Hypnobirthing is Taking the Birthing World by Calm

By Audrey Oyama RN, MSN, IBCLC,HBCE

How a mother chooses to give birth to her child is a very personal decision. Mothers should have choices in their birthing.Using hypnosis in childbirth is not a new idea or one exclusive to the HypnoBirthing® method. Marie Mongan, founder of HypnoBirthing® is an award winning therapist with over 30 years of experience in counseling and teaching. Driven by her personal experiences and her passion for birth, she developed this method of birthing that is sweeping the birthing world. HypnoBirthing® offers a philosophy of birth as well as techniques for achieving a satisfying, relaxing and stress-free method of birthing. The Mongan method provides a mother with the knowledge and tools she needs to have a wonderful birth experience.

In Mongan’s book, HypnoBirthing-A Celebration of Life she states, “A normal physiological process does not need assistance. It needs only the patience of birth attendants to resist the temptation to disturb its rhythm and flow in the absence of special circumstances”. The philosophy of HypnoBirthing® is that birth is normal, natural and healthy. As long as the mother and baby are healthy, their labor is healthy, and she remains relaxed and free of fear, her body will function normally with little or no pain or incident. Birth attendants are looked at as lifeguards who stand by and intervene only when necessary. HypnoBirthing® is not opposed to any medical intervention when it is necessary and special circumstances are present.

Unfortunately, women in our culture are conditioned to fear birth. Our mothers, cousins, sisters, friends and strangers have shared negative stories of excruciating pain associated with giving birth. Women have heard these stories all their lives. Because of this fear, their bodies become tense and cannot easily perform the normal, physiological function of giving birth. This results in long, painful and disappointing births - exactly what they feared most.

The HypnoBirthing® program teaches the mother and her birth companion the art and joyful experience of birthing in a more comfortable way. Women learn by viewing HypnoBirthing® films showing mothers awake, alert and in good humor as they experience their births free of the fear that causes the tension and pain during birth. Through self-hypnosis, special breathing and visualization, women are taught to release all their pre-programming about birth as they learn to trust and work with their bodies.

HypnoBirthing® is growing worldwide. Currently there are 15 certified instructors in Georgia, 36 in Florida and 3 in Tennessee and 2 in Mississippi. Alabama has only one. The need for certified instructors in our area is great. The website states that certification is available to Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants, Healthcare Providers, Childbirth Educators, Hypnotherapists, Yoga Instructors, Message Therapists, and all others interested in maternal health and birthing. Those interested in becoming certified to teach have the opportunity to attend a certification workshop with Marie Mongan June 15-18 in Pigeon Forge, TN. If interested please see the website for details and registration information.

Audrey Oyama is an nurse, lactation consultant and prenatal educator living in the Birmingham area. She is married and the mother of three children and the grandmother of one “Hyonobaby”.

Resources:
HypnoBirthing- The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan, M.Ed., M. Hy. 3rd edition

What People are Saying – taken from pamphlets provided by the Hypnobirthing Institute.

• “Outstanding! Easy to learn relaxation and breathing patterns guided me through a five hour, pain-free labor. I will treasure the experience forever!” Kim Sweers, FL.
• “Wonderful! I tell everyone that it is the only way….my doctor was so impressed!” Katherine Oliver, NC
• “My baby’s birth was the most amazing experience. I love this program and am deeply letd to teach it.”Alicia Watson, CO

HypnoBirthing Advantages

• Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension and, thus, pain
• Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers or drugs
• Shortens the first phase of labor
• Leaves mother alert, fresh, awake and with energy
• Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing
• Reduces the need for an episiotomy
• Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby
• Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.