Therapeutic hypnosis allows a woman to tap into the powers of the mind to promote relaxation and a sense of well-being as the body goes throughout the birthing process. Hypnosis can help a woman prepare for childbirth whether she is considering a home birth,a birthing center or a hospital setting. Personalized sessions are designed to work in conjunction with mom’s doctor or midwife and childbirth education classes.
Hypnosis for childbirth teaches the mother how to enter a self-hypnosis state,how to invoke relaxation which interrupts the fear-tension-pain cycles and how to create her own natural anesthesia. The choice of whether to use additional medical anesthesia is totally up to the individual.
Some women come to hypnosis because they desire a natural childbirth experience-others because they want to deal with fears and feel more relaxed and prepared for their hospital birth. We firmly believe in supporting the women in her choices.
The benefits of using hypnosis for childbirth are:
- Reduced need for drugs translating into less risk of side effects on mother and baby.
- Shorter labors. Deep relaxation allows the birthing muscles to work more efficiently.
- Creating a birthing environment that is in line with the mother’s vision.
Hypnosis for Childbirth sessions include:
- Self-hypnosis techniques
- Relaxation/Stress Management Techniques
- Blocking Your Suggestibility to Other People’s Scary Stories
- Visualization Techniques for Creating the Birth Experience You Want
- Hypnotic Anesthesia Techniques
- Tapes/CDs for home practice and for use during labor
- Training/support for your birth partner (if desired) so that your partner can assist you with hypnotic techniques during labor.
While hypnosis is a very effective technique for use in childbirth,each birth experience is unique. No one can determine in advance how long your labor will be. The effectiveness of the techniques is determined in part by your willingness to practice and make the techniques your own before labor begins. The ultimate goal is a healthy mother and child. Please follow your doctor’s or midwife’s advice as to prenatal care and during labor and delivery.
For more information about hypnosis for childbirth,please contact Karen or Carol.