HypnoBirthing
Change Your Mind, Change Your Birth
Birth is a normal, natural and healthy process and women's bodies are capable of birthing their babies in a calm, safe and comfortable manner as we have done since the dawn of time. When women eliminate fear and tension both physically and emotionally, then labor can happen as nature intended, without severe pain and often in a calm yet empowering way. This is the philosophy and foundation upon which HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method™ was built. Interestingly, this is one of the only childbirth methods developed by a woman. Both the Bradley and Lamaze methods were created by male obstetricians. In the last 22 years, this phenomenon has grown into an international movement with practitioners in 34 countries around the world. The method, which has now produced hundreds of thousands of “hypno” birthed babies, includes reading the HypnoBirthing book, listening to special CDs designed to prepare you for birth, and attending classes taught by a specially trained practitioner.
HypnoBirthing combines the power of hypnosis with the practical information about bonding, nutrition and childbirth needed to create a peaceful, confident, easier transition for parents into parenthood and babies from the womb into this world. Hypnosis has been recognized for its therapeutic effect by the American Medical Association since the 1950's. Hypnosis is a naturally induced state of relaxed concentration—a state of mind and body in which you communicate suggestions to your subconscious mind. This part of your mind influences what you think, how you feel, and the choices you make. There is no magic to achieving success with self-hypnosis. Almost anyone who chooses to can reach this deep relaxation and redirected focus.
Every day people allow negative thoughts to sabotage their goals in many areas of their lives. These thoughts can be generated by fears, frustrations, things other people have said to you or by your own past experiences and they can be the source of stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety in turn, often lead to poor decision-making and negative experiences. Hypnosis can help you to effectively overcome stress, anxiety and the negative effects of both, in childbirth and life.
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. No one can put you into hypnosis without you agreeing to it. You are not unconscious; just relaxed and focused on your goal. It is a state of mind that feels similar to day dreaming, being engrossed in a good book or like "the zone" athletes experience when they are involved in their sport. It is a useful tool for anyone interested in self-improvement in many areas of life from weight loss to quitting smoking and now for childbirth. Studies show that women who use hypnosis techniques may have shorter labors, use less medication and experience less postpartum depression.
Just as your mind and body know how to grow your baby throughout your pregnancy, they also know inherently how to birth your baby too. When you trust your body and use the deep relaxation techniques taught in HypnoBirthing, there is less resistance and your natural birthing instincts take over and your muscles work in complete harmony to bring about this wonderful experience. When you are in a state of deep relaxation, your body releases endorphins and oxytocin to make birth easier. HypnoBirthing techniques make releasing those helpful hormones easy for your body to do. When you are in a fearful state of mind, your body cannot make those hormones and that is when your healthcare provider will add drugs, like narcotics and pitocin to keep labor moving along. Releasing the right hormones in birth is the key to succeeding.
The numbers speak for themselves, the national average for C-sections is 32%, for HypnoBirthing mothers it is 17%. HypnoBirthing mothers used an epidural 23% of the time versus a national average of 71%.
Whether you are planning a hospital, birth center, homebirth or VBAC, HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method™ is the perfect way to prepare!