The Sacred Circle of Support
“The main concern of those around pregnant women or for people who care for a pregnant woman should be to ensure their emotional wellbeing.” ~ Michel Odent
This week we will be asking you to take a look at the people in your life and their impact on your pregnancy.
Imagine yourself surrounded by the people in your life. Take a look around at all of these individuals and select those who are the most supportive and loving in their interactions with you. This is your sacred circle of support, or your inner circle. This inner circle might include your partner, your close family and friends, and those who you consider as your spiritual support team. As you look around your inner circle, notice that these are the individuals who you should keep close to in your life. This inner circle is a sacred space where you are in control. You decide who is in your inner circle. These special individuals are there of your choosing, not just because of their relationship to you or because they are your neighbor or coworker. They are in this sacred circle because they lift you up and enrich your life. The reason to define this inner circle is to help you identify your boundaries with people in your life. Those in your inner circle should make you feel safe and supported.
Now that you have chosen your inner circle, look at those people who are left. These individuals comprise varying levels of outer circles, based on how close you want to be to them. These outer circles contain people you may wish to have more distance from at times. These people may drain you emotionally, may cause you stress, or you may simply not feel close to them. Additionally, while you may have a deep, emotional connection with some in your outer circle, that connection may not be supportive for you.
Note: Just because someone is not in your inner circle does not mean you don’t love them. Your inner circle is simply made up of those who give positive energy to you instead of taking energy away from you. It is important to recognize whether an individual is in your inner or outer circle when calling on them for support.
Throughout your life your circle of support will change. You change as you grow, therefore your needs change as well as your relationships. Those in your inner circle when you were younger can be completely different from those in your inner circle now. Expect your inner circle to change again significantly when you become a mother. This can be troubling as you begin to realize that your inner circle has changed because you are changing. Out of habit you may call on people for support who should have migrated to your outer circles. Pay attention, and take time to redefine your circles of support as needed.
Have you made changes to your inner circle since you became pregnant?
How have these changes impacted your life?
Do you anticipate more changes to your inner circle when your baby arrives?
We look forward to hearing from you. Stayed tuned for our next blog on creativity in pregnancy. As always we wish you The Greatest Pregnancy Ever.