Have fun with your children instead of working until midnight

For example, you might like to give some thought to the environment. When it comes to creating the right setting for birth, we have established that a dark, quiet, private space in which you feel safe is optimum. Consider how you might be able to create that space in theatre using your five senses checklist. You can request that the lights be turned off or down, and that the surgeon works with a spotlight so that he or she can see what they are doing, leaving the rest of the room in darkness. You could bring in your battery-operated tea lights and place them around so they are in your sight line. You can have your choice of music playing in theatre. You can use an essential oil roller ball if this aids your relaxation and you can bring in your own pillow or blanket. Your birth partner will be there, by your side and on your side, and you can use all of your relaxation tools and hypnobirthing techniques in order to remain calm, so that you are able to meet your baby feeling relaxed and happy, confident and capable. Just because you aren't experiencing surges in theatre doesn't mean that your up breathing will no longer be of use. Remember, it is essentially a calming breath and can be used in all situations in life where you feel anxious or overwhelmed. One to-day is worth two to-morrows. No wise man ever wished to be younger. Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. Age is not important unless you are a cheese. All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much. FOR A NEW BABY Babies are such a nice way to start people. Ask friends and family to jot down a piece of wisdom--good advice for raising a healthy, happy child.

People who know themselves can choose to pursue paths that align with their values and skills. Someone whose strengths are love and zest, for example, may make a great educator. But you don't have to change careers to put your talents to use. That same person could also use those gifts to connect with and serve his clients as a lawyer. Research shows that when people use their strengths at work, they find more meaning in their jobs and ultimately perform better. And when they pursue goals that align with their core values and interests, they feel more satisfied and competent. They're also likelier to persevere through challenges to actually accomplish those goals--that is, they are more purposeful. The story of Manjari Sharma, a Brooklyn-based photographer, reveals the central role identity plays in helping us discover our purpose. Manjari's purpose as an artist is tightly tied to who she is and where she came from, and her journey offers some clues about how people come to know themselves. Manjari was born in Mumbai, India. Read the following visualizations, then close your eyes and invoke a vivid impression in your mind. Imagine the sound of: A church bell tolling on Sunday morning A cricket, chirping outside your window at night A marching band performing at a high school football game A grandfather clock sounding six o'clock A coyote howling at the moon Imagine the sensations of: Walking on a sandy beach Taking a hot shower

And it's quite natural to feel this way when heading to theatre for what could be your very first major operation. So, use your up breathing to calm you, the arm stroking to help you relax and whatever else you have to hand in your toolbox. It's good to know that when it comes to birth, there is no situation where being calm and relaxed won't help. Your tools can be used for all births and will make your birth better. Lastly, although you won't need oxytocin to help you dilate in theatre, remember that oxytocin is responsible for more than just surges: it aids bonding by helping to establish breastfeeding, it reduces the risk of postnatal depression, and it helps the uterus to contract after birth, thus reducing blood loss. So, the more oxytocin you have in your body at birth (however the birth happens), the better. All of your relaxation tools will get your natural oxytocin flowing, so embrace them in theatre, just as you would anywhere else. Remember, just as with vaginal birth, this is your body, your baby, your birth and most importantly your choice! And even if you feel your choices are becoming more limited, it's important to know that you still always have choices about how you bring your baby into this world. I have heard women say that they felt disappointed after giving birth by caesarean, but if it's a choice you made because it was the best option for you and your baby, then really that's something to be proud of. Paste them into a article with a pretty cover. A cherry, an apple, a dogwood, or a magnolia are perfect trees to plant. Watch as it and the child grow and blossom. Petit fours, canapes, and mini crustless sandwiches are several ideas. Play games: have a few baby bottles filled with something ready to drink. Start a timer; Dads-to-be love this game and the mother-to-be will get a kick (ha-ha) out of it, too. Watch as creative partygoers engage each other in seemingly harmless conversation like, Do you have any children? You'll be amazed at how this always leads to women absentmindedly uttering the word baby, and how one or two partygoers will end up with fifteen pacifiers around their necks. Pass around the photos and see which guests can match the person at the shower with the baby picture.

She grew up in a Hindu household where the divine was a constant presence. Her childhood home was filled with representations of deities--as were the shows she watched on television, like Mahabharat and Ramayan, both based on ancient Hindu epics whose myths captivated her growing up. When Manjari went on family vacations across India with her parents, her mother always took her to visit the nearby Hindu temples, some of them over five thousand years old, where she stood in awe before paintings and sculptures of deities like Vishnu, the majestic protector of the universe, and Shiva, its ferocious destroyer and transformer, who is often depicted dancing on the back of a demon. Viewing these figures as a child inspired a darshan in Manjari. Darshan is the Sanskrit word for glimpse or apparition; In Hinduism, a darshan refers to having a momentary connection to the divine in worship. Manjari only had such experiences from time to time in the temples, but they left their mark on her imagination. Though Manjari has devoted her adult life to art, she had no intention of becoming an artist when she was younger; But when she got to college in Mumbai and saw the thick textarticles that she would be required to read, with their unending lists of caloric counts, her eyes glazed over. She decided to study visual communications instead, though she had no clear idea of what she wanted to do with the degree. Touching a rose petal Stroking the soft cheek of an infant child Caressing satin sheets Imagine the sight of: The sun setting over the Pacific Ocean A flock of geese flying in formation overhead Cumulus clouds on a warm summer day A children's ballet performance An Olympic diver jumping off the platform Imagine the taste of:

Often a little positive reframing is helpful in these situations. We are lucky to have the option of caesarean available to us, and when it's needed we can embrace it. After all, we all want to birth our babies safely and in the best way possible on the day, and sometimes that will be by caesarean. If you ever feel unsure about what course of action to take, remember you can always rely on the B. Lady, you've got this! Having taught so many women hypnobirthing over the past few years, I can recall many positive caesarean birth stories and truly believe that birth in theatre can be a hugely positive and empowering experience, enabling you to bring your baby into the world feeling calm, confident and strong, just as you hoped. BIRTH STORY Unplanned caesarean - Natalie, first-time mum I had a few twinges Saturday afternoon, so drank my raspberry leaf tea, carried around a tissue with clary sage and got the take-away menu out to choose a Saturday night curry! By the time we had finished our curry, we knew baby was on the way and had started timing contractions. Whoever gets the most right is the winner. FOR A WEDDING Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. Research (on the Web, in the articlestore, at the library) celebrities whom the bride and groom like, and see what they have to say on the topic of love and marriage. A few include . Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold. There will be sex after death, we just won't be able to feel it.