Haptonomy concerns the human relationships between the parents and the expectant child.
The first human relationship a child experiences is in the uterus and is, therefore, the most important experience of all.
Children show us during their antenatal life, rather than living alone and isolated within their bubble, they are already sociable beings, desperate for contact with their parents.
The sessions (minimum 8) start at the beginning of the pregnancy. The Doctor or midwife, trained in Haptonomy, show parents how to make contact with their child by using a psycho- tactile-approach. This respectful, tender contact brings well-being to the child. The expectant child, therefore, lives through an essential experience, which he/she remembers. He/she has a sense of well-being and is aware of a secure presence of his/her parents. This deepens the relationship between parent and child. The father learns gestures that help his partner before and during her pregnancy.
At birth, those children that have already experienced the pleasure of 'living' with their parents are calm, serene, curious and alert.
Every session is different and the most important is to practice together between sessions.
The séances are always individual, never in groups.
During the delivery, the mother accompanies and 'invites' her child to be born aided by her partner. The child is, therefore, not alone during this monumental journey.
If after the delivery all is well, the child rests in direct skin to skin contact with his/her mother and then in the arms of his/her father. It is not until these intimate moments have been respected that the staff can gently take care of the child.
If the child needs urgent medical care at the delivery, the medical staff will first provide this.
The sessions are spaced out over a year. The mother is the focus of the first séances; the father also learns techniques that help her recover from the delivery. Then, following delivery, séances concern the child, showing ways to carry the child to feel more secure and games that allow the child to become more independent. The objective of these games is not the performance but the feeling of well-being and to allow the child to develop and blossom.
