Pre and Perinatal Therapy: Exploring Memories of Intrauterine Life and the Birth Process

Our early stage has a significant impact on our consciousness. Many of the organic and psychological processes that we go through resonate with adverse experiences whose imprint originates in our  conception, intrauterine life and birth process . These implicit memories deeply influence our physical, emotional and spiritual development. They are housed in our psycho-body system as sensations, behaviors, feelings, beliefs, postures, micro and macro cranial and movement patterns...

By exploring our early memories we establish an  intention  within a  safe therapeutic space  that makes it easier to reconnect with the baby we were and access our pre- and perinatal imprints to discover how they continue to affect our nervous system and perception. Through a process of differentiation we will be able to identify and reorganize adaptive responses that currently restrict us, as well as bodily, emotional and mental patterns that no longer support us and reach a restorative experience of what we have experienced. 

In adulthood, a pre- and perinatal process may focus on: 

• a pattern, an inertia or challenging dynamic in our current life (stagnation, loneliness, illness, conflictive relationships, difficulty conceiving...) to discover how it resonates with an early experience.

• explore how imprints of events that have occurred during our intrauterine stage (toxic uterus, rejection, grief, loss of a twin, ancestral influences...) or birth (chemical imprints of induction and anesthesia; interventional imprints of forceps, vacuum, cesarean section) continue to affect us …) or when there has been a difficult postpartum with lack of support, breastfeeding problems, separation of mother and baby.

• integrate the experience of pregnancy and birth of our children to strengthen the bond.

• Become aware of ancestral influences.

By opening ourselves to the original matrix it allows us to connect with our full potential and with new choices, as well as enrich the relationship with our family and environment. It is never too late to bring coherence and love where there was an interruption or pain that continues to limit us in the present, and live from a place of more freedom and authenticity.

With families, babies and children:

With children, the support to connect with their full potential is created through play and (con)tact.

Babies and families : Pregnancy and birth are profound transformations and each of the family unit should have the opportunity to integrate the experience of giving and receiving life. 

From the moment of (pre)conception the baby is aware of the world around him, and is deeply influenced by the uterine and family environment. I offer support during pregnancy (preparation for childbirth, experiences of anguish or stress, etc.) or after birth to integrate the birth and support the new family dynamic.

During intrauterine life , the baby already demonstrates that it is a social being. Just as in later stages, by nature, he seeks to connect and experiences the world around him in a very conscious way. The responses that the baby receives in utero when seeking contact are important, since they will form patterns in his psyche that will influence his way of relating to his environment. A safe and secure bond with parents will benefit the child's ability to connect in a healthy way with new people who enter her life. In adult life, our ties with our partners, our friendships and work relationships will reflect how we have experienced this very formative stage.

In the postpartum period , therapy offers a space for listening and support, inviting the baby to communicate their experiences through sounds, cries, gestures and movements in order to integrate their pre- and perinatal imprints.

Craniosacral Biodynamics is especially recommended when a birth has been instrumental (with possible cranial compressions caused by forceps, vacuum, cesarean section), if there are difficulties with breastfeeding or if there was stagnation of the baby in the birth canal. 

Support for parents: so that the new family can achieve a secure bond, it is enriching that parents can receive support with parenting and memories of their own early experiences. During pregnancy and with the arrival of mother/fatherhood, we frequently experience feelings and reactions of tiredness, frustration, anxiety, guilt, feelings of inadequacy, etc. Implicit memories emerge from our own intrauterine stage and birth process, which when processed allow usto make sense of our own early development.

“The truth about our childhood is stored in our body and, although we can repress it, we can never alter it. We can deceive the intellect, manipulate our feelings, confuse ideas and trick the body with medications. But someday the body will present us with the bill, because it is as incorruptible as a child who, still intact in spirit, does not accept compromises or excuses and will not stop tormenting us until we stop avoiding the truth.”        -  Alice Miller

About the Author:

Lin Vermeiren BCST (biodinamicaperinatal.com), an esteemed therapist and seasoned practitioner, stands at the forefront of Pre and Perinatal Therapy, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for the transformative power of implicit memories during intrauterine life and birth. Lin's journey as a therapist led her to study under renowned pioneers such as William Emerson, Ray Castellino, Tara Blasco, and midwife Mary Jackson in California and England.

A licensed translator and therapist, Lin has undergone extensive training, including Dr. Bach's Flower Therapy, Craniosacral Biodynamics with notable experts like Rafael Martiz and Franklyn Sills, and Pre & Perinatal Therapy with Dr. Ray Castellino and Mary Jackson. Lin's expertise extends to family practitioner training, primitive reflex integration, Somatic Experiencing, IFS (Internal Family Systems), and more.  Additionally, Lin offers workshops on subjects ranging from shamanic healing and continuum movement to perinatal mental health and the integration of primitive reflexes.

Join Lin in London from April 19-21,2024 for her in depth Pre and Perinatal Postgraduate Craniosacral Course (click for details). This training is tailored for Craniosacral Therapists, combining theoretical insights with practical experiences, providing a holistic perspective on pre and perinatal dynamics..