Childbirth

What does the research show?

 

Mothers who use hypnosis for childbirth are shown to:

sleep better during pregnancy
suffer less from heartburn and morning sickness
have reduced anxiety and stress
enjoy a shorter labour
reduce the need for intervention
have a reduced need for drugs and pain relief
experience a calm birthing environment
be less likely to suffer from postnatal depression

Babies that have been born to mothers using hypnosis sleep better and feed better.

What is the difference between hypnobirthing and hypnosis for childbirth?

 

Many people who know something about hypnosis in childbirth may have come across the term hypnobirthing. HypnoBirthing® is the trademark name for Marie Mongan's Method of hypnosis for childbirth, like Cadbury's for chocolate for example. There are lots of other methods such as the LeClaire Method, the Bradley Method and Calm Birth. They do differ, and you may find that some methods suit you better than others - what they all have in common is the shared belief that pregnancy and birth should be an rewarding experience.

Put simply hypnosis for childbirth is about getting in touch with your innate ability to give birth and learning to trust your intuition during your pregnancy and birth through relaxation and self-hypnosis. You will learn relaxation exercises, light touch massage, breathing techniques and self hypnosis techniques which help mothers relax and prepare for the birth.

How will hypnosis help me during my pregnancy and birth?

 

Unfortuantely in today's society we are conditioned to believe that birth should be painful and many women fear labour. Even if that fear or anxiety is very deeply rooted in the unconscious it can affect how your labour progresses.

The principles of hypnosis for childbirth are aimed at breaking the cycle of fear-tension-pain. So that your experience will be a happy and rewarding experience.

While you are in labour your body naturally releases lots of oxytocin, the same feel good hormone that is released during sex. This helps raise the level of endorphins, which act as a natural analgesia, in your body. The more relaxed your body is the more oxytocin is released and the more endorphins there are. If you become afraid or are tense the body stops releasing oxytocin and labour slows down - your body will also stop releasing endorphins.

Imagine an animal in the wild giving birth, when they are safe from predators birth progresses quickly and smoothly, if they sense a predator is nearby fear kicks in and their body intervenes with the labour and slows it down until it is safe to continue. The mother deep instinct is always to protect her young.

Hypnosis helps the mother relax and get in touch with her natural ability to give birth in a safe environment, making it a calm, fulfilling experience.

What is different about Sophie's approach?

 

At Hypnurture we are renowned for offering a unique service. Sophie is trained in different techniques which means that you have a very personal experience with follow up care.

Sophie is a clincical hypnotherapist who in a certified practitioner in HypnoBirthing® the Mongan Method and the Leclaire Method. She has also studied UK based approaches in antenatal care with hypnosis for childbirth.

Each client is offered a ½ hour free consultation to discuss the different methods and to decide which one is the most appropriate. This gives us the opportunity to discuss your expectations of birth and of parenthood, and to offer you the programme to which you are most suited.

Partners are encouraged to attend the course and get involved so that they to can learn techniques that help you enter into relaxation and hypnosis during labour. We even have a male hypnotherapist who has helped his wife through birth who can answer any questions that the father or birthing partner may have.

Sophie also works with other complementary practitioners and can integrate other therapies into a programme of care, such as reflexology, cranio sacral therapy and acupuncture.

When do I need to start thinking about going on a course?

 

You can learn to use it at any time that you feel is the right time for you. Some women like to start very early on, especially if you are doing the HypnoBirthing® Course as it is a complete antenatal programme. We encourage people to book on this course early as it is very popular.

Research from a study in Australia at a hospital that routinely uses just hypnosis as part of antenatal care shows that the best time is from week 32 right up to the birth.

We encourage women to attend around 28 weeks onwards as not only do they get the best benefit, but they also meet other women at the same stage in their pregnancy which means many women stay in touch in the long term. You are likely to be more focussed on the birth in your final trimester and once you are on maternity leave will find the time to practice the techniques regularly while they are fresh in your mind.

email sophie@svfletcher.co.uk or call us on 07875913073