The capacity for intersubjectivity begins to be laid down in the prenatal period during the mutually regulating relationship between the physiology of the mother and the infant across the placenta (Schore, 2021). During the last trimester of pregnancy these transactions are programming the stress-regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. At this time the central and medial regulatory functions of the amygdala, which is deeply connected with the autonomic nervous system, begin to come online. Schore refers to the work of Porges, who describes how the ANS, what has been called ‘the physiological bottom of the mind’, comes into a critical period of growth in the foetal brain. The oldest and early-forming unmyelinated dorsal vagus, the later developing sympathetic nervous system and the newest parasympathetic myelinated ventral vagus system are operating in the last trimester. Porges says that the aspects of the ANS that supports social engagement begin to the develop in the final trimester. The ventral vagus continues to mature well into the first year. In primordial nonverbal communications, the mother regulates the infant’s autonomic arousal creating an emerging sense of autonomic balance and safety which manifests in the infant’s state of quiet alertness.
Recent Posts
Archives
- May 2024
- March 2023
- December 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- January 2021
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- April 2019
- October 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
Categories
Tags
Attachment
Biography
Change
Climate
Connection
Contemplative inquiry
Courage
Creativity
Crisis
Culture
Curiosity
Development
Early adversity
Early development
Early intervention
Education
Emotion
Emotional intelligence
Emotions
Gratitude
Healing
Health
History
Imagination
Learning
Meaning
Mindscape
Myth
Narrative
Practice
Prevention
Questions
Reflection
Regulation
Resilience
Resources
Right brain
Story
Strengths
Stress
Therapeutic tools
Trauma
Values
Well-being
Wisdom