find that being able to turn to a source of wisdom and comfort within or without will go a long way in helping you stay loving and stress-free with yourself, your partner, and your baby. In addition, this will help you know what to do in different challenging situations with your child.

If you are planning on having a baby, start today to become a good parent! Or, if your daughter or daughter-in-law is planning on getting pregnant, send this article to her.

Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Course: "Love Yourself: An Inner Bonding Experience to Heal Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Addictions and Relationships."