—In the introduction to the Healthy Pregnancy and Successful Childbirth CD, Belleruth Naparstek suggests, “Try not to have a fixed idea of how you think the labor and delivery should go. The more flexible you can be, the better off you are.”

Better advice for moms-to-be, I cannot offer. As a control freak, I tried to find the perfect childbirth method. I researched home births, pain-free/ drug-filled births, water births, Bradley, Lamaze, Birthing from Within, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and anything else I could get my puffy, pregnant hands on. I made a birth plan, took a hospital tour, chose a mixture of methods and a labor tub, and had it all worked out in my head. And then my daughter, in what I now realize was a sign of things to come, thwarted the plans! Turns out, things were not in my control at all, and I had a baby anyway.

You will too, if you’re a mom-to-be, and if you try some guided imagery you might just feel less out of control, even if things don’t go quite the way you’ve planned. Guided imagery is similar to meditation, but requires much less time and discipline. Belleruth Naparstek, creator of the Health Journeys series, guides you through sensory images that tap into three key principles: The Mind-Body Connection, which proports that images created in the mind can be almost as real as actual, external events; The Altered State, in which we're supposedly capable of more rapid and intense healing, growth, learning and performance; and Locus of Control, the belief that when we have a sense of being in control, it can help us to feel better and do better.

Belleruth’s voice, which at first sounds familiar, like the lunch lady on heavy reverb, eventually starts feeling more like a brilliant, sweet aunt, ready to guide you to the places that can help you with any number of difficult things, from quitting cigarettes to facing surgery.

I wish I’d discovered Health Journeys back when I couldn’t decide on any one childbirth technique. I was not a fan of Bradley, or Lamaze and Birthing from Within, while beautiful, but didn’t speak to my fears. What I felt was the most reasonable approach to acknowledging and accepting the pain and fear of childbirth was Ina May Gaskin’s, but I was nowhere near The Farm and the midwives near me had hardly heard of her. Each method had some good ideas and I borrowed freely from all. But no matter what you choose, Belleruth’s calming, empowering messages can help you be in touch with your own gentle and powerful, possibly hidden, inner strength.

There are wonderful stories on the Health Journeys website to inspire you and make you laugh. It’s cute that several people have written in to say they used the guided imagery CD for infertility and are now ordering the Healthy Pregnancy and Successful Childbirth CD! The Mom-to-Be Pack also includes the Healthful Sleep CD, and Baby Om: Yoga for Mothers and Babies, by Sarah Perron and Laura Stanton. The book offers a sweet way to get your body moving and healing, offering yoga poses to do with your baby, to enhance both your and your baby’s well-being. Lest you think this is New Age hooey, I point you to the true skeptics, the Western Medical Establishment. Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest medical networks in the U.S., has its own guided imagery CD and brochure for a healthy surgery. Forward thinking, yes, but surely they must benefit by getting patients healed and out the door faster. A technique that opens up the mind and body to its own healing powers? Sounds like a natural choice.

Cost: $54.95
Where to Buy it: Online at www.healthjourneys.com

You can download MP3 files if you’re pressed for time!