In my practice, I have seen several times how the mother-child (even if the child is already a 40-year old adult) connection can be impacted by the mother experiencing trauma during her pregnancy. Imagine, this fragile little being grew in a body that is filled with anxiety and fear because the mother was not feeling safe, perhaps because she had to hide her pregnancy or she experienced violence.

Even as an adult, this little being might have never really felt calm or safe, without ever consciously having experienced any traumatic event during childhood.

As part of my biodynamic craniosacral course, I recently attended training in embryology or rather the biodynamic craniosacral view on embryology. While the topic was complex, it helped me understand better the potential for trauma in utero, during birth and the postpartum period, and how it can still affect us as adults such as in our relationships, how we feel about ourselves and the world around us. During the training, it was fascinating for me to tune into what it felt like to be in the uterus and to connect with our mother on a different level. 

Effects on our adult life

This little human would have developed its body under the influence of the sensations of fear and that the world cannot be trusted. If trauma is not processed, it remains in the body. Even as an adult, this person might have never really felt calm or safe, without ever consciously having experienced any traumatic event during childhood.

Source: Lennart Nilsson, “A child is born”

Needless to say, it can be much more complex to let go of trauma that has literally always been there, but it can be done!

In my understanding, unresolved trauma from the time when our mother was pregnant with us or the time around our birth may show as a lack of trust in the world, problems to commit to a relationship or as an unhealthy relationship with our mother to name a few.

Impact on my sessions

Whenever I learn something that seems important in my path as a therapist, both patients and I can often perceive that the sessions are different. This time, the sessions afterwards feel even more powerful and targeted, perhaps more grounded and therefore the experience can be more intense (in a good way) and specific at letting go of trauma that happened during the very early development. 

If you suspect or know that you may have experienced trauma while your mother was pregnant with you or something happened around the time around or soon after your birth, and you would like to explore how this may affect your personal life and your relationships today, feel free to reach out and let’s have a chat!

Likewise, if you experienced trauma while you were pregnant, it can be very liberating to process and let it go. This would also help your child in not having to solve the problem for you. 

I would love to hear your story! Remember, it’s never too late to change your life and feel free from the past…

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