Is this meditation safe during pregnancy?

Yes. This is gentle guided practice with no breath-holding or physical exertion. Listen in any comfortable position. If a practice increases distress rather than easing it, stop and speak with your midwife, GP, or a mental health professional.

Do I need the app to listen?

No. Press play on this page for the full guided audio and transcript. The My Maternal Mind app adds offline caching, ambient sound mixing, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

Getting to Know You

Week 18

0:00−6:30

Background sound

Duration:: 7 min
Stage:: Pregnancy · Week 18
Best for:: A quiet moment when you want to turn toward connection, if it feels right

How to practise

In the second trimester, bonding, gently and pressure-free; connection as a process can show up quietly or all at once. This guided meditation makes room for the feeling without turning it into a lesson you are meant to pass.

Bonding is often imagined as a sudden rush of love. For many people it is quieter than that, a slow getting-to-know, built moment by moment. This practice offers a gentle way to turn toward connection if and when it feels right, with no pressure to feel anything in particular. A small hello is enough.

Find a position that supports you (seated or lying down). Press play and let the guidance move at its own pace. There is no correct way to feel, and nothing to visualize on demand.

This episode is written for week 18. It fits best a quiet moment when you want to turn toward connection, if it feels right, though you can return whenever the week feels heavy or unfamiliar.

Each week in the series stands alone. Listeners often join at their current week and circle back later; the arc rewards continuity, but nothing here assumes you have been listening since week one.

Full transcript

Welcome to Week Eighteen.

You are well into the second trimester now, and this is a gentle moment to turn, if you would like to, toward connection. A quiet getting-to-know.

One thing first. Bonding is often pictured as a sudden flood of love. For many people it is much quieter than that, more of a slow acquaintance than a switch that flips. So there is no feeling you are required to have today. A small hello is plenty. Let's begin.

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Let's begin by letting your body settle.

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Find a position that supports you. Let the surface beneath you take your weight.

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Let your eyes close, or rest them softly open.

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Take one slow breath in.

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And a long breath out.

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Let's steady with the breath. In… one… … two… … three… … four…

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And out, longer. Out… one… … two… … three… … four… … five… … six…

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Again, in your own time.

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Let the counting go.

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If it feels right, rest a hand gently low on your belly. If that does not feel comfortable today, you can simply rest your hands wherever they are. There is no wrong way to do this.

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In a way, you are already deeply connected. Your baby's whole world right now is you. Your heartbeat, your voice, your warmth, the rhythm of your day. You do not have to build a bond from nothing. Something is already quietly there. The rest is just slowly saying hello.

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So let's say a small hello. Not with pressure, not with a script. You might simply send a quiet, warm thought inward. It does not need words. Something as simple as, here we are. Or just a softening, a turning toward.

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And if no particular feeling comes, that is completely okay. Connection that grows slowly is still real connection. Some of the deepest bonds are the ones that build quietly, over time, without fireworks. You are not doing it wrong if today is quiet.

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Let the warmth, or the simple stillness, just be here for a moment. Nothing to force. Nothing to prove.

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Now, three quiet truths. Let each one land in the body.

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The first. Connection can grow slowly, and that is allowed.

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Notice where you feel that, if anywhere.

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The second. I do not have to feel a rush to be doing this right.

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Let it settle.

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And the last. A small hello is enough.

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You do not have to feel certain. Just let these be true.

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Stay a little longer, breathing, here together, however that feels today.

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And when you are ready, begin to come back. Feel your weight. Feel your hands.

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Let your breath rejoin your day.

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Open your eyes slowly, if they were closed.

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And carry this gentle warmth with you.

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That is the end of this week's practice.

If bonding feels hard or simply absent right now, you are not alone, and it is far more common than people admit. It is not a failing, and it does not predict the kind of parent you will be. If it weighs on you, your midwife or GP can help. You deserve support with this too.

We will meet again next week.

FAQ

When should I listen to Week 18?: This practice is designed for a quiet moment when you want to turn toward connection, if it feels right, though you can return any time during pregnancy.
Is this meditation safe during pregnancy?: Yes. This is gentle guided practice with no breath-holding or physical exertion. Listen in any comfortable position. If a practice increases distress rather than easing it, stop and speak with your midwife, GP, or a mental health professional.
Do I need the app to listen?: No. Press play on this page for the full guided audio and transcript. The My Maternal Mind app adds offline caching, ambient sound mixing, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

Related practice

Practise with the full toolkit in the app

This episode is one of fifty-one in the Pregnancy Weeks series, with ambient sound mixing, streak tracking, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

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My Maternal Mind supports your wellbeing during pregnancy and birth preparation. It does not replace medical advice, midwifery care, or mental health treatment. Discuss your birth plan and any concerns with your care team.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-30