Before Baby Arrives: Building Heartfelt Connection in the Womb
Before Baby Arrives

Practical Exercises to Listen to Your Baby's Whispers

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LISTENING TO YOUR BABY'S WHISPERS

LISTENING TO YOUR BABY'S WHISPERS

LISTENING TO YOUR BABY'S WHISPERS LISTENING TO YOUR BABY'S WHISPERS

Welcome to This Section: Practical Exercises to Listen to Your Baby’s Whispers

As a midwife and intuitive guide, I’ve witnessed time and time again how profoundly things shift when a parent begins to attune to the subtle communication of their unborn or newborn baby. These “whispers” aren’t always heard through the ears. They arrive through the language of the body, the rhythm of the breath, the flutter of movement, the stillness after song. They come as sensations, nudges, emotional shifts, and sacred quiet knowings that rise from deep within.

Your baby is always communicating.
Even now — before words, before eye contact — they are reaching for you through energy, vibration, and felt presence.
The invitation isn’t to learn something new.
It’s to remember what you already know: how to listen with your whole self.

In this section, you’ll be guided through gentle, heart-centered, and evidence-informed exercises that will help you:

  • Create a daily or weekly rhythm of connection

  • Tune in to your baby’s responses to touch, movement, voice, and emotion

  • Recognize the subtle signals your baby is offering — even before birth

  • Build your capacity to trust your intuitive sense of what your baby needs

  • Cultivate embodied presence as a practice — not just a moment

These are not complicated practices.
They are invitations to slow down, breathe, notice, and receive.
They’re here to help you deepen the dialogue that is already unfolding between you and your baby — a dialogue that requires no words, only willingness and wonder.

Because when you learn to listen beyond sound — to the tone of your body, the energy of your heart, the wisdom of your womb — something beautiful happens:
You start to feel the mutual relationship that already exists.

This is not a one-way connection.
It’s a sacred partnership.
And it’s already begun.

So as you enter these practices, I invite you to let go of doing them perfectly. Instead, meet them with curiosity, softness, and trust.
There is no right way to connect — only your way.
And that is enough.

With blessings and love,
Lisa, the Baby Whisperer x

1. Daily Intuitive Check-Ins

This section invites you to slow down and reconnect with your baby through gentle, heart-led mindfulness. You'll learn a simple yet powerful daily practice to tune into your baby's needs, strengthen your intuitive bond, and create a sense of calm and safety — for both of you. Grounded in both neuroscience and sacred connection, this practice nurtures trust, emotional regulation, and lifelong attachment from the very beginning.

Awaken your connection — one breath at a time

  • Take 5–10 minutes each morning or evening for you; place your hands over your abdomen/womb, (or your baby, if they already born). Close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply. Centre yourself in stillness.

  • Ask internally:

    “What do you need today?”
    “How are you feeling in there?”

    Let any sensations, words, images, or feelings arise. No judgment — just gentle noticing. Keep your Pregnancy journal close by to capture what you receive.

  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress (cortisol) and increasing oxytocin, the hormone of calm, love, and bonding. (Uvnäs-Moberg, 2014),

    Spiritually, this invites energetic connection, helping you receive intuitive messages from your baby — even in silence.

2. Heart-Womb Connection Visualisation

This guided visualisation strengthens your intuitive bond with your baby by connecting your heart space to your womb (or your baby’s heart postpartum). Through breath, imagery, and mantra, you align emotionally and energetically with your baby, fostering deep connection and mutual regulation. This practice not only calms the nervous system but supports emotional attunement that can last a lifetime.

  • Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed. Begin by closing your eyes and placing one hand over your heart and the other over your womb. If your baby has already arrived, place your hands over your heart and your baby’s heart area.

    Begin with slow, mindful breaths — in through the nose, out through the mouth. Let your awareness settle into your heart space. Feel its rhythm, its warmth, and imagine a soft golden light growing there.

    Next, bring your awareness to your womb or your baby’s heart. Visualise a golden thread or beam of light gently linking these two sacred centres — heart to womb, heart to baby. With each breath, imagine energy flowing lovingly between them. Stay in this flow, feeling the warmth, the rhythm, the trust between you.

  • “I trust this connection. I listen with my whole being.”

    Repeat silently or aloud as you continue to breathe and feel.

  • Research shows that fetal and maternal heart rhythms can synchronise during connected, calm states (Riedl, M. et al., 2009). These physiological attunements lay the foundation for emotional co-regulation and long-term secure attachment.

    On an energetic level, this practice aligns you with your baby’s soul essence — reinforcing their sense of safety, presence, and belonging. It's a sacred reminder that your baby already feels and responds to your emotional and energetic state, even before birth.

  • What did I feel or see during the visualisation?

    Did any emotion arise as I connected heart-to-womb?

    What message or sensation might my baby be sharing with me?

3. Music and Movement Co-Resonance

This practice helps deepen emotional attunement between parent and baby through the shared sensory experiences of sound and movement. Music becomes a medium for connection, while gentle movement activates co-regulation and sensory bonding. It offers both neurological benefits and soulful bonding — a dance of love and rhythm.

They signal to your baby: “We are connected. I hear you. We move through this world together.”

  • Select calming, heart-centered music — preferably instrumental or gentle vocals that carry a soothing frequency. Think classical, nature sounds, or spiritual lullabies. Set aside time each day to engage in mindful movement: swaying, dancing slowly, walking with presence, or gentle prenatal yoga.

    As you move, bring awareness to how your baby responds — if in utero, notice subtle kicks, rolling movements, or periods of stillness. If your baby is already born, watch their facial expressions, breath, and body movements.

    This is not about performance — it’s about resonance. Let your heart and body speak in rhythm with your baby’s emerging awareness.

  • Research by Hepper (1991) revealed that fetuses can hear and respond to rhythmic patterns and sounds from as early as 20 weeks gestation. These early auditory experiences shape neural development and emotional memory.

    On a physiological level, rhythm and movement activate the vestibular system, which is key in sensory integration. Repetitive gentle movement combined with music helps to regulate your nervous system and your baby’s — creating synchrony between your bodies and hearts.

    Energetically and emotionally, these practices reinforce a felt sense of safety, joy, and presence. They signal to your baby: “We are connected. I hear you. We move through this world together.”

  • Try incorporating music into your bedtime routine, morning rituals, or transitions.

    Use the same song daily as a bonding cue. Your baby may recognise and be soothed by this melody after birth.

    Move intuitively — even small gestures of rocking, circling hips, or swaying can anchor your connection.

  • What song feels like a lullaby for my soul?

    How did I feel emotionally after today’s movement practice?

    What responses did I notice from my baby?

4. Intuitive Touch & Massage

This practice invites parents to use gentle, instinctive touch to deepen their non-verbal connection with their baby—whether still in the womb or already born. By tuning into the subtle sensations beneath their hands and allowing the baby to guide the interaction, parents foster a felt sense of trust, safety, and loving presence. This section emphasises the healing power of touch not just physically, but emotionally and energetically.

“Intuitive touch and presence create safety, calm, and connection — for both mother and baby.”

  • Set aside quiet time when you feel relaxed and present.

    Place your hands softly on your belly (or your baby's body if postpartum).

    Let go of any agenda. Let your hands be guided—move, pause, or stay still, depending on what feels right.

    Use intuitive stillness: sometimes no movement is needed. Just presence.

    Silently say affirmations like:
    “I’m with you.”
    “You are loved.”
    “I feel you.”

  • Touch is the first sense to develop in utero, and is a primary language of communication between parent and child.

    Research by Tiffany Field (2010) and others shows that touch:

    o   Increases oxytocin ("bonding hormone")

    o   Decreases cortisol (stress hormone)

    o   Enhances immune function and growth

    o   Builds secure attachment foundations through felt safety

  • Intuitive touch creates an energetic bridge between parent and baby.

    It helps the mother or caregiver attune to the baby's subtle emotional states.

    Your hands become "listening tools," affirming your baby's presence and promoting connection beyond words

    For those who believe in soul connection, it’s also a way of acknowledging the baby’s spirit and intention.

  • Through conscious touch, you begin to access your baby’s energetic rhythm, which helps in recognising early signals of comfort, distress, or engagement.

    You’re laying the foundation for a lifelong relationship based on deep listening and responsive care.

5. Sacred Space Listening Practice

This gentle, soul-centred practice encourages you to create a nurturing environment where you can listen deeply to your inner voice—and to your baby’s presence. By slowing down and removing external distractions, you become more attuned to your maternal intuition, allowing insight, guidance, and emotional connection to emerge naturally. It is a space of reverence, calm, and sacred presence.

    • Set aside time when you can be uninterrupted. Dim the lights, light a candle, diffuse calming essential oils (lavender, chamomile, or frankincense).

    • Sit or lie down comfortably, placing a hand on your heart or womb.

    • Allow your breath to slow, and focus on the feeling of stillness.

    • Ask yourself silently:
      “What do I need to know right now?”
      “What does my baby need right now?”

    • Don’t expect a loud or immediate answer. Just listen with your body and heart. Let images, sensations, emotions, or words rise gently.

    • Journal afterward if something arose—or just rest in the peace of connection.

    • This practice reduces overstimulation from external noise and technology, calming the nervous system and improving interoception (awareness of inner states).

    • It supports emotional regulation and builds mindfulness, both essential for navigating parenthood with confidence.

    • According to maternal-fetal psychology, when a mother is calm and reflective, the baby experiences physiological coherence, promoting brain development and emotional safety.

    • Sacred listening creates a bridge between the seen and unseen—between your conscious mind and your intuitive, soul-based awareness.

    • In many traditions, it is believed that a baby's spirit is already in communication with the parent long before birth. This practice opens space for those messages to be felt.

    • Helps tune into your maternal blueprint—the deep inner wisdom that already knows how to parent with love and presence.

    • Facilitates soul-to-soul communication with your baby, deepening the sacred bond that begins even before the first touch.

    • Supports postpartum grounding and reconnection to self when practiced after birth.

The HeartMath Institute: A Perspective & Relevance in the Sacred Space Listening Practice:

*after your baby is born, you both will feel the need to remain in close proximity, not out of anxiousness, but a sense of safety. You both have a unique vibrational frequency from your hearts, that is synchronised to each other.

“Your hearts have their own unique song, that only you both can hear “

Heart-brain coherence is a state where the rhythms of the heart and brain synchronize in a balanced and harmonious pattern. According to research from the HeartMath Institute, when individuals enter this state—especially through intentional practices like quiet reflection, heart-focused breathing, and gratitude—they experience improved emotional regulation, intuition, and relational attunement.

For pregnant and postpartum mothers, this has significant implications:

  • HeartMath studies show that intuitive intelligence becomes more accessible during heart coherence states (McCraty, Atkinson & Bradley, 2004).

    Sacred Space Listening, when done with intention and emotional presence, helps you drop into this intuitive zone—where you can better perceive your baby’s emotional and energetic needs.

  • The unborn baby is sensitive to maternal emotional and physiological states. When a mother enters a coherent emotional state (calm, gratitude, compassion), this coherence affects the baby’s autonomic nervous system, promoting a sense of safety and bonding (McCraty et al., 2006).

    In sacred space, your calm, present emotional tone becomes a vibrational imprint your baby receives—laying the foundation for secure attachment.

    *after your baby is born, you both will feel the need to remain in close proximity, not out of anxiousness, but a sense of safety. You both have a unique vibrational frequency from your hearts, that is synchronised to each other.

    “Your hearts have their own unique song, that only you both can hear “

  • The HeartMath Institute has found that the heart emits an electromagnetic field measurable several feet from the body. In close contact (like womb proximity or skin-to-skin postnatally), two heart fields can entrain, meaning they synchronise in rhythm (Bradley, 2006).

    Your baby's heart and nervous system are entraining to yours, even during pregnancy. In stillness, with awareness of your heart, this synchronisation becomes conscious and powerful.

6. Nature as a Mirror – Deepening Intuitive Bonding

This practice invites you as a parent—either pregnant or with your baby—to step into nature as a sacred space for connection. By gently attuning to the natural world and asking for a message or sign from your baby, you activate your intuitive awareness. Whether it's the movement of a bird, the shape of a cloud, or the rustle of leaves, nature becomes a reflective mirror of your parent–baby bond.

  • Go for a walk in nature with your baby or while pregnant. Ask for a sign or message from your baby. Observe what draws your attention—a bird, tree, shape in the clouds.

    Bring a small journal or record voice notes after the walk, documenting any symbols or feelings that arose. Over time, you may notice patterns that strengthen trust in your intuitive connection.

    Optional Spiritual Element:
    You may invite your baby’s spirit to guide you before the walk with a short intention or prayer.

    For example:
    "Baby, I’m here to listen. Show me what you want me to know."

  • Nature naturally calms the nervous system and enhances heart-brain coherence, a state linked with deeper intuitive access (HeartMath Institute).

    Symbolic messages in nature bypass the thinking mind, allowing soul-to-soul communication to flow more easily.

    This practice nurtures the parental sixth sense—a vital inner compass during pregnancy and early parenting.

  • “What message is this offering me about my baby or our connection?”

7. Dream Dialogue - A Portal to Baby Connection

Pregnancy naturally heightens dream vividness, making it a powerful space for intuitive messages. By resting your hands on your heart and belly and repeating a simple affirmation, you invite symbolic and spiritual communication from your baby as you sleep.

  • Before sleep, rest one hand on your heart and the other on your belly or baby. With a soft breath, set the intention to connect through dreams.

  • “I invite my baby to speak with me in dreams tonight. I am open and ready to receive.”

  • Pregnancy and postpartum dreams tend to be more vivid and symbol-rich. This is a powerful time when the veil between your subconscious and the spirit realm thins. Your baby—whose consciousness is deeply connected to both—may send messages, feelings, or guidance through your dream space. (Hunter, 2006)

  • Dreams during pregnancy and the early postpartum period often become more vivid, emotionally charged, and symbolically rich. This heightened dream activity is influenced by several physiological and psychological changes:

    ✦ Hormonal Shifts

    During pregnancy, rising levels of progesterone and estrogen affect the sleep cycle—particularly REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the stage most associated with dreaming. According to research, hormonal changes can increase the frequency and emotional intensity of dreams (García-Banda et al., 2012).

    ✦ Increased REM Sleep Disruptions

    Pregnant individuals often experience more frequent awakenings due to physical discomfort or hormonal fluctuations, especially in the third trimester. These interruptions make it more likely to wake during or just after a REM phase, which increases dream recall. This aligns with findings from sleep research indicating that the more frequently one awakens during REM, the more likely vivid dreams are remembered (Pagel, 2008).

    ✦ Emotional Sensitivity & Symbolic Processing

    Pregnancy is a time of profound transformation—psychologically and spiritually. Carl Jung suggested that dreams help process emotional and archetypal material. In pregnancy, increased emotional awareness and a heightened sense of maternal responsibility often activate symbolic dream content reflecting fears, hopes, identity shifts, and connections to the baby (Garfield, 2001).

    ✦ Dreams as a Tool for Bonding and Intuition

    Dreams may offer glimpses into the subconscious, providing clarity or reassurance. From a spiritual perspective, many traditions and psychological schools view dreams as portals to deeper wisdom—making them a meaningful space for intuitive communication with the unborn baby (Hunter, 2006).

  • I encourage you to keep a journal by the bed. Upon waking, you can write:
    “What message might this dream be offering me from my baby or my inner wisdom?”
    Tracking these over time often reveals patterns of reassurance, healing, or insight.

  • Light a candle or use calming essential oils (like lavender or frankincense).

    Speak the affirmation aloud.

    Ask silently: “What do I most need to hear tonight from you, my baby?”

Encouragement from a Midwife’s Heart 💗

These exercises aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re about presence, trust, and the quiet unfolding of your inner voice. You are biologically and spiritually designed to connect with your baby on a soul-deep level.

By cultivating these sacred listening practices, you’re not only strengthening your relationship now—you’re building the foundation of lifelong emotional security, trust, and intuitive parenting.

Quiz:

Listening to Your Baby’s Whispers

Q1. Which of these practices do you feel most drawn to?

  • A. Heart-womb visualisation

  • B. Music and movement

  • C. Sacred space stillness

  • D. I’m not sure yet

Q2. How does your baby respond to your voice, movement, or touch?

  • A. I’ve noticed patterns and reactions

  • B. Subtle changes, not always clear

  • C. I’m still learning what to notice

  • D. I haven’t really tuned in yet

Q3. When practicing quiet connection, what do you experience most?

  • A. Emotional insight or felt presence

  • B. Warmth or peace

  • C. Mental chatter

  • D. Discomfort or disconnection

Q4. What best describes your experience of listening intuitively to your baby?

  • A. A tender dialogue is forming

  • B. I sense it sometimes

  • C. I’m still finding my rhythm

  • D. I feel unsure how to begin

🌿 Your Results:

  • Mostly A’s — Sacred Listener

  • Your presence is powerful. Keep receiving your baby’s subtle whispers — they know you’re there.

  • Mostly B’s/C’s — Deepening Trust

  • You’re opening a sacred channel. The more you soften, the clearer it becomes.

  • Mostly D’s — At the Threshold

  • This is a beautiful beginning. Your curiosity is connection.

Journal Prompts for Listening to Baby’s Whispers

Theme: Attunement, Sensory Communication, and Relational Presence

🌬 1. Whispered Dialogue

“When I quiet my mind and tune in, what do I feel from my baby?”

Explore the impressions, subtle movements, or intuitive messages that arise when you shift into inner stillness.

💞 2. Our Shared Ritual

“What simple practice helps me feel most connected to my baby?”

Reflect on a daily or weekly ritual — touch, music, meditation, voice — that opens your awareness of your baby’s presence and energy.

👂 3. The Language of Sensation

“What sensory exchanges have I noticed between us?”

Think about how your baby responds to sound, movement, or rest. What do these patterns say about their personality — or your connection?

🌀 4. When It’s Hard to Hear

“What moments make it harder to listen — and how can I soften through them?”

Gently explore times when you feel distracted, shut down, or unsure. How can you return to connection without pressure?

🔗 5. An Invitation to My Baby

“What would I like my baby to know about how I’m listening?”

Write a message to your baby — affirming your commitment to presence, even in the imperfection of daily life.

🌿 Closing Reflection

“Listening is my love in motion. I hear you, even in the quiet.”

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