Midwife, Intuitive, and Healer
A Conversation with Teresa Robertson
Teresa Robertson, RN, CNM, MSN, conducts private pre-conception sessions to assist her clients with pre-birth connection with their unborn child, to promote fertility, heal pregnancy losses such as miscarriage and abortion, and to help adoptive parents connect with their unborn children. Her website is Birth Intuitive. You may wish to read Teresa's two articles on this site: Communicating with your Unborn Child and Fertility and the Mind-Body Connection
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Teresa, your articles bring up many new ideas. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to learn more about your work. I often hear from people who are looking for ways to encourage a child to come into their lives. One of the practices you have mentioned is the "Baby Altar." Please tell us more about this intriguing idea, and how couples might use it.
A baby altar is a way to create physical space within your home for your unborn child. It can also serve as a spiritual focus. One of the things I urge anyone to do in preparation for conception is to create a baby altar. I also urge anyone who is pregnant to consider creating a baby altar.
A baby altar delineates a specific energetic space within your home for the spirit of your unborn baby. My use of the word altar reflects my Catholic upbringing - substitute any word (puja, shrine, etc.) that has religious significance for you.
Often, for several reasons, the bedroom is chosen as the physical location for this altar. First, your bedroom is usually a quieter and more private space, therefore it is an area that will gain the least attention and influence from other people. Secondly, for many couples their bedroom is their sanctuary and thereby contains that kind of energy already. Thirdly, your bedroom is where you are awake and sleepy - times you may feel more connected to spiritual realms and/or the world of dreams. And lastly, your bedroom is often, but not always, the location where you will be making love to conceive this baby. People with specific meditation rooms may create a separate baby altar there.
The size and number of items is not what is important, however the intention of the space is. Again, maybe this is a reflection of my Catholic background, but I see a candle as an essential component of an altar. The flame of a candle for many represents the essence of a soul quality, the spirit of life force, the spark of creativity. There are so many candle choices now available with many different colors, scents, shapes and sizes.
I like to suggest placing a baby picture of each parent on the altar. Other objects which can be placed on the altar include (but are not limited to) special cards, fertility symbols or amulets, baby booties, shells, stones, crystals, flowers or a plant. (Following this article you will find an exercise for planning the altar along with your unborn baby.)
I'm intrigued that you mention putting baby pictures of the parents-to-be on the altar. Is there a special significance to this, a special reason that you suggest baby pictures?
I mention placing pictures of the parents on the altar for several reasons. I first started talking about baby altars with pregnant couples. When the baby is born, these pictures come out anyway. The baby would be born from each parent's essence so both their pictures would be a draw. Secondly, the baby or soul essence of an individual is so apparent in a baby picture. This assists with drawing a baby essence to that other baby essence. Thirdly, for the parent-to-be it is important to get in touch with themselves as a baby. Often a baby picture captures that person's original spark and love of life, their soul purpose or mission. An adult can glean an enormous amount of information from his picture. These pictures can also open the doorway to healing the adult.
I love the idea of putting baby pictures on the altar. I was particularly struck by it because I have a baby picture of myself on my bedroom wall where I often see it. It shows me with a big happy, trusting grin, and when I look at it I feel like I'm seeing my original nature as I came into the world, confident of finding it a good place to be!
While your work is primarily with women, we know that about 35% of fertility problems derive from the prospective father. Can the meditation and relaxation exercises such as you teach to women, also help men with fertility problems? Have you had success stories with men in your practice?
My experience with men and fertility has always been initiated by the women. I have not seen a man who came to me presenting with concerns about his fertility. However, while working with women alone or in a couple situation about fertility (often these are couples doing intrauterine inseminations or IVF), I have included visualization for the man. That is not to say that I could not work with a man, it is just that I initially do not get approached for that kind of issue. I suspect that for a man there is a lot of shame accompanying a diagnosis of lower or lack of fertility, since in our culture fertility is linked with virility.
For such a man I would first assess his nutritional status and use of supplements. I would teach him how to reset his sperm count, quality and motility through the use of visualization. I would also explore with him any ambivalence and fear he has about becoming pregnant. In my experience, especially with working with women pursuing IVF, the partner often has ambivalence about becoming a parent, which often includes fear about their relationship changing and failing.
I have many questions about communicating with one's unborn child. To begin with, is there any way to tell the difference between genuinely connecting and just having a wishful daydream?
That's a great question. In my experience there is nothing more authentic than when a parent first connects with their unborn child. When they feel that vibration of heat or sound, or hear "I love you" or "everything is okay, you are doing a good job" - there is nothing to shake that knowledge.
What usually helps that parent is to be in a relaxed, open, and non-judgmental state. Often first experiences of connecting will be visceral in nature, the parent will know, feel or sense something which will be difficult to put into words. The parent will know that it is true in their body, not in their head. After validation of that experience, he/she will start to see colors or hear words. My job is to support and to validate someone to trust their intuition and the way they get that information.
I have a sense of what you mean when you say the parents will know the communication is true in their bodies, not in their heads. But I'm not sure I fully understand. Could you explain more about this?
It is a knowing within their heart, body, soul that this is true. They may sense a vibration of hot or cold, may hear the baby's voice or the baby may start to move or kick. It is a visceral, gut knowing and understanding. They will know from every cell of who they are that this is true.
Teresa, as I understand it, your work focuses on assisting parents-to-be to make a real connection with their children before birth. Do you find that most people are able to do so, with your guidance?
Yes. Many also have powerful experiences in meditative states or while dreaming, and enjoy receiving validation of their experience.
Is your participation an important ingredient to facilitate the connection?
Yes and no. I strongly believe and promote this field of my work to be self empowering - so that someone doesn't need to seek someone outside of themselves to talk to their unborn baby. However, it really depends on who is trying to connect, why, and what state of being they are in. Often if someone has a block or a blind spot it is helpful to have an outside person to help clear any blockages and facilitate the communication. We are raised and immersed within a culture which tells us that only "crazy or special psychic people" are able to hear or see spirits. Often clients use the time I spend with them to learn how they receive this information - do they know it, sense it, smell it, hear it or see it?
It is essential to approach this experience and techniques with an open mind and heart and with the quality of neutrality. It is also important to communicate in a manner which is cooperative and in which negotiations are made on both sides so that each party (parent and unborn child) is fully seen and heard. Trying to connect in order to orchestrate or engineer a certain fertility or birthing experience will evoke more of controlling energy and probably will not prove to be satisfying.
Teresa, this is a very personal question. How did you first come to know and understand the possibility of communicating with the unborn child? And also, how did you develop the techniques you use with your clients?
I first learned about and joined APPPAH* in 1985. During that time in my life I worked at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and was waking up to a lot of healing concepts and ideas. "Grokking" the spirit of the baby and his/her involvement in the birthing process became a part of what I was learning at that time, along with an increased respect for and understanding of the power of mind/body/spirit connection.
During 1987-89 I worked as a clinical coordinator for a first trimester abortion clinic. My involvement and connection with unborn babies became heightened because of this work and from reading a book titled A Difficult Decision**, a compassionate book about abortion. Many times while witnessing an abortion procedure I would see or sense the spirit of the baby leave.
Early on I had a patient who needed a repeat procedure. What she shared with me dramatically changed my counseling approach. She said, "Last week I just wasn't ready to let go of that part of me and my boyfriend." From that moment on I have talked to all women who are considering terminating a pregnancy or who are miscarrying, advising them to connect with the baby and say goodbye in order to let go.
In 1989 I moved to Colorado to become a midwife. My approach during school and later in my practice was to promote bonding between all members of the family and their baby during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. One of my favorite (although not most skilled) things to do during a prenatal visit was to draw the baby on the mom's belly. I always attempted to ask permission when touching a baby either externally or during a vaginal exam. In these ways I was connecting with those babies.
In 1994 a woman who did psychic readings on new babies and families came to my office and gave me a complimentary reading. We became friends, and eventually I studied with her for two years. The gift of that study enabled me to really understand all of the input I receive and to discern what is mine and what is someone else's. This study provided the finishing touch to present my work as I share it today. However, the style and flavor of my work incorporates all of my study and growth over the past twenty years. The work I now share with women and their family integrates all of who I am. The midwife, the intuitive, and the healer.
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An Exercise for Planning Your Baby Altar
Take a deep breath and ground your body. Connect with your baby in one of the ways described in Teresa's previous articles. Send your baby a gold hello from your crown. Notice colors, smells, sounds or music you become aware of as you communicate/interact with your unborn baby.
Ask your baby where he/she would like the altar to be?
What he/she would like to be on the altar?
What else does he/she need to feel more welcome?
Thank your baby for its input.
Arrange a time with the baby to set up the altar space. When you physically have all the materials you need to set up the altar space, reconnect with your baby spirit and construct the altar with their presence.
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* APPPAH - The Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health. Visit their website for more information.
** A Difficult Decision: A Compassionate Book About Abortion, by Joy Gardner-Gordon.