I’ve always encouraged my doula clients to use affirmations to foster positivity and self-belief.  Reflecting on and integrating messages of strength and optimism can truly build resilience – a quality that’s essential for weathering the unpredictability that’s inherent in pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of providing doula support to Fiori Giovanniand her partner, Ben Bollinger.  And if anyone knows about resilience and strength in the face of overwhelming challenge, it’s Fiori!  At the age of 12, Fiori’s marriage was already arranged. By 14, she was recruited to fight in the Eritrean army.  At 15, Fiori made the harrowing decision to flee war-torn Eritrea without friends or family. She crossed five continents and 20 countries in search of knowledge, personal growth and wisdom, eventually settling in Australia where she’s now a highly sought-after keynote speaker and a respected Business and Executive Coach.

Fiori has not only used affirmations in her own life and with her clients, but she’s also created ebooks and audio affirmations on over 30 different subjects, all available on Amazon.   I invited Fiori, now the proud mumma of baby Odis, to share how using affirmations allowed her to feel positive and confident during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

“I have always wanted to be a mother, so when I fell pregnant, my partner and I were overjoyed. A positive and loving birthing experience was important to both of us, so we hired a doula to help guide us through my pregnancy and the birthing process with love and positivity.

We were extremely happy to welcome our healthy baby boy into the world, and our experience throughout my pregnancy and the birth was profoundly life-changing. But that’s not to say it was easy.

Pregnancy, of course, is a time of immense love and connection. However, it also comes with many fears and anxieties. Would our baby be healthy? Are we making the right decisions? How would I deal with the pain of childbirth?

Thoughts like this – and many others – filled my mind during the early stages of my pregnancy and I worried that negative emotions would impact my pregnancy. I learned that this is a very common feeling for first-time mothers, and positive assurances from my experienced doula became very valuable.

In my work as a business coach, I often help my clients overcome challenges in their careers through the use of positive affirmations. By finding harmony between their conscious and subconscious minds, my business clients are able to improve their capability, clarity and focus to take back control of their professional – and personal – journeys.

Now faced with an unfamiliar challenge – pregnancy and childbirth – I knew it was time to take my own advice and turn to the power of affirmation in order to cultivate the positive energy that I so desperately wanted to pass onto our baby.

But this wasn’t the first time I have used affirmations in my own life. Starting a new life in a foreign country without my family was terrifying. I faced prejudice in my new homeland and had difficulty securing employment. I also had a lot of healing to do, and it was this journey that led me to helping others.

Based on my own journey, I created a formula that empowers others to overcome their own problems. It is based on the power of affirmation to change negative thought patterns with positive statements of self-belief.

Research shows that we have an average of 42 thoughts per minute – and up to 80 per cent of those are negative. Positive affirmation is about taking conscious control of your thoughts, and through the repetition of uplifting declarations, we can create positive images in our conscious and subconscious minds.

And when our conscious and subconscious minds are filled with positivity, we are able to change our behaviours, actions, decisions and feelings to create profound and sustainable life changes.

So I began to practice my positive affirmations through my pregnancy, during the birth, and after the birth. In doing so, my negative thoughts and feelings began to dissipate, and a new positive energy took their place. I found the inspiration, motivation, encouragement, strength and energy to face this new stage in my life with love and harmony and, in doing so, was able to fully embrace and deeply connect with what is perhaps the most profound human experience.

To those of you who are currently pregnant and struggling with the same fears and anxieties that I experienced, you too can lean on the power of positive affirmation.

Every morning when you wake, and before you go to sleep at night, you must simply plant the seeds of positivity and allow them to grow, thrive and penetrate your subconscious mind overnight as you sleep.

To help you get started, it is my sincere pleasure to offer you free access to my ebook, The Secret Blueprint for Accessing and Reprogramming Your Mind For Success.

Or, If you search for Fiori Giovanni ebooks on Amazon not only will you find my ebooks but also audio affirmations on over 30 different subjects, making you equipped to overcome any area of life.

I hope you find the same value in it that I have, and I wish you all the love, happiness and harmony for your very special journey ahead.”