My own experience with hypnotherapy and self hypnosis for birth began with my second pregnancy in 1988.
After a very traumatic first birth in hospital I decided on a homebirth for my second birth. I used hypnotherapy and attended an active birth group to help me prepare for birth. Active birth helped me regain trust in my body, hypnotherapy helped boost my self confidence and self hypnosis techniques helped me to calm my worries and fears.
Although self hypnosis and hypnotherapy were suggested as ways to help control labour pain I couldn’t imagine that would be possible.
In my Active Birth group the birth process was explained and it made sense of why things had gone so badly wrong the first time. With a better understanding of my body and the birth process, I began to plan the ways I would do things differently.
I used self hypnosis to practice going deep inside myself, to experience calm and hypnotherapy sessions helped me regain my confidence.
I was amazed at how my baby’s birth was so similar to how I had planned it. I trusted myself and my instincts. I had worked regularly on planning, preparing and getting ready for birth for over 3 month. That work payed off as I experienced birth as an amazing positive experience. I felt calm and in control. I went deep inside myself and tapped into my endorphin response. I was aware of pressure and wasn’t aware of pain. My baby arrived calm and alert. I enjoyed being able to move straight into my own bed after giving birth.
I still feel the positive glow of that experience over 18 years later.
Learning to be active in body and mind, relaxed, calm, in control… these are things that can be cultivated in pregnancy and used for birth and beyond.
Following my own positive birth experience I decided to train and qualify in Hypnotherapy. I studied birth physiology and Doula skills with Michel Odent. I studied Holistic Birth preparation for 13 months with the Holistic Birth Trust. I undertook Active Birth Training (levels 1 and 2) with Janet Balaskas and the team at the Active Birth Centre. Since then I continue to study with a variety of teachers in the birth and women’s health field.
I have been helping women and partners prepare for birth with hypnotherapy and self hypnosis since 1992 and I enjoy teaching this approach at the Active Birth Centre.
People’s experiences with active birth, hypnotherapy and self hypnosis vary. It is most helpful when time is made to practice regularly. Active Birth is about being active in the decisions and choices you make as well as the physical use of your body.
Do you have an experience of Active Birth or Hypno Birth that you would like to share?
