Lungs in the womb and at birth

a discussion with Carola Beresford Cooke

As many of you wrote and said you enjoyed my discussion with Carola on the Triple Heater on YouTube, I decided to publish another conversation I had with her on the development of the lungs from both a modern view and that of ancient Chinese medicine.

For the ancient Chinese the way we take our first breath is important and imprints on us profoundly. It makes a difference if our birth was calm and easy, or if there was tension. They didn't understand fetal circulation in the way we now do, but they understood that important changes happen at birth and that the lungs are closely connected to our heart. They also understood that stress impacts us profoundly, especially while we are in the womb and at birth.

I talk a little about fetal circulation and I include this picture in the video.

I also talk about how we can support the changes in the lungs after birth with shiatsu. These changes are supported by reflexes. I talk about "Foundation touch" - a broad, slightly compressing touch which moves from the centre of the body, abdomen and lower back, out into the hips and shoulders and then into the legs and feet and arms and hands. This kind of touch is great for babies in their early months, but I sometimes use it with my adult clients. I do a paired exercise with it in my baby shiatsu and massage classes and students love it. We talk about "lotus birth" when the umbilical cord is not cut but left to detach naturally, a process of several days.

If you’d like to watch the whole conversation here is the link