Being with our yet unborn baby
It's week 20+3 of my pregnancy. Some fellow humans in my social circle feel sadness about the fact that I still have not bought (or otherwise acquired) anything for the baby. I decided to invite into our life all the items that I consider essential only much later in my pregnancy, somewhere towards the very end of it. It feels right and authentic to me, and surely is not the only way to relate with objects. I said a little bit more about it in this video.
Just like my fellow humans who prepare everything for their baby's (or babies') arrival early on out of love and care, everything I do stems from love and care, too.
To manifest love and care beyond thinking about, and buying, items for the baby, this is what I/we have chosen to do during these months:
Spend quality time with the baby. Every day, several times a day, I sit or lie down to simply be with the baby and not do anything else. I usually do it when I feel his gentle moves. I have a posterior placenta (located at the back wall of the uterus), so I started to feel him move relatively early for a first pregnancy, somewhere between weeks 18 and 19.
Talk to the baby and read with him. When I sit or lie down, I usually massage my baby bump gently and intuitively. The baby often moves in response. I talk to the baby and read whatever I'm reading these days with him. I am fully aware that he doesn't understand anything, but he seems to react to voices. My partner talks to the baby too. Since we decided that both English and Danish will be spoken to the baby, my partner speaks Danish to the baby even at this stage.
Play guitar and sing for him. My partner plays guitar, and these days he plays for the baby too. He often sings Danish songs for him as well.
Walk in nature. We try to avoid busy spaces. Instead, we try to spend as much time with nature as possible. We visit our local parks to hear the birds and the sea to enjoy the sound of the waves.
Set boundaries, say no. Setting boundaries has for a long time been an important part of my minimalist practice. These days, I feel that I am even more careful with what I say yes to. I want all my interactions to be nurturing (for both me and the other person), grounded in gentleness and care. This way, I can dwell in my authenticity, feel more harmonious and less stressed.
Apart from that, I continue to practise sustainable, extreme minimalism. I eat vegetables and fruits and practise zero-waste, as much as possible, again. Living with very few items makes it easier to keep my home clean and tidy, so I can clean less and spend more time on the activities I mentioned above. Working on writing projects only with kind and compassionate fellow humans allows me to enjoy my collaborations and feel inspired rather than used and overwhelmed.