Hypnotherapy for labour

Hypnotherapy for labour

Incredible but true … some women don’t want artificial pain relief
to get through labour. But before you dismiss them as, at best – mad, at
worst – superhuman, check out the benefits of hypnotherapy – a natural form
of pain management during childbirth.

What is hypnotherapy for birth?

Increasingly, hypnotherapy is gaining credence in mainstream medicine
for its powerful and beneficial effects at pain control and relief, with
no nasty side effects. Its effectiveness has been particularly observed
in birth and is now being practised by many women throughout the UK and
beyond.

The theory behind it is quite simple: that fear leads to tension and
that tension leads to pain, as Maggie Howell, clinical hypnotherapist,
explains. “If you go into the birth feeling and being frightened, your
system will respond accordingly. This fear will lead to increased adrenalin
in your body, which leads to increased tension in your muscles and your
cervix, with less ‘contraction’ hormones being produced, so that your
uterus is having to work much harder to flex and tighten. This subsequently
makes contractions far more painful, in the same way that if you tense
up when you are in pain, the pain becomes far greater.”

Many people assume that a hypnotised person will be in a daze and unable
to communicate sensibly with anyone around them. However, this is not
the case, as Maggie stresses. “Hypnosis is a natural state, which we all
experience many times a day. It is when your conscious (analytical, reasoning)
mind takes a step back and your subconscious (feelings, memories, emotions)
comes more to the forefront.” Once your mind relaxes, you become more
receptive to positive suggestions and affirmations and, since your mind
cannot distinguish between imagination and reality, the more positive
suggestions you give yourself, the more real they become.

The benefits of using hypnosis for childbirth

Hypnosis for birth teaches women simple but powerful techniques to induce
feelings of relaxation and peace during labour and birth. This can be
used to release any fears and anxieties that naturally affect first-time
mums or to reassure those who have experienced previous traumatic labours
and deliveries. The emphasis is very much on the woman staying in control
of her own mind and body rather than feeling helpless and disempowered.

“When you are relaxed, your breathing is even and rhythmical; ensuring
a high level of oxygen is entering your body,” says Maggie. “This oxygen
is passed to your baby, ensuring that he remains calm and stable. Increased
oxygen stimulates the production of oxytocin and feel-good endorphins.
Your blood pressure remains at a healthy level and you conserve your energy,
with all excess energy being channelled through to the muscle that is
really working hard, namely your uterus. As the uterus has no resistance
or tension from surrounding muscles, the contractions are more effective
and more comfortable.”

Hypnobirthing can be used effectively in all settings – home births,
water births, hospital births, etc. And the techniques can be used to
help calm and relax you whenever a stressful situation arises, so it’s
of long-term benefit!

Will it guarantee a pain-free birth?

This is the key question we all want to ask but unfortunately there
doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut answer! Although Hypnobirthing UK stresses
that “severe pain does not need to be part of labour”, it also points
out that a totally pain-free labour cannot be guaranteed. It says that
65-70% of mums using hypnobirthing techniques need no pain relief and
that around half of these experience no pain, just pressure. A further
20-25% need a mild form of pain relief such as gas and air, with the remaining
5-10% needing special intervention for a variety of reasons.

We asked babyworlders if anyone had had any experiences, positive or
negative, using hypnosis for birth. One member, Gomi, had a very positive
experience, “I tried it and would highly recommend it. I didn’t need any
pain relief at all as I didn’t feel any pain – just pressure. Even the
midwife was amazed.” However, for another member, Susan, it didn’t bring
the relief she had hoped for. “I tried it – listened to the CD religiously.
It totally went out of my mind after 42 hours of contractions!”

How do I prepare?

Hypnotherapy or hypnosis for birth is taught by private practitioners
throughout the UK, either by particular organisations or by qualified
individuals. Specific courses will last approximately 12 hours or so in
total, either in several sessions or over the course of a weekend, and
take on either small groups or, sometimes, individual couples.

As with other antenatal classes, you will learn about anatomical and
physiological issues but you will also be taught other essential things
such as:

  • breathing techniques
  • how to deal with any fears you may have about childbirth
  • how to stay calm, focused and relaxed no matter what else is happening
    around you.

The cost of the course depends on where it is running, who is running
it and how many people are taken on. Courses with larger groups might
cost around £200 per couple, whilst private tuition can cost up to £450.

If you prefer a more private approach, you could try self-hypnosis with
a special CD, which first will guide you into a deeply relaxed state and
then will guide you through a detailed visualisation of giving birth from
a physiological perspective: rather like a dress rehearsal! You will need
to listen to this CD repeatedly before labour to help your body and mind
associate the birth experience with calm, relaxing emotions and hopefully
boost your confidence and reduce any anxiety.”

What do I need to ask prospective instructors?

As with anything related to pregnancy and birth, it is essential to gain
the relevant and necessary information to make a considered decision.
The sort of questions you should be asking include:

  • how many women they have helped through the process
  • the success rate: eg, was the need for pain relief reduced? Were
    the incidences of assisted births lower?
  • how the programme is taught and how many people are in the lessons
  • what sort of work you need to do at home in addition to what you
    are being taught in the lessons

It is also said that hypnotherapy of any sort can only really work if
you feel comfortable with your therapist. Therefore, always ask to meet
them first so you can gauge if you are likely to get on with them and
be able to relax in their presence: if not you are unlikely to gain from
the experience. You might like to speak to a couple of hypnotherapists
to get a better picture, if this option is available to you.

Jessica Warren describes how after a difficult first birth she was
determined to do things differently the second time around using hypnotherapy…Read
more

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