Hypnobirthing

In my hypnosis research, I recently came across the term “hypnobirthing”. Now, I have had four kids, none of which I had naturally (I am very afraid of pain), but the more research I did about hypnobirthing, the more I thought that maybe it would have been a great solution. So, if any of you are trying to decide whether to have a natural childbirth or not, look into hypnobirthing before you make any decisions.

What is hypnobirthing exactly? Hypnobirthing is the use of hypnosis to achieve the maximum relaxation, comfort and relief during childbirth.

How does hypnobirthing work? Hypnosis had been used in medical and dental settings with great success in patients who have allergies to anesthetics, allowing them to undergo surgeries with no drugs or pain. It can work in childbirth also. While a woman is in labor, she uses positive statements, suggestions, and visualizations to relax her body, guide her thoughts, and control her breathing. This is done either through self hypnosis, or she can choose to have a hypnotherapist present to assist. Women can work with certified hypnotherapists to learn how to use these techniques before the actual birth takes place. HypnoBirthing childbirth classes train pregnant women to let go of all their previous ideas about childbirth. Hypnobirthing teaches mothers how to trust the birthing body and work with it, as well as how to get rid of the expected emotions that lead to fear of pain which can cause muscles to tense during labor and birth.

Hypnobirthing has many benefits. First, it is a natural form of pain management, so there are no medications that may cause side effects for you or your baby. Babies are better sleepers and nursers due to fewer drugs in their system. You may experience a shorter labor, because resistance of the birthing muscles response to pain is minimized or eliminated. Hypnobirthing can provide comfort, relaxation, and relief during labor and can decrease stress and fear during childbirth. Also, it allows you to remain alert and awake for the birth. Another advantage of hypnobirthing is being more able to walk around, which can hasten labor. It also allows a woman to get into better birthing positions.

If hypnobirthing is something you are interested, you should start by finding a qualified hypnotherapist for office sessions. Find out what kind of program they have for childbirth using hypnosis. Or you may be interested in looking into some home study courses for hypnobirthing. It will probably include handouts, videos, cd’s, etc. to help you learn self hypnosis for childbirth.