hypnotherapy for conception, pregnancy & birth

Hypnosis has been clinically proven to help you:

• Overcome Fear

• Feel more relaxed and calm

• Reduce medical intervention

• Reduce pain in childbirth

• Shorten labour

Birth today is often perceived as something to be scared of and yet it is that fear which can make birth so much more painful. By being relaxed, confident and skilled at effective breathing and relaxation techniques, you will be able to go into labour feeling far more positive and prepared. This alone helps your body birth more effectively, reducing any tension and adrenaline, which cause much of the pain in childbirth.

How Hypnotherapy can Help

By using the natural state of hypnosis, deep relaxation and the power of suggestion to enhance your pregnancy and birth experience. Using hypnosis, you tap into the subconscious (the part of your mind that is responsible for all your bodily functions including your heart rate, hormone production and elimination system, as well as the part which stores your emotions, fears and anxiety) to deal with, and overcome fear and anxiety associated with pregnancy and labour, and to increase self confidence and trust in your bodies natural ability to give birth. Using and applying hypnosis techniques can therefore greatly reduce, if not eliminate the fear and tension can lead to severe pain during the birthing process.
The subconscious mind does not know the difference between reality and imagination (ever had dejà vu or a dream that felt as if it was real?).

Therefore through Hypnosis (similar to guided visualisation) you have the opportunity to "experience" your perfect birth over and over again in your mind. In this way, once the actual birth begins, your body is familiar and comfortable with the rehearsed responses and so reacts accordingly. During the birth you remain relaxed, involved and in control, being conversant and aware of the experience. You will be aware of your body's contractions and will flow through the sensations using deep relaxation, breathing and your natural ability to tap into your bodies own pain killers (endorphins).

Being able to enjoy the experience in a calm and relaxed way leaves no room for tension and fear which are the main causes of pain.

How can hypnosis reduce pain in childbirth?

Imagine going back to prehistoric times, when people may have given birth outside. Suppose you saw or even thought you saw a wild animal lurking in the nearby shadows. What do you think would happen? Would you have a conscious choice on what happens next? You may think you could control the situation, but your body would already have made the decision.

Simply believing there is a wild animal in your birth space would instantly stimulate a healthy “fight or flight” mechanism. Labour contractions would slow down or stop and would not resume until you felt safe.

This fear activates the nervous system to produce adrenalin (danger hormone), which gives you the energy or power to prepare to fight or to run away. Your cervix tightens (to prevent your baby from being born where it is not safe) and the increased level of adrenaline neutralises the Oxytocin (the hormone responsible for stimulating your uterus to contract) and endorphins (pain killing hormone), so that the body naturally slows down or even stops the birthing.

Experiencing fear during labour leads to your heat rate increasing, your breathing becoming shallow and faster (so reducing the amount of Oxygen in your body and your baby), your heart pumping blood faster around your body so raising your blood pressure and blood being directed away from your Uterus (and your baby) to your limbs, essentially to prepare you for action.

All this “fight or flight” preparation uses a great deal of energy. As our bodies were only designed to be in this heightened sense of preparation to fight or flight for a few minutes at a time, you can imagine that staying in this state for prolonged periods of time will be extremely draining, if not dangerous.

You may be asking, “what does a women giving birth in prehistoric times have to do with me?”. This is essentially about fear – fear of pain, fear of dying, fear of tearing, fear of loosing control. Your nervous system does not know the difference between real or imagined danger or fear and so will respond in the same way to both - ever felt the rush of adrenaline and fear when watching a horror movie? Is the threat real or imagined?

If you go into the birth feeling and being frightened, your system will respond accordingly. This fear will lead to increased adrenaline 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.

All the while that there is fear in childbirth, your birthing body will not be allowed to flow easily through the natural progression of labour.

Relaxed Childbirth Birth Cycle

Calm, confident and prepared – breathing & relaxation – more effective contractions – more manageable sensations = more relaxed, manageable & shorter birth

So how does being relaxed and calm make a difference?

By being relaxed during your labour, your body responds in a very different way to the fear scenario described above. When you are relaxed, your breathing is even and rhythmical; ensuring a high level of oxygen is entering your body. This oxygen goes through to your baby, ensuring that your baby remains calm and stable. Increased oxygen stimulates the production of Oxytocin (hormone responsible for contraction) and endorphins. Your blood pressure remains at a healthy level, and as your body is relaxed you conserve your energy, with all excess energy being channelled through to the muscle that is really working hard, your Uterus. As the Uterus has no resistance or tension from surrounding muscles, the contractions are more effective and more comfortable. As the labour progresses in the absence of artificial hormones, other natural hormones kick in including Relaxin which allows the cells of the birth canal to relax, soften and stretch, so making the delivery of your baby easier and more comfortable.

 call or email for more information

tel: 0845 257 3078
emma@prana-life.co.uk