The development of the child's movement begins in the mother's womb already

A woman changes physically, energetically and mentally during pregnancy. The way the nature took care of the comprehensive path of development from conception to birth is indeed miraculous. It made sure that the processes of change in all segments took place spontaneously, as if something was driving them forward, a vital life force. The pregnant woman herself can participate in these processes by listening to what they are telling her and where all her senses are leading her to. At the same time, she has to focus her attention on the events that she actually performs by moving. 

Focus on movement during daily tasks 

The pregnant woman needs to take care of simple movement in order to get somewhere, to move, to arrange something and to communicate with the environment in one way or another. An important guide in the last months of pregnancy is the pregnant woman's ability to move as easily or as awkwardly as possible with increased body weight. The vital life force has ensured that the structure of the female body moves according to completely natural laws of biomechanics. 

The driving force of movement originates from the pelvis. Because of this, the pregnant woman has to get to know the movements of the pelvis, to stabilize it and consciously focus her attention on the direction of movement from the pelvis. In this way, she contributes to the reduction of pregnancy and postpartum pain. More than exercises for strength and repetition of cyclical activities, it is important for the pregnant woman to get to know and be aware of the movement of the pelvis. 

Transfer the principles of movement of the pregnant woman to the way you handle the baby 

With the awareness of the vital force of life and the natural laws of biomechanics, according to which the pregnant woman moves naturally and automatically during everyday tasks, we can see the connection between the meaning of such and at the same time the only possible movement with the importance of raising and lowering the baby according to the same principles. Soft circular movements that guide the face or nose to the floor, enable the use of natural vital functions to activate the optimal given paths of development of a young person. Remember how you could or you can stand up in the last trimester or lie down. Carefully observe how it really fits you and whether you are allowed to move while standing up and sitting down. What kind of movement and in which directions do suit you? Remember that you never actually can and did not, say, get out of bed straight up to stand up. The head is actually the last to hit the bed when you lie down and the last to get up. 

Suitable directions of movement and moving the baby affect brain development 

The potential line of the necessary movement of the pregnant woman in the directions of standing up is the vital basis of activating the healthy development of the newborn. With this, the central nervous system harmonizes the energy tension of the brain, which harmonizes completely spontaneously due to the evolutionary heritage of the human genome and gravity. To make the best use of it, i.e. to allow spontaneous action, very much depends on how we grasp, swaddle, hold and offer support to the baby immediately after birth. 

The directions of raising, lowering and swaddling the baby are a guide for the nervous system to activate the developmental capacity or the given potential. This potential is demonstrated when using the natural process of synaptogenesis. It is the process of creating numerous synapses or networking connections in the brain. The greater the number of established connections and the greater the network of intertwined synapses, the more the given development potential or development capacity is used. 

It is in this networking process that parents can get involved by knowing and being aware of the importance of the direction of movement and moving their baby. Suitable directions of movement are those in which the child's nose is pointed towards the ground during lifting and lowering. You should not keep your head in these directions. 

What are the proper grips for moving the baby? 

Rigid grasps of lifting straight up or partially to the side with the nose turned up trigger the Moreau reflex, which is actually a sign of unfavorable direction, which the central nervous system perceives as a fall, even though the head is supported. Doing so, erector muscles are activated quite spontaneously, and the flexor muscles are in a difficult position due to this and because of not yet established muscle control, they cannot pull the chin down, even though we hold the child's head with love and extreme care. 

Try to hug the child determinedly, softly and at the same time firmly with your palms around the chest, but at the same time do not squeeze your fingers, do not hold them under the armpits or around the shoulder blades and shoulders, because this prevents the optimal organization of the skeleton, and the muscles cannot adequately revive and develop the functionality of connections that direct the creation of patterns of our functioning. 

The human body knows what it needs to do for its optimal development, so let's listen to it and allow the life force the spontaneous path of development that is given by evolutionary inheritance. 

Andreja Semolic, a sports pedagogue, an internationally certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais® method