The start of your consciousness does not coincide with your birth.
In a practical sense the brain predates the consciousness. But I think consciousness is an inherent property of the universe and it makes crude matter to aggregate complexity to the possibility of a direct interaction of mind upon matter.
I think the mind is more important than the brain. We just have to find a way to harbour the mind with some better substrate. Nature used an egg like substrate to keep something of higher value. Now is our turn to design something better like nanobots to replace our neurons.
I think we are the first conscious beings in this universe. Now is our fate to fill it with intelligent life (not necessarily human life).