My 41 year old daughter is a successful research scientist who took her time finding the right man to marry.  Four years ago, she finally found him. They married a few months later and immediately tried to start a family.  She could not get pregnant, in spite of the fact that there were no hindrances detected clinically in either one of them.  

Sarah is a bit high strung to start with, but this situation created great levels of stress in her and for them as a couple.  It was heartbreaking to watch my lovely daughter, who had so much of her life together at last, become a tense, distracted, unhappy person.  She has always been a high-energy, productive, happy person.

The multi-talented Margaret Dubay Mikus shares her poetry in her inspiring new blog, Space of Grace.

Twice I have had breast cancer, in 1996 and in 2007. I learned a great deal about healing body, mind, emotions, and spirit. And each time I was cracked open--in a good way--breaking through old defenses, encouraging me to bloom. Even my relationships were healed. Writing saved me, allowing me to access inner wisdom about my healing process. This poetic journal, begun after healing from MS in 1995, continues still.

We love getting birth announcements from our peeps.  Sometimes these come from people who had fertility struggles, maybe a series of miscarriages; sometimes we hear from people who had difficult pregnancies; and sometimes, like the message below, we just hear about a regular birth experience made a little easier.  We still are hoping for a systematized study of guided imagery in childbirth, but until one of those comes down the pike, we’ll settle gratefully for postings like this one:

My sister Debbie was told by her OBGYN that her baby was too big for a vaginal delivery and to get mentally prepared for a C-section. She was overwrought, as, for better or worse, she had set her heart on a standard delivery.

Very quickly she got extremely fearful about what lay ahead. Instead of her usual, high-energy, enthusiastic personality, she was withdrawn and depressed. I did not recognize my sister!  Weeks earlier, she was on top of the world!

On a hunch, I got her the guided imagery for pregnancy and delivery. Pardon the pun, but it was just what the doctor ordered. She listened devotedly, once or twice a day.  I saw the change right away.  I can honestly say it turned her whole attitude back around. She regained her belief in her own body and her old Can-Do confidence in herself re-emerged. She was smiling and happy again.  This is not an exaggeration but a straight report.  That CD hit her sweet spot – that is the best way I can relate this.

Researchers from the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation in Bangalore, India studied the effect of integrated yoga practice and guided relaxation on both perceived stress and measured autonomic response in healthy pregnant women.

The 122 healthy women in the study were recruited between the 18th and 20th week of pregnancy at prenatal clinics in Bangalore, India, and were randomized to practicing yoga and deep relaxation or standard prenatal exercises 1-hour daily. Forty-five participants in each group completed the study, and were evaluated by repeated measures analysis of variance.

Question:  

I have used Belleruth's guided meditation CDs for both headaches and sleep problems with great success. I have been having issues with postpartum depression for several months now and am having trouble finding support in many areas.

Does Belleruth have a guided meditation specifically for postpartum depression, or has she considered making one? I will probably download the depression MP3, but I think many women would be very grateful for one specifically tailored to PPD issues: guilt, shame, incompetence... There's really not much out there for us.

Thank you!
Kerry

Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada reviewed the literature to investigate whether Eastern techniques, such as mindfulness, acupuncture or yoga might be used to improve unsatisfying sexual experiences in women (problems with desire, arousal or orgasm).

The search revealed only two empirical studies of mindfulness, two of acupuncture, and one of yoga in the treatment of sexual dysfunction.  These limited results revealed that mindfulness significantly improved several aspects of sexual response and reduced sexual distress in women with sexual desire and arousal disorders. 

 We got this enthusiastic email about using guided imagery for a hysterectomy a while back:

"I was told about the Successful Surgery CD by an acquaintance and decided to try it before my surgery.

When I was in my 20's I learned self-hypnosis to alleviate my fear and it was invaluable during the labor of my first child. I wish I would have continued practicing it, but once used, I put it aside.

Dear Belleruth:

After being married for 33 years to the same man since I was 21 years old, I have asked for a divorce. He has been unable to change his emotionally & verbally abusive behaviors, in spite of counseling. In October, I discovered he was having a sexual affair (2nd time) with a woman younger than him (he is 58, she 45). He said he wanted a divorce, that he has been unhappy a long time. I said fine, I will make this happen.

I am fed up with him, but I feel so sad, heartbroken really, in spite of the problems.  What do you suggest for all the emotional upheavals? Please change my name to Kathie. Do not give my last name or email.

-Kathie