Re: [ozmidwifery] Hypnobirthing

[Megan Tan]

On Saturday, July 13, 2002, at 07:56 AM, Debby M wrote:
I have just started reading a book on "hypno birthing" which is a form of self-hypnosis through relaxation and visualisation.
The concept sounds wonderful but it is an American book and I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this first hand or supported a woman who has tried it in labour - and what did you think/ how did you find it?
Debby

Hi Debby,
I used hypnotherapy/deep relaxation for the birth of my second child.
Though my first (son) was born under quite "normal" circumstances (vaginal birth, a lot of screaming
and every drug under the sun?!), I did still feel quite traumatised from the whole experience.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I sought a hypnotherapist, as I too had read about its
effectiveness for some people.
I found a wonderful woman who is also a childbirth educator. She came to my home when I was
about 28 weeks pregnant, (we had previously met and talked about the first birth, my fears etc) and she
made a tape with me. It basically involved me resting whilst she took me into a deeply relaxed
state. There was a lot of visualisation, and it was beautiful and relaxing to listen to. It was very personal
and I listened to it daily (and most of the time I fell asleep).
She returned when I was about 37 weeks and we made another tape. I never actually heard the
words on this tape. Though I listened to it daily, I always fell asleep within the first minute.
The most extraordinary thing is, when I was in labour, the words that I thought I hadn't heard flooded
back to me. With every contraction the suggestions/visualisations that she had made on the tape
came into my head. Though my daughter was posterior until the last minute, my labour was short
and peaceful. Her birth was a very healing experience.
The thing that I liked about it most, was that it called on an 'inner self' that had always been there,
but was still me. Even before the birth, my greatest fears about the labour vanished. The half an hour
'power nap' it gave me each day, from which I woke feeling totally refreshed, made it worthwhile anyway!
I don't think that it will work for every woman, and I also believe that the trance-like state that I was in
is experienced often by women who have not had any form of hypnotherapy. I haven't recommended
it to friends who have been pregnant, it just felt right for me, in my circumstances.
I hope that this helps Debby, as I haven't read any books about 'hypno birthing'.

Megan Tan.