This poster is available to order in different sizes from Fine Art America
Birth Poster
The opening flow of the cervix
Use this poster to visualise the gentle opening of your cervix, in response to your uterus gathering its energy for the second stage. Your cervix opens up to around 10cms, roughly the circumference of your baby’s head, during the first stage of labour. It has a magical flow of opening like a flower.
Your cervix opens in response to your uterus gathering its energy upwards towards the top of your uterus or fundus. This is done so that there will be a strong collection of energy/ muscle at the top of your uterus, ready to guide your baby down your yoni (birth canal) and out into your waiting arms. The presenting part of your baby, be that of their head or buttocks ( in a breech presentation) creates something that your cervix can pull up and around. Not unlike pulling on a polo neck, with your head being your baby’s presenting part and the polo neck, your cervix. As the rose opens and gets bigger, your uterus is gathering strength and your cervix is opening wider. So as the rose in the poster opens, feel the strength in you and your uterus growing and allow your cervix to gently open in response. The fallen petals outside of the belly represent the delivery of your placenta, the third stage of labour. This is a letting go of the “other half “ of your baby – the placenta, which has nourished and supported your baby in your womb. The third stage signifies your baby’s first breath and the closing of the hole in their heart/ foramen ovale, which starts a different circulation of the blood in your baby’s heart. This is an important time of bonding and welcome, skin-to-skin contact and the first suckle at the breast.
Visualisations
Take this poster into your labour environment and paste it up somewhere. The gentle opening of the flower from a bud to fully open is a reminder of the gathering of your uterine muscle towards the top/fundus of your uterus, which then opens your cervix by default, around the presenting part of your baby which may be their head or buttocks. This process can be slow in parts and faster in others and doesn’t necessarily follow a pre-determined timing. Your emotional state can have an effect on your hormones needed for this stage of labour. Using this poster and its gentle visualisation of the flower opening will hopefully create a sense of well being and calm for you and your baby.
Explanation of Chinese Characters
Heaven
Man
Earth
In this poster, Man stands between Heaven and Earth, which is the Created sequence. The baby is fully formed with the symbol of Heaven / Yang as the round head, and Earth / Yin as the square feet. When we stand erect, we become the connection between Heaven and Earth, the circle and the square.
The 12 Earthly Branches
子 丑 寅 卯 辰 巳 午 未 申 酉 戌 亥
The 12 Branches, which relate to the Earthly energies, are there after birth and follow the sequence of the so-called Chinese clock, (which is a useful sequence in terms of Acupuncture treatments). In the 24 hours of day and night, each Branch is more apparent for a two hourly period. This concept could be loosely likened to the Circadian rhythm. The Earthly Branches are related to the Moon and our personality. The Moon reflects the light of the Sun – our Source, but it is not the light itself. The Sun shines constantly whereas the Moon’s reflections are determined by its position between the Earth and the Sun. The Moon’s orbit is between the Earth and the Sun.
Note for Acupuncturists; The last two Branches, by the fallen petals the Xu(HG) and Hai(TH), come into play during the third stage. The Xin Bao (HG) is activated by the first breath and the closing of the hole in the heart – the foramen ovale. The San Jiao (TH) is activated by the first suckle at the breast. The third stage activates the synthesis of the post Heavenly energies of Da Qi and Gu Qi.
My thanks to; Josie, Peter Van Kervel www.landipress.com and Joan Duveen www.joanduveen.nl for your help on this poster. The concept of this poster © Amanda Edwards 2015. Photographer: Frazer Visser www.hamiltonstudios.com