Natural Childbirth With Hypnosis
HypnoBirthing Teaches Calm Confidence for a More Relaxed Birth
This interview with a HypnoBirthing Practitioner explains how the program helps reduce labor pain and creates a calmer, natural childbirth for mother and baby.
HypnoBirthing practitioners work with women throughout their pregnancy, teaching them about their bodies, giving them in depth information about natural childbirth and encouraging their confidence and trust in the birth process. This allows women in labor to be more relaxed and to work with the contractions rather than fighting against them. Elizabeth Berkeley - White tells us about it.
EW: Elizabeth, you are a qualified hypnotherapist, also a trained HypnoBirthing practitioner now working with pregnant women to support the childbirth process. How does it work?
EBW: HypnoBirthing is about helping mothers to have as natural a birth as possible. In the process of having a baby most women feel pain because of the fear and tension in their bodies - HypnoBirthing teaches them techniques to relax. Tension and fear are clearly incompatible states to relaxation. Deep relaxation helps all the muscles to work in harmony, as they should, and labor pain is minimised, so childbirth is as comfortable as it can be.
EW: So would you describe it as a relaxation technique, similar to breathing exercise classes?
EBW: It is so much more than a relaxation technique - it is a complete childbirth education program in which the mother, and her birth partner, will learn all about what the body is really capable of, and is naturally designed to do. In addition to relaxation and breathing techniques, the program covers:
- how to reduce labor pain (some women really do have relatively pain-free childbirth)
- how to reduce the need for medication
- how to reduce the risk of needing an episiotomy
When a pregnant woman is properly prepared for childbirth, and when body and mind are in harmony, nature is free to function in the same well-designed manner that it does with all other creatures.
By the way, babies born this way tend to be calmer and sleep better, too. Fewer drugs for mothers mean fewer side effects for babies.
EW: Do you have any thoughts about birthing positions, and does it make a difference to the HypnoBirthing i.e do you have to be lying down? It seems to be quite popular now for women to squat.
EBW: The most important factor in birthing positions is the comfort of the mother in whatever position she chooses. There are several positions that can be adopted , including squatting, that widen the birth path and help to shorten this phase of labor. The mother is given all the information needed to help her decide which position would be best.
EW: How long is the program?
EBW: HypnoBirthing courses are usually 12 hours spread over 4 sessions. They can be in small groups or with the practitioner working solely with the pregnant mother and her birth companion. Women learn techniques which they can practice throughout their pregnancy and during childbirth. Another plus is that women recover from the delivery much more quickly, and there are fewer incidences of “baby blues”.
Practitioners can be found throughout the world.
