This blog post was written for Doulas of Utah by Lesha Nelson.
When we think about pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum journey, we often focus on the physical aspects—prenatal care, birthing plans, and newborn care. But what about the body’s deeper experiences? What about the nervous system, stored patterns of stress, and the emotional imprints of our own early life?This is where somatics, perinatal healing, and doula support come in.
These modalities help expectant parents, birthing people, and even newborns navigate the profound transitions of conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with greater ease and connection. And when combined with the compassionate support of a doula, the results can be transformative.
What is Somatics?
Somatics is the practice of listening to and working with the body as a source of wisdom and healing. It is based on the understanding that our experiences—especially overwhelming or stressful ones—are stored in our nervous system, muscles, and tissues.
Somatic healing helps us recognize these patterns and restore a sense of safety, presence, and ease in the body. This can be particularly powerful for people who are trying to conceive, pregnant, or healing from past birth experiences.
Pre- & Perinatal Somatics: Healing at the Earliest Layers
Pre- and perinatal somatics is a specialized branch of somatic work that focuses on the imprints (memories) from our own time in the womb, our birth, and early infancy. These experiences shape our nervous system, attachment patterns, and the way we relate to safety and connection—often before we even have words for them.
Through this work, we can:
– Address early imprints that may be impacting current pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
– Release stored trauma from previous pregnancies, births, or losses.
– Support conception, pregnancy, and birth as a deeply embodied experience.
– Help newborns resolve birth stressors and integrate their experience coming earthside more easefully.
Why Would Someone Want These Services Before or During Pregnancy?
When we are preparing to conceive, our nervous system health matters. Stress, unresolved trauma, and early imprints can all influence fertility, pregnancy, and birth experiences. By engaging in preconception somatic work, we can create a more regulated, receptive, and connected state—both for ourselves and for the baby we may be welcoming.
During pregnancy, somatic practices can:
– Help reduce anxiety and fear about birth.
– Support deep relaxation and body awareness for a more intuitive pregnancy.
– Resolve past traumas that may impact labor and birth.
– Strengthen the bond between parent and baby before birth.
And for babies, receiving somatic care and craniosacral therapy can help resolve intrauterine constraints held in the body, release birth tension or trauma, improve feeding challenges such as latch, and support a more settled nervous system from the very start.
The Doula + Somatics Connection: A Powerful Collaboration
Doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support to birthing people, ensuring they feel empowered and cared for. But birth isn’t just a moment—it’s an experience woven into the nervous system, shaping both parent and baby long after labor ends.
By combining doula support with somatic support, we can help clients not only prepare for birth but also integrate their experience afterward. Together, our work ensures that parents and babies have the resources they need to feel safe, connected, and well-supported—before, during, and after birth.
Want to dive deeper into these concepts?
I have a few podcast episodes around these specific topics I would love to share with you. Click the link below to take to listen:
– What is Somatic Trauma Resolution
– Pre and Perinatal Somatics w/ Kate White
I would also love to offer this free resource to help you process your birth if you have already had your baby. The Empowered Birth Journal is a gentle, self-guided reflection journal created to support your healing journey. Rooted in somatics and nervous system care, this resource helps you honor your experience, cultivate resilience, and reconnect with your inner strength—all at your own pace, in your own time.
If you are pregnant, planning to conceive, or seeking support for birth and postpartum, we encourage you to explore the benefits of somatics, perinatal healing, and doula support through Doulas of Utah and Lesha Nelson.
✨ Contact Doulas of Utah to learn more about our services
✨ Connect with Lesha Nelson for Somatic Trauma Resolution, Integrative Bodywork, and Womb Healing
Together, we’re here to ensure you feel supported, safe, and deeply cared for—every step of the way.
