Hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing is the use of hypnosis to achieve complete relaxation, comfort, and relief during vaginal childbirth. It’s important to note that hypnosis really refers to deep relaxation. It feels similar to daydreaming, or the feeling you get when you are lost in a book or movie. Women who’ve used this technique report feeling relaxed, calm, aware, and in control.
Hypnobirthing was founded on the work of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English doctor. He wrote of his experiences as an obstetrician, specifically when he was called to a delivery in the middle of a rainy night. He arrived at the house to find the laboring woman alone in a rickety shack, the rain from the leaky roof dripping on her as she lay on the makeshift bed. He assisted her throughout her delivery, awed that she never cried out in pain nor requested medications. After the birth, he then asked her if she needed anything for the pain. She simply gazed at him and inquired, “Was it supposed to hurt?”
This question was to change his life. He went on to author Childbirth without Fear in 1944, where he detailed these experiences and his revelations on childbirth, specifically the Fear-Tension-Pain syndrome which he theorized causes the pain of vaginal childbirth by diverting necessary blood flow from the uterus and by inhibiting the body from effectively using contractions to guide the baby down and out the birth path.
He theorized that using deep relaxation such as in hypnosis, this “Fear-Tension-Pain” cycle could be broken, thus enabling women to give birth naturally without pain.
His work developed into Hypnobirthing, which was founded by Marie F. Mongan, affectionately known as “Mickey”. Her book, Hypnobirthing: The Breakthrough Natural Approach to Safer, Easier, More Comfortable Birthing - The Mongan Method, 3rd Edition , (wheh, what a mouthful!) is my all-time favorite childbirth book. It is a concise book that is well-written and engaging. A huge benefit of this method is that classes are not required. You can order the book and audio CDs to learn via self-study. I think the course is highly beneficial but this is a viable alternative if a certified instructor is not available in your area.
How Does it Work?
Hypnobirthing uses relaxation scripts, positive affirmations, visualizations and mental imagery to teach a woman to relax her body, guide her thoughts, and control her breathing. This can be self-directed or with the support of a labor companion, class instructor, or hypnotherapist.