What is HypnoBirthing?
Written by Celia Donaldson
What does this word conjure for you? Maybe a picture of a hippie lady squatting in the woods, howling out her baby in the moonlight? Perhaps, an image of someone with glazed eyes and a pendulum swinging in front of their face? I have some news for you… These are far from what this teaching looks like.
The simple fact is that HypnoBirthing is a combination of Hypnotherapy and birth education.
“It’s actually really rather ‘straight’, full of lovely people educating themselves about one of the most transformative events of their lives… But the sad fact is that the name ‘HypnoBirthing’ does still conjure those images for people, and puts them off learning about something that is evidence-based, science-based and could transform their birth experiences.”
HypnoBirthing® The Mongan Method is a philosophy and method based on the understanding that birth is a normal, healthy biological function. It recognizes the effect of thoughts and emotional state on the physiology of labor and teaches you how to work with your body during the birth process.
To understand what this means, we look at the autonomic nervous system. This system is in charge of our body's automatic functions like breathing, heart pumping, digesting food. And guess what else? Birth!
Have you ever been driving on the freeway when suddenly someone swerves in front of you? What happens to your body within those few seconds? You probably become extremely alert. Your muscles become tense. Maybe you start to sweat. Your heart starts beating faster. Your autonomic nervous system is making sure you can handle this perceived danger. And it's a great survival mechanism… when there's a real threat. But, it's not so helpful for birthing.
The problem is that our 'fight or flight' mode can get activated easily in birth, even when there's nothing wrong. Has anyone ever told you a traumatic birth story? Have you ever seen a movie where a woman's water breaks, she's rushed to the hospital, and she's screaming her baby out? We are primed for birth from what we see and hear from our culture.
By learning about how birth works and practicing simple techniques, we can influence the autonomic nervous system to remain in a state of calm. The body can function optimally for delivery, allowing ample oxygen-rich blood to flow to the uterus and baby, making us feel relaxed, allowing the brain to release oxytocin (the love hormone that causes uterine contractions) and endorphins (the body's natural morphine). All of these benefits reduce the likelihood of needing interventions and help us to adapt to unexpected challenges.
Hypnotherapy is a socially accepted tool used widely for ailments such as insomnia, trauma healing, and giving up bad habits. So why not use it for childbirth, one of the most important events of your life? Especially when it's combined with education about birthing options, advocating for yourself, and transitioning into postpartum!
Additional Resources:
"The available evidence suggests that self-hypnosis may be helpful for women in labor. It appears to reduce the overall use of pain medication during labor. Hypnosis for pain relief seems to be especially helpful when combined with water immersion during labor, and researchers have found no adverse effects." - Evidence Based Birth article about Hypnosis for Pain Relief in Labor
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/hypnosis-for-pain-relief-during-labor/
"This study shows that childbirth education that focuses on non-drug comfort measures – complementary and alternative therapies – such as acupressure, visualization, breathing, yoga, and massage results in less need for medical intervention during birth and better outcomes for newborns." - Evidence Based Birth article about Childbirth Education for Pain Relief in Labor
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-education-for-pain-relief-during-labor/
Podcast with birth stories from parents who used different hypnosis methods: https://thebirthhour.com/birth-stories/hypnobirthing/
