Natural Induction

My sister rang from Australia this morning to tell me that a friend of ours had had a little girl, after going 15 days overdue. This got me thinking about due dates and natural induction - which I offer to women who are concerned that they are overdue and want to avoid medical intervention.

Many of them are surprised that hypnosis can help with inducing labour and always ask me how? Most of us are familar with membrane sweeps and the threat of induction through medical intervention if they go over their due date and some of us will also be aware that curries, sex and going for long walks can also stimuate labour. But few of us understand the role our minds have to play in inducing labour.

When we teach HypnoBirthing we talk about the time the baby is due in much looser terms, the end of May, mid June, or around the beginning of July. Only 5% of babies arrive on their due date which is a sure sign that every women is different, every baby is different and will arrive when they are ready.

Mums are also taught that they don't have to agree to a membrane sweep and that the midwife is able to monitor the baby every other day to check that the placenta is working effectively and the baby is fine. Mums are encouraged to eat spicy food, go for walks, have sex, watch comedy dvds and just generally relax - they may also want to enjoy some light touch massage. Some mum's also drink raspberry leaf tea after the 36th week to help tone the uterine muscles.

But the thing that can also hold labour back are any remaining fears or apprehensions about the birth. So I encourage mums to listen to a fear release mp3 to get rid of any remaining anxieties and fears that may be lingering and to imagine talking to the baby - agreeing the time of the birth, feeling comfortable in that choice. Then I ask the mums to visualise their cervix gently softening and opening like the bud of a flower and the baby moving down gently at a pace that is comfortable for both mum and baby.

Finally I ask the mum to visualise holding the baby in her arms, and to feel the love that she has for that baby. The mind is a very powerful thing and just the thought of holding the baby under hypnosis can release oxytocin, the love hormone, which in turn can stimulate labour.

You can listen to a short 5 minute sample mp3 for letting go to see how it feels. To return to the hypnurture blog homepage click here.

Inherited Beliefs

I'm reading Joan Bakewell's autobiography at the moment which is fascinating. She seems to be very in touch with her memories as a child and aware of Victorian sensibilites which were still strongly prevelant during her childhood.

She writes,

"The grip of working-class repsectibility was tenacious. My grandparents, held fast by Victorian morality, were all too aware that straying from the narrow path might spell disaster. The threat was real enough, especially for girls: they could be seduced, get pregnant, end in the gutter. The threat of this ultimate horror, the impending shame and disgrace was passed to their daughters. ...of certain things we would not speak. Sex above all...all these secrets women whispering, just out of earshot things they didn't want me to hear."

These inherited memories and attitudes are what can make or break our view of birth and motherhood. Is it a celebration or something to be discussed in furtive whispers, away from the easily impressionable ears of children?

In this country Victorian morality does still linger today, just as it did in Joan's day, though not as overtly. I was really quite blind to it until my German friends, pointed it out - after all it's how I grew up as well. I went to a catholic school and had no sex education whatsoever. I remember huddled groups of girls giggling over our biology books and being taught the horrors of birth based on biblical teachings.

If we look at the Dutch and the Germans their attitudes to birth and sex are very different, much more relaxed. Sex is not a taboo and young children grow up learning about love and sex from a very early age. Interestingly in these countires, birth is very different and interventions during labour much less than in the UK.

Could it be that these relaxed attitudes to sex, reproduction and birth contribute to better birthing statistics. If we are mindful of how we teach our children about sex, love and birth, that it is not something secretive or to be feared and is something that is to be celebrated then perhaps we can slowly begin to turn the tide and give our sons and daughters the chance of a better birth.

Be Prepared!

I know it sounds like a girl guide motto - but being being prepared is really important whatever you are doing. I've touched on it in previous posts, but it is really vital to prepare physically or emotionally for any event, birth included, if you want to get the outcome you want.

Yesterday BBC Radio Nottingham rang wanting me to do a feature on the breakfast show this morning. Of course I said yes, I was excited for a bit and then I started to get a little nervous. What would it be like? Would they grill me? Test the medical evidence? Try and sidetrack me? I decided that I wanted to have a postive interview and that there was a way to prepare for it.

My husband is a Press Officer at the British Medical Association and does media training for Doctors, so he made me sit down last night and go over the main points that I wanted to get across and told me to be myself - if you trust in what you are doing and passionately believe in it you are more likely to have the outcome you want.

So I prepared, had a couple of mock interviews and then used some hypnosis to relax myself so that when I got up I would be feeling centred and energetic - even though it was 5.30am!

The preparation worked, I was calm, remembered to trust in myself and my knowledge -knowing that hypnosis for birth and hypnobirthing really does work and that I was able to confidently answer any questions. I felt the interview went well and I hope that I was able to reach some women who might now consider using hypnosis for their birth.

It was great to hear that the BBC had done their homework and had called Queen's Medical Centre Maternity Unit who endorsed hypnosis as a technique for birth preparation, recognising that it was non invasive and had no risks for mum and baby.

So in my view preparation really does pay off. Remember that like any sporting event, stage performance or interview that you would prepare for - birth needs some preparation too. So be prepared - you may not get a girl guide badge but you'll get a beautiful baby and wonderful memory of birth that will last you the rest of your life.

If you want to listen to my interview click here.

Choose the birth you want - the rest should come naturally

Talking to a mum-to-be the other day I was reminded of just how important information is when making decisions about where and how to have your baby. Knowledge can allow mums to deal confidently with medical staff - many hypnobirthing mums give feedback that whatever their birth outcome, they are left with positive memories knowing that they did the best that they could to achieve the outcome that they desired.

Where do you start? There is so much information on pregnancy and birth that it's hard to filter out the useful from useless. We crave information during pregnancy, who wouldn't? It's a completely new experience - you wouldn't go on holiday without researching it beforehand would you. However, if you compare it to a holiday sometimes the best memories and experiences are when there were no expectations. For me, a perfect example of this is my honeymoon where we spent 4 weeks tramping around Vietnam and Indonesia.

We wanted to go to Bali, we knew it was beautiful, but it was shortly after the bombs in Kuta and we were advised not to go. However, we changed our minds, took a round about route, called it an adventure, took advice from friends that had great experiences and played it by ear. We turned up in Bali at 9pm and just picked a hotel at the airport - it is one of the lovliest memories of my life and we had a wonderful time.

Information about birth is much the same. Pregnancy and birth are an adventure, every women is different, every pregnancy and birth different. You can't predict, but you can you can decide the type of birth you want and filter information. Speak to friends that have had good experiences, ask them about their birth, what they did. One of my hypnobirthing couples came to hypnobirthing because of a friend of theirs who had a lovely birth and had used visualisation.

Use your common sense. I say to all my mums don't watch Discovery Health, if someone tells you a dramatic or upsetting birth story - walk away. Choose your information based on the birth you want, seek out the right information - be selective.

I discovered pageflakes last week, which is a fantastic way of filtering information. I've set up a pakeflakes homepage which shows updates on blogs and sites that feed news around natural childbirth, so that I get interesting information that reflects my principles around birth and keeps me up to date with what others are thinking.

You can use the Hypnurture pageflake to get information on natural childbirth, set your own pregnancy to do list and calendar. Click here to have a peek and to set it as your homepage.

One day at a time...

It's my birthday today and my four year old son drew me a fantastic picture of a pokemon on a card and proudly gave it to me. It may seem an unremarkable but up until three weeks ago he didn't even want to hold a pen.

We are fairly laidback in our parenting, we read a lot to our children and do lots of creative things with them, but we don't push them to draw or to write or to read as many people do nowadays. We feel that they will learn in their own good time when they want to, and that we should take things a day at a time, enjoying the moments with them as young toddlers. We discovered almost by default that this way when he chooses to do something he suddenly does is perfectly and has fun doing it.

It's much the same with pregnancy - things happen in their own time, your pregnancy will reach the moment of birth, and then as your children grow up you will have birthdays, love and laughter in years to come. As adults we take for granted the skills we learnt as children, to walk, talk, ride a bike - all of these happened around the time we were 1 or 2 or 5 but we can never pinpint a date when these things are going to happen.

It is important to be in the here and now, knowing that these things will happen. Enjoy each moment of your pregnancy, take things one step at the time, trust in the order of things and in your ability as a parent to love and nurture your child from when they are in the womb through to the rest of their lives.

Aim to have a mindful pregnancy, living in the moment, bonding with your baby, enjoying this precious time and coming to understand your new role as a parent.

The same principle applies to birth, it will happen in its own good time, every women is different - like every child learns at different paces - and we should learn to trust in our bodies and our babies to choose the best time for birth.

There is no good worrying about it at all, just go with the flow, let nature take its course and live in the moment.

Preaching to the unconverted

The watercooler really is the epicentre of gossip. I sit next to it at work and it is true, I get all the updates on soaps, marital dramas - and I hear plenty of discussions about birth. It's hard to not jump in when someone is talking about a dramatic birth in furtive, urgent whispers. I normally don't step in - though I'm itching to give them the low down on hypnosis for birth and hypnobirthing.

Sadly when I try to talk to people who seem to relish birth drama it always seems to come out as a lecture. How do you tell the hardened unconverted that birth shouldn't be painful? Last week I standing outside nursery picking my boys up. One mum was 8 months pregnant, I told her what I did and she just cut though me loudly exclaiming "give me a epidural every time", while another mum proudly boasted about her elective caesareans.

It's easy to find a sympathetic ear with the converted, but how to reach the unconverted is a challenge - now I've decided to go with the softly softly tactical approach.

Last week by the watercooler the furtive whispers started up again with a group huddled around someone who was 6 months pregnant - joking around about how the baby was going to get out "I can't even think about it.." I decided to step in and told her what I did. Unimpressed, I think they decided I had my head in cloud cuckoo land and that I was really a bit of tree hugging hippy.

The next week when I saw the mum-to-be alone I gave her my card and said to her, if you don't believe it just speak to your midwife. Let's hope she does, while I'll continue do my bit drip by drip.

Mood and movement

If you are using hypnosis for birth or relaxation you may wonder why your baby decides to get so active just as you begin your breathing and start to relax. If you aren't using hypnosis and relaxation you may more aware of your baby moving around just before you go to sleep.

All the mum's that have done classes have said without fail that this happens and ask why it is. In short, as part of the induction mum's are asked to relax all the muscles in their body and they are taught to use deep abdominal breathing that especially relaxes the muscles around the abdomen. As they relax the baby can begin to enjoy some of those good feelings that mum is experiencing. Research has showed that cortisol, the stress hormone, is present from 17 weeks in the babies blood at the same level as the mums - so once she starts relaxing it's got to be great for baby.

So why does baby move around? Well - as the muscles relax they loosen up giving the baby more room to move about and to get comfortable. One mum I knew noticed how her baby always suffled around as she began to listen to her cds and the settled in the same position for the rest of the session.

This is also why hypnosis is great for turning a breech baby, as mum relaxes the muscles become loose giving the baby more room to move round. If hypnosis is done while the mother is a good position, it makes it easier for a baby to turn, especially later on in the pregnancy.

Why not try these quick steps to relaxation and see if you can feel your baby move.

• Take 10 minutes out of your busy shedule to relax once a day.
• Focus on deep breathing.
• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, feeling the rise
  and fall of your abdomen.
• Imagine all the muscles in your body becoming loose and a warm soothing
  feeling relaxing them.
• Then imagine a special place that you have been to, perhaps on holiday, and
  be there again.

Moving on from miscarriage

I have mixed emotions today - one of my friends who has suffered a miscarriage told me that she was pregnant again yesterday which is great news and I'm absolutely thrilled for her. At the same time I received an email from a good friend of mine that she had had a miscarriage with her first pregnancy, at 10 weeks - another good friend is also moving on from a miscarriage later last year. It just reminded me of how common miscarriage is yet how it is usually swept under the carpet - regarded as something trivial or an experience that people just don't know how to respond to.

I too had bleeding early in my pregnancy and beyond my 20th week, and had been told that I was suffering a miscarriage but instead delivered a healthy baby at term. It didn't stop me from feeling anxious throughout my pregnancy and I wish that I had discovered hypnosis and how to relax at that stage in my life.

Fortunately I was treated with dignity and respect by the doctors at City Hospital in Nottingham where they have a specialist early pregnancy unit, completely separate from the Maternity Hospital. This however is not the case countrywide, all of my friends have had to stay or be scanned and treated in labour ward, one was even sat in a hospital waiting room with a male prisioner chained to the chair next to her. On mumsnet recently, mums raised money for a traumatised women to go private after she was left on labour ward while suffering a miscarriage.

Bulletin boards across the internet are awash with women who have experienced the pain of miscarriage and have no one to share their sadness with. Loss can be acute and very real, and the grief of miscarriage can take its toll on both partners.

People deal with it in different ways, some feel that the spirit of the child was only meant to be with them for a short time, while others believe that the time wasn't right and that the same child will return to them again. I once heard a lovely description from a friend who said that after multiple miscarriages she imagined a playground with many children, she was at the bottom of the slide and her mother's spirit was helping a little girl down the slide, she hadn't always been able to catch her, but the little girl had just gone up the slide again and come down again. One day she caught her and brought her into the world.

Here are a few ideas that have been passed on by friends that have suffered from a miscarriage:

• plant a tree or a rosebush for the baby and read a poem or similar
  
• write messages for the baby on a balloon and to let the balloon go
  
• light some candles in a dim room and imagine saying goodbye to the baby
• to tie messages onto a tree for the baby

The good news is that all of my friends who have experienced a miscarriage have gone on to have healthy pregnancies and beautiful bouncing babies.

Hypnosis can be a great tool for letting go of negative emotions and feelings associated with miscarriage which can sometimes impact on future fertility. It can also help with coming to terms with the loss.

Moving on from miscarriage can be tough, seek out help and don't be afraid to talk to people about it. To find a hypnotherapist near you visit the National Council for Hypnotherapy.

Smoke free mum means happy baby

National No Smoking Day has come around again and an interesting article came across my desk today. I knew that smoking is bad for your baby but discovered today that it can also affect their moods.

Well that's what researchers at the University of York have recently reported. As part of a study they have noticed that of 18,000 babies born between 2000 and 2002 babies of mum's that continue to smoke while pregnant are notably grumpy while babies born to mothers that gave up smoking have cheerier more adaptable babies.

Dr Kate Pickett and her team asked the women taking part in the study a number of questions about their babies temperament. Questions were asked relating to whether or not a child is receptive to new things, whether they are frightened of strangers, or whether their mood is cheerful or not.

The mothers were then classed as heavy or light smokers, never-smokers or people who had given up recently. The women who had stopped smoking had noticeable easygoing babies. Pickett said “ It's a significant association. We can be sure it's not due to chance."

The study showed that heavy smokers had the most difficult children, scoring low for positive mood. Pickett and her team are undergoing a thorough follow up, and will continue to follow the babies - analysing data from ages three to five, when they can get further input from teachers and caregivers.

Interesting stuff and something to consider.

For more info on stopping smoking using hypnotherapy click here

Hypnosis birth and suggestion..

Who saw the first of the new series on Alternative Therapies on BBC 2 last night? An initially sceptical but open minded presenter explored hypnotherapy, looking at the things it has been proven to tackle such as IBS through to areas that some lay claim to work in such as breast enhancement - not something I offer....

Starting with the dreaded stage hypnosis she moved onto the more clinical applications, and interviewed the wonderful & charismatic Prof Whorwell, specialist in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), in Manchester. The most remarkable piece of filming, however, was the extraction of two teeth under hypnosis. Even I couldn't help but feel queasy.

There was lot of emphasis on suggestion and suggestibility both in and out of hypnosis, with the conclusion that some of us are highly suggestible individuals and respond significantly to suggestion in every day life - which is why advertising and media are so powerful in helping us form opinions of the world around us.

Birth sadly was not explored as part of the show - a disappointment given the article on Friday published by the BBC online which looked at a new study exploring how badly women were being prepared for the pain of labour. Oh how that caused ripples in the hypnobirthing world....

All credit to BBC Health Reporter, Clare Murphy - she did respond to my email saying that she thought the article reflected the fact that the Royal College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology spokesperson was quoted saying that "women should explore other options of birth preparation from aromatherapy to epidurals"......no mention of hypnosis but plenty of suggestion.

Lets hope she does follow this up in the future, it's about time there was some national coverage of the growing popularity of hypnosis for birth.

Birth Choices. What Choices?

At the NCT sale in Grantham yesterday I was talking to someone about the local birthing centre which has recently been given a reprieve but has been set unrealistic targets which it needs to meet if it is to stay open - which begs the question - does the PCT intend to shut it down anyway and is the recent reprieve just a smokescreen for malicious intent?

I also learnt that the NCT had wanted to put together a leaflet for the midwife led birth unit which gave details of locally based pregnancy and birth services - hoping that this would support mum's who wanted to have a natural delivery either at home or at the birthing centre by increasing their choices and keeping them informed. This offer was turned down by the PCT.

Likewise midwives have been told that the PCT has said they are not able to signpost women to other paid services, which could support the objectives of the birthing unit, and in the longer term could help raise awareness of natural birthing and the profile of the unit - helping them towards meeting their targets. Many of these services such as hypnosis for birth, acupuncture & reflexology are underpinned by research and can really benefit women in pregnancy.

Hypnobirthing C- section rates are at around 11% whilst the national average is 22% - so there are big savings to be made and the chance of a better births for women.

If the NHS and the PCT were able to deliver a wide range of services to women then fine, but women in this area struggle to get on antenatal classes and aren't aware that there are methods of natural health which complement the work that the midwives are doing. I am starting a class tomorrow, where one of the women was elated to find out that I worked locally as she could not get on a local antenatal birth preparation class. She is now considering choosing the local midwife led birthing unit over a major city hospital.

Midwives have had women in tears in front of them, knowing that there is little they can do, but that there are services offered by trained private practitioners that could help them - only they can't tell the women about them.

At the end of the day, it's all about choice - women that have choices tend to be more secure, confident and empowered about birth - leading to better results all round.

There are a lot of practitioners who feel passionately about giving women the chance of a better birth and who would be happy to work with the PCTs and midwives to do this. So why can't we all work together to give women choice that helps them make decisions that benefit them and their baby?

When smoking becomes a drag....

Did you know that 1 in 8 women still smokes when they are pregnant? Despite so much evidence to show how it affects your baby both in utero and after they are born - people just can't give up the fags. Over the last few weeks I've seen women with big bumps - 32 weeks plus still smoking. While I was in hospital during the birth of my second child I went outside for some fresh air, and met mum's - who were in labour - smoking.

I just don't get it - is it because they are unaware of the risks? Is it because they haven't really come to grips with the fact that there is a real live baby, a new dependent life growing inside them? Even celebrity smokers have been spotted having a quick drag, Kate Moss, Kate Richie, Kerry Katona, even Kate Garroway was spotted puffing away - Kate Garroway responded saying it was the most irresponsible thing she had ever done.

In a recent article in the Times a midwife was interviewed on the subject and said that some women think if they smoke ,their babies will be smaller and it will be easier to give birth, but that's a myth. Every woman is different and can have a healthy, fulfilling birth whether the baby is 6lbs or 10 lbs.

There is conclusive evidence to show that smoking causes sperm damage, delayed conception, infertility, placental complications, premature rupture of the membranes, premature baby, a low weight baby and perinatal death. Secondary smoke around babies causes cot death, respiratory illness and contributes to the development of asthma.

With National Smoking Day this Wednesday, maybe it's time to reflect on why mum's still feel the need to smoke when pregnant. Mums I work with say it's a great opportunity to give up as the incentive is unparalleled - to give your baby a healthy start to life.

I work with mums on visualisation to really bond with their baby and to understand what affect the nicotine is having on the baby, then I use suggestion therapy and increase levels of confidence in a mum to give up. It's even better than nicotine patches which still release nicotine into the blood and then into the bloodstream of your developing baby.

So come on - if you are the 1 in 8 then give it up and give your baby the chance for a healthy start in life.

For more information on smoking during pregnancy click here

Roll up Roll up - the truth about hypnosis

Last night I had the fortune of having a lovely catch up with another practitioner who lives locally to me (waves to Mia). It's not often I get to meet other practitioners as we usually have our own children and have little time out of classes or work to travel to meet each other.

We should definitely do it more often as it's great to talk and exchange thoughts about how we can introduce more women to hypnosis for pregnancy and birth - most of us have used it ourselves we are all very passionate about birth choices for women. We got into a deeper discussion about how people respond to the term hypnosis, whether it is misleading in some ways and puts people off.

I know that before I discovered it I would not have given it the blind bit of notice for anything, let alone used it when I was pregnant. Sadly, the term hypnosis is a misnoma, it's not Derren Brown hocus pocus or the Paul Mckenna showmanship - it's similar to visualition used in yoga, it's being able to deeply relax. It's actually a very similar state to daydreaming. A hypnotherapist can't make you do anything you don't want to do - and you can always lift yourself out it and stop a session if you wish.

I'd be interesed to hear what mums-to-be think of the term hypnosis, does it sound like something you would try or are you unsure or unwilling to try something new during pregnancy.

If this post had made you consider hypnosis but you're still not sure then listen to our free sample mp3s to get a flavour of what its all about and there isn't a magic want in sight.

Morning Sickness Sucks

As promised here is my post and a free mp3 on morning sickness.

If you don't suffer from morning sickness at all then your'e one of the lucky few. Our body undergoes big hormonal changes during pregnancy which mean that morning sickness is not uncommon during the first few months of pregnancy.

Usually when the placenta takes over at around 12-14 weeks the morning sickness begins to lift and you enter into the second trimester feeling more energetic and settled.

Sadly some women suffer severely from morning sickness throughout their pregnancy, this is called Hypremisis gravidarum. It can be very serious, rumour has is that Charlotte Bronte died from vomiting during pregnancy - though today women suffering from this severe form of morning sickness are well looked after and have good medical care.

That doesn't stop women who have this feeling miserable and recently several women have contacted me looking for ways to help manage morning sickness. Usually they are surprised to discover that hypnosis can really help ease the symptoms.

Apart from learning the power of the mind over the body, I encourage them to focus on different things when they are feeling sick - I also teach them a comination of practical tips and how to use visualisation and relaxation to help mange sickness.

If you're suffering from morning sickness why don't you try listening to this free hypnosis mp3 for morning sickness http://www.hypnurture.co.uk/hypnobirth/services/blog.asp

Dad's the Word

Yippee - today my husband Gordon finally got his certificate through from the National Council of Hypnotherapy, so is a fully paid up member of the profession.

Why is this such a big deal? Well Gordon is a scientist through and through. He has a big PhD with something small to do with Bio Chemistry and is definitely the type of man who likes to have evidence - proper scientific, nuts and bolts evidence.

Yet the big man of science was humbled when we had our second son Rory. I'd used hypnosis from about week 15, diligently, and had a great birth. Gordon had a role and saw me completely in control and composed throughout labour, he saw my rapid recovery, and how buoyant I was compared to our first birth.

What's more he played a much more active role than our first birth, was prepared and involved in the birth - bonding quickly with Rory.

It was Gordon who encouraged me to train and to follow my heart and then in the true spirit of partnership, decided to explore it himself.

So now he is a fully fledged hypnotherapist he can start doing more work helping other dads to get involved and share in the wonder of birth through hypnosis.

If the big man of science can take part and be converted then anyone can.

To find out more info on dads and hypnobirthing click here

The Importance of Being Earnest

Have you ever really wanted something, I mean really, really wanted something? Usually you have to work towards it don’t you? Preparing for an interview for that dream job, getting into shape for the summer and gearing up for a big sporting event all need preparation and dedication.

Birth isn’t much different; your body is undertaking a big change. Keeping yourself, healthy, fit both mentally and emotionally is incredibly important. I was reminded of this yesterday in an email from a client of mine (hello if you are reading this!) who said she was doing great, but had a footnote in her email “you’ll notice I didn’t mention how the perineal massage was going”! This mum-to-be has been great, from early on the course she has been practising with her husband on a daily basis and it now entering her 37th week, she’s played it completely by the book and I know she’ll have a great birth but - she can’t bear the perineal massage.

It left me pondering on my role as an educator to gain rapport, to encourage and cajole but also at times of the need to play devils advocate. With this client she’s done so well - she has taken on her birth preparation with vigour and determination. – that t I chose to not to become a nag about the perineal massage.

There are some clients though who come on the course and expect the rest to happen without any further work. This is when I have to be earnest and make clear the importance of preparation and commitment – if you want it you have to put the prep in. The rest will happen naturally.


What out for the next blog which will have a free mp3 for morning sickness.

Letting go of negative feelings

Have you ever been to an antenatal class, a postnatal group or a bulletin board where women are all to ready to share horror stories about their births - why is it that women are happy to share intimate details of their birth to complete strangers given the opportunity to express themselves.

After the pregnancy workshop yesterday I began to reflect more on the importance of being able to let go of negative emotions and feelings associated with previous births or inherited knowledge.

Although there are charities such as Birth Crisis, there are few outlets for women to express how they feel about past birth experiences either their own or of people close to them. While health visitors and midwives are often pressed for time, there is also the burden of cultural expectations - we are a nation of stoics, chin up and we can get through it - the war spirit.

In hypnosis the first thing you learn about birth is that this underlying fear of birth is precisely why women experience pain and discomfort. Think about it - we are primal beings there are responses that we appear to have no conscious control over - do you blush uncontrollably, do you get butterflies in your stomach when you have to give a presentation? Birth is similar if there is any fear present at all, your primal instinct is to run away from danger and your natural birth functions will slow down. Ask yourself would you want birth your baby where there is fear and perceived danger?

Women are brought up in a culture surrounded by media stories about poor maternity care, friends birth stories, Discovery Health documentaries all of which perpetuate this cycle of fear. No wonder they are afraid!

Remember your body is amazing, you are designed to give birth - you just need to trust in yourself and your birthing instincts.

Which brings me back to title of the post - letting go is important not just for mums to be but mums who have experienced birth so that they can contribute to positively to the creating better births everywhere.

You can let go by using simple relaxation and visualisation exercises - any hypnotherapist can help you do this and a normal session usually lasts 1 hour. Just visit www.hypnotherapists.org.uk for a the national council of hypnotherapy to find one near to you.

Not sure about hypnosis then just listen to this sample 5 minute podcast to experience what it's all about. http://www.hypnurture.co.uk/hypnobirth/services/blog.asp

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