Yes you read that right, this is just one of the many unknown facts about this incredible antenatal preparation and life skill that is taking the world by storm. Let our Hackney based hypnobirthing teacher Katrina Berry illuminate you further on dispelling the myths and mystery surrounding Hynobirthing.
It’s not new!
You might be
surprised to learn that the first recorded use hypnotherapy for birth was in
the 1850’s when hypnosis was used to induce labour. There was widespread use of
hyposis for birth in Russia during the early part of the twentieth century,
which spread to the US through the 40s. Hypnobirthing - the use of hypnosis and
hypnotherapy to help to improve the experience of childbirth has been used for
decades in the UK and is now being offered by many NHS trusts in the UK
although most people seek professional teaching from those who are qualified.
There are now five
main “methods” of hypnosis for birth in the UK, it’s important to know that
they all have the same philosophy and goal and are based on the pioneering work
of British obstetrician Dr Grantly Dick-Read. He postulated, way back in 1930,
that the fear experienced by a woman in childbirth caused the blood to be
diverted away from her uterus in order to be used by other muscles to enable
her to escape from danger. The result of this was to deprive the uterus of
oxygen therefore prevent it from carrying out its intended function without
pain. This phenomenon he called "the fear-tension-pain syndrome of
childbirth”.
Dr Dick-Read believed
that if a woman were able to eliminate the fear, her uterus would return to its
normal function, thus eliminating the pain. Concluding that fear and tension
was responsible for 95% of labour pain, he suggested this could be eliminated
through education and relaxation techniques.
Hypnobirthing is not
hippy trippy
Far from it in fact, hypnobirthing programmes are rooted in science and all
teachers pride themselves on encouraging evidence based birth practice. They
will often teach parents-to-be about the NHS health system, the roles of
midwives, obstetricians and doctors and give them the confidence to be able to
navigate hospital policies and guidelines to make informed decisions. Most
courses will also look at physical aswell as emotional and psychological
preparation for birth too.
Despite
recent decades of scientific research into the benefits of hypnosis, it’s
surprising how it continues to be misunderstood and judged negatively on the
basis of misinformation and simple prejudice. People still often react
negatively to the word hypnosis but virtually never react negatively to the
description of the process of hypnosis.
Everyone has
experienced a trance state many times, but we don’t usually call it hypnosis.
All of us have been so absorbed in thought – while reading a book, driving or
on the bus to work – that we fail to notice what is happening around us.
Conversely we can be so “in the zone”- a pianist performing a complicated piece
of music or an athlete tuning out a crowd to focus on their best performance -
that we are not conscious. While we were “zoned out”, or “in the zone”, another
level of consciousness which we refer to as our unconscious mind, took over.
These are very focused states of attention similar to hypnosis.
Whilst early
approaches to the use of hypnosis for birth placed an emphasis on using
hypnotic techniques as a pain management tool, it’s more common now that a
hypnobirthing programme is much more comprehensive. Often a complete antenatal
course, all of the hypnosis for birth courses and books educate women and their
partners about nature’s design of the birthing body and how best to create
conditions conducive to natural birthing. Couples are taught how beliefs and
thoughts affect our nervous system and can they help or hinder the birth
process. Facing fears and releasing concerns, through hypnosis, allows a couple
to approach their birth with calm confidence. Building a woman's confidence and
trust in her body's ability to birth allows her to be able to step gracefully
out of the way and allow her body and baby to do what they know how to do.
It’s not just for a
particular kind of birth
Let’s get one thing
straight right away: there is no one right way to give birth; every baby’s
birth is unique. Hypnobirthing is not just for those planning a natural birth. A
“hypno birth” is not necessarily at home, in water, in the dark, surrounded by
whale music. Of course there are many women who choose that for themselves but
there are also those who give birth in birthing centres, labour wards and those
whose babies come unexpectedly in the strangest of places (I had a couple who
welcomed their son in a hotel room!).
There are those whose
babies need help and, thankfully, we have a wonderful maternity system that
offers medical assistance. Some babies need to come through a caesarean
section, sometimes labours are induced, some women are told they are “high
risk”and they need to make decisions about their care. Hypnobirthing helps in
all these scenarios - hypnobirthing helps birthing mothers to feel calmer and
in more control over decisions about treatment options. It truly is about being
prepared for any and all birth experiences.
The skills taught in hypnobirthing are life skills, not just
for birth.
Hypnobirthing is very
different from other antenatal preparation. You’ll find yourself becoming aware
of your emotional, mental and physical approach to giving birth; understanding
how your mind and body work and how you can have more control over them is
incredibly empowering and often spills into other areas of life. It will
prepare you in many more ways than you first imagine. Bringing a child into the
world throws the rest of your life into perspective and it’s often a time of
transition and change in more ways than one. Life can be challenging, there’s
an unwritten law somewhere that when pregnant you should move house, renovate
or at least redecorate.
I encourage couples
to use the approach and techniques to help them with every day life as well as
for childbirth. This allows it to become your unconscious, automatic approach
to life.
Learning to focus on
what you want rather than what you don’t want, thinking positively, calming
your nervous system, all these things help you when feeling anxious about a
meeting or presentation at work, if there’s someone annoying near you on public
transport, with being nervous before an antenatal appointment, trying to stay
calm when a toddler is throwing a tantrum. Indeed integrating the approach and
techniques to help you with the challenges of daily life means you’re more able
to reach for these tools when you need them most.
Hypnobirthing isn’t just
for mum
Paternal instinct is
often overlooked but can be just as powerful as the maternal instinct. It is to
protect and provide. HypnoBirthing preparation for a birthing partner helps
them not only understand how a woman’s body functions most effectively but how
they can use their own instinct in the most helpful way.
Whilst other
antenatal classes will help a father (or partner) understand the basics of
what’s going on at birth, hypnobirthing will provide a partner with a thorough
understanding of the hormonal interplay and how to help create conducive
conditions for the cocktail of helpful hormones needed.
Using the approach
and skills learned in hypnobirthing for life, I’ve had many partners tell me
that they’re sleeping better, working better, improved golf game gets mentioned
a lot (!) and I even had one dad tell me that hypnobirthing helped him pass his
driving test.
The benefits of doing
hypnobirthing will ripple out into all areas of your life, before, during and
after your baby’s birth. It always makes a difference, sometimes in the most
unexpected of ways.
Katrina Berry is listed on Mumsnet Hackney HERE
Katrina Berry is listed on Mumsnet Hackney HERE
“Why
Hypnobirthing Matters” by Katrina Berry launches a new series of books by
highly respected publishers Pinter and Martin in April 2015.
Looking
at the origins and rationale for using hypnosis for childbirth, she explains
what you can expect from hypnobirthing and dispel common misunderstandings in a
lively, informative way giving readers a firm framework from which to make
confident, informed decisions of their own. Ideal for new parents, health
professionals and all those with an interest in birth and parenting.
To pre-order this book click HERE
To pre-order this book click HERE
