Hypnobirthing

When I first heard of Hypnobirthing, I was immediately opposed. Growing up in the Christian faith, I had always heard that hypnosis was bad and evil. Much of what people think of hypnosis is just the stage hypnosis that is really hyped up and more for show. I still don't know how I feel about hypnosis in general, but I do know that I'm glad we're taking this Hypnobirthing Class.

For the last 3 weeks, we've been attending a Hypnobirthing Class for 4 hours every Saturday. This class was included in our package that we got from our doula. I'm really glad we are taking it now. Contrary to what I thought, Hypnobirthing is not about someone hypnotizing me and speaking words into my subconscious. The class is really all about learning how to relax deeply and breath through labor. The whole point is to experience birthing in an atmosphere of calm relaxation, free of the fear that prevents the muscles of your body from functioning as nature intended them to. I believe this is really important for women who choose to have a natural birth without any pain medications. Yes, birth is a natural process. Animals in nature do it all the time! But I believe it's also very important for a mother to prepare for the birth so it can be the best birth possible. If there's a way to go through a natural birth with decreased pain and comfort, sign me up!

Here are some of the advantages of Hypnobirthing:

-Eliminates the Fear-Tension-Pain Syndrome before, during and after birthing.
-Reduces, and often eliminates, the need for chemical anesthesia, episiotomy, and other interventions.
-Lessens fatigue during labor, leaving the mother fresh, awake, and energized as she brings her baby into the world.
-Shortens the thinning and opening phase (dilating and effacing) of labor by several hours and allows the mother to utilize the natural pulsations of her body to breathe her baby down to the crowning stage, rather than pushing for long, exhausting periods of time. Reduces the risk of pelvic floor damage.
-Brings the mother, the baby, and the birthing companion together in a wonderful prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal bonding experience.
-The birthing companion is an integral part of the birthing, NOT an onlooker.
-Almost entirely eliminates postnatal discomfort and "Baby Blues."
-Babies are better adjusted and happier, resulting in better eating and sleeping routines.
-Mothers don't run the risk of hyperventilating from swallow breathing.

If you are pregnant now, I encourage you to check this program out. Even if you can't go through the class, there is a book that accompanies the class that you can buy. It's called Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method and it serves as the textbook for the class. All of the breathing and relaxation techniques are in there.