posted December 21, 2011 07:26 PM            

I've heard a few times that the environments, situations, and mental state of a mother during her 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy can have an ingrained, psychological, and sometimes even physical influence over the child.

I am going to look for some of the articles I have read, as well as the link to the documentary I watched, on this topic. I will post them as soon as I find them again!

For now, a few personal experiences.
From the time my mother was about 17-18 up until she was about 7-8 months pregnant with me [she was 20]. She worked the night shift at a local hotel, which I believe she said was 6pm-4am. By the time she got off work, had her "dinner" and did whatever she had to after her shift, she didn't get to bed until about 8am. Even after she went on maternity leave, she didn't get her schedule back to day shift until after I was born.
I can't say for sure what my sleeping patterns were like when I was a baby because, well, I don't remember. But for as long as I can remember, I have been an insomniac. I'd lay in bed staring at the ceiling until at least 4am!! No matter how how tired my body was, I just could not fall asleep. I just couldn't shut my mind off. I'd try so hard but I just couldn't. Half the time it would be daylight before I fell asleep. So you can imagine how tired and unproductive I could be in school! I have had this problem my entire life. I am 20 years old now, and I've only learned to get a handle over it the last couple years. But I think the reason why I sleep a bit better [and only a "bit"] is because I work so hard and will just pass out from exhaustion.

Also,
During my mom's pregnancy with me she had a lot going on in her life and due to stress, she lost weight.She was already a thin person. There was a woman she worked with who came in after my mom's shift and sent out all the paper work from that day out to the head office. This woman was taking all my mom's work, signing her own name on it, which eventually gave HER the raise that my mom deserved. My mom caught on and talked to the boss. Not long after that, this woman was spreading this rumor that my mom's weight loss was due to cocaine use [hah, my mother can barely stand the thought of alcohol!]. So to make a long story short, [sort of ]this woman caused a lot of unnecessary stress and hurt feelings in my mom. Then, after my birth, there were many friends, family members, and coworkers that came to see me. Apparently I was such a happy baby and barely cried. Every single person who came in that door could hold me and I didn't make a peep. I loved being held. Except when the woman who started the rumors about my mom showed up. My mom said, "The second that woman walked in the door you screamed you f'n head off".
I've always been curious as to whether or not the soul waits along side the mother until the baby is born before entering the body. It is what makes sense to me (I strongly believe in past lives). When my mother told me this I thought my soul had witnessed this harsh treatment toward her and it was ingrained in my subconscious.

Then there are other things like music. Almost every one I know with kids say their kids listen to music they listened to during the mother's pregnancy.
My boyfriend's mom listened to classical during her pregnancy with him and the guy is practically a musical genius. Not only in the sense that he can easily play and write music, but he has an amazing understanding of music on it's own (he is also a Pisces Moon which is the first thing I figured attributed to this).
Women I know who listened to loud music during their pregnancy have kids who cannot sleep in silence.
There are a lot of examples, I will add more as they come to me.

What do you guys think of this theory? Please share opinions and experience, if any.

posted December 22, 2011 03:19 AM            

I personally am radically different than my mother. Our tastes in pretty much EVERYTHING are completely different, and our personalities are nothing alike. Nothing was really significant about her pregnancies, as far as I know, other than her being in her 30s (higher risk) and neither me nor my brother taking very long to be born, which apparently is unusual. Other than that, no significant details. She and I do not even look alike, except maybe our noses a little bit and we both have the same hair texture, as do her sisters (but different colors). I take after my father's side of the family much more so than my mother's side in appearance and personality. I haven't really known anyone who had experiences like yours, though I definitely believe that you're being truthful, so I'm not discounting you or anything. I just don't believe that every child is as strongly influenced as you seem to have been. Some might be, but I personally don't know anyone like that. Your bond with her seems unusually strong compared to other people that I've known.

What I am wondering is if you or your mother or both of you have a particularly 'sensitive' chart, or if you and your mother have an unusually strong emotional/mental/unspoken connection to each other, and if you are a very highly intuitive sort of person. I'd be curious to know if those who do feel a strong connection to their mothers have similar placements to yours. Since you mention others having similar experiences to you, I wonder if there is some common link between all of you, even if it's something small, and I wonder if this is missing in people whom I know who have not had similar experiences. I think that your connection is something very special that not everyone experiences.

I don't discount the idea that prenatal environment is important, but I personally tend to see the more scientific/physical sides of that--such as whether or not a mother smoked/drank, how she took care of herself, things like that. Those things seem more readily apparent.

I do think that it's an interesting theory, though. And, of course, my beliefs are just that--beliefs. Other people may feel differently. I'm curious to see what others say and if they have a different take on it.

------------------
*I use the whole sign system*

Personal Planets:
Sun, Mercury: Libra
Venus: Scorpio
Moon: Cancer
Mars: Capricorn

posted December 23, 2011 12:35 PM            

Thank you for your response and interest. I will start off by saying that I am not offended in the slightest to your non-belief in past lives. I am a very opened minded person and am respectful of all opinions and all beliefs.

As for being similar personality wise, that is not what I mean. I am not much like my mother, either. I didn't look anything like her until I graduated highschool (2 years ago) now I look just like she did when she had me. But through out my childhood I was a lot like my dad. Looked NOTHING like my mother in the slightest bit. Personality
wise, definitely more like my dad.

But what I am trying to touch base on here, is hard to pinpoint because no one remembers being in the womb, lol. The one documentary I seen described this as "emotional memory" some times we have behaviors or habits that are effected by the vibes given off during the environment can effect the emotional well being of the child. I am definitely not saying this is accurate for everyone, nor am I disagreeing with what you have said.

The documentary I watched gave a good example. A high percentage of women who were pregnant during the dutch hunger period, had children who grew up to be overweight and even obese.

I have also seen this play out with other people that I know. I will compile information, and find some of the articles today and post them. With posting the articles, I am hoping it will explain a little better than I have

Please keep in mind I am not discounting what you have said, either, because I am not. Believe me, I appreciate the feedback.