HYPNOSIS AND BIRTH

Having a baby should be a wonderful experience for both Mother and baby.

Unfortunately this is not always the case and for many women the experience can be traumatic and painful. Many women are afraid of childbirth, either through the bad experience of a previous birth, or seeing or reading about dramatic and painful births in books or on the television. This can cause tension and by the time labour begins the mother can feel very anxious and fearful, which in turn causes pain and doesn't allow the birth to continue as naturally as it should.

Hypnobirthing is based on the belief that severe discomfort to the mother and distress to the baby is not a natural accompaniment to labour. It teaches you self hypnosis, including simple but specialised relaxation and breathing techniques. How to understand your body, the emotions we respond with when certain words are used, massage technique and complete understanding of what is happening physically to your body during labour. With this knowledge, support and practise, mothers can feel more in control of their labour and more able to make decisions about how it progresses.

Women who are calm and have positive expectations of labour experience less pain than those who are anxious. Of course, every labour is a unique experience with unknown and unseen factors that will influence how it progresses. Therefore this technique cannot guarantee you a completely pain free labour without any medical interventions needed. But the skills you learn are valuable in other parts of your life as well.

Classes are started about 25-30 weeks along the pregnancy.
You will attend 12.5 hours of instruction, usually in a group, but it can be run as a private course. These hours will be in five (or sometimes four) two and a half or three hour classes. Weekend classes can be arranged.
You are encouraged to practise the techniques on your own, or with the other women you meet at the class as the support you receive from the practitioner and from each other is invaluable.