Hypnobirthing is a technique for preparing for childbirth and naturally alleviating feelings of fear and pain. This technique is not as simple as feeling very sleepy one minute and then your baby comes the next. In this method, hypnosis is used to help control breathing and pain, but this method may not work for everyone. Let's take a closer look at this method, its benefits, and how it differs from other methods of childbirth that you may encounter.
What is hypnobirthing?
The term hypnosis itself is a procedure in which a person experiences changes in sensation, perception, thought, or behavior. Here, a special type of hypnosis during the childbirth process is referred to as hypnobirthing. This technique aims to help pregnant women deal with any fear or anxiety they may feel during childbirth.
It includes various relaxation techniques and self-hypnosis that help relax the body before and during labor and delivery. The idea here is that when the body and mind are completely relaxed, childbirth can occur faster and without pain, because the body does not resist the natural birth process.
How to use hypnosis during childbirth?
Thanks to the hypnobirthing technique, it is possible to empty the mind and do good breathing during childbirth. This technique allows the body to relax to the point where any pain disappears, and the body feels that it responds to the birth process in an easier and faster way. This procedure includes many techniques that can be tried, such as controlling breathing.
Controlled breathing
This method includes two breathing techniques. In the first, the pregnant woman breathes deeply through the nose, inhaling air until the count of four, then exhaling when counting to seven. The second technique is similar and follows the same deep breathing pattern, but here the pregnant woman prolongs the inhalation time until the count of seven, and maintains the exhalation until the count of seven. It is supposed that breathing in this way helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which gives the body some calming feelings.
Focus on positive thoughts and words
Focus on positive thoughts and words is a very useful technique. Instead of using the word "contraction" to describe contractions during labor, you can use the word "surge" or "wave" to get a more positive feeling.
Guided imagery
Other techniques include guided imagery, where you can imagine something like a flower blooming to help relax your body, and using music and meditation to help you relax even more. By using these techniques, you may give birth in a dream-like state and may:
Be fully aware of what is happening to you and be able to come out of hypnosis at will.
Be more relaxed, and your body stays out of the fight-or-flight mode that can be triggered by the unfamiliar environment of the delivery room.
Be better able to regulate pain and stress hormones by releasing endorphins, which may allow your body to surrender more fully to the natural birth process.
Benefits of Hypnobirthing
The designers of this technique found that hypnobirthing is a positive experience, and gives the woman the ability to trust her body to deliver the baby with the least amount of pain. In addition, hypnobirthing may help in:
Shortening labor: Specifically, hypnosis during labor may help shorten the first stage of labor, which includes early and active labor, when contractions become longer, stronger, and closer together as the cervix dilates.
Reducing the need for interventions: A 2011 review of studies showed that hypnobirthing may help encourage vaginal birth, and that women who use hypnosis do not need as much labor induction with oxytocin. A 2015 study found that only 17% of mothers who give birth under hypnosis need a cesarean section, compared to the overall rate in that study, which was 32%.
Natural pain relief: If you’re looking for a drug-free birth, hypnosis may help. In one 2013 study, 46 of 81 participants (51%) didn’t use any pain medication, and their maximum pain level was only 5.8 on a 10-point scale for pain intensity.
Provides a sense of control: Women in the 2013 study also reported feeling more relaxed and in control, and as a result, had less fear about labor and delivery.
Produces healthier babies: Apgar scores, a system for rating babies in the first few minutes after birth, are higher among babies born using hypnobirthing techniques.
Helps women who have experienced trauma: Hypnobirthing may particularly help women who have experienced birth-related trauma or have a general fear of labor and delivery.
What’s the difference between Lamaze training, hypnobirthing, and the Bradley Method?
There are other birthing methods that can be used while preparing for this event. Lamaze is a method that aims to reduce fears about childbirth and labor. This method focuses on pain relief techniques such as breathing and massage to help move labor along and work to relieve pain in a natural way. The Bradley method focuses heavily on labor and birth naturally. Pregnant women learn this technique to relax, and this technique relies heavily on a support person such as a partner or labor coach.
The Lamaze method, the Bradley method, and hypnobirthing all aim to give pregnant women a positive birthing method. While each focuses on breathing and relaxation during labor and birth, they differ in other ways. A 2015 study found that the Bradley method may be more comprehensive than hypnobirthing because it covers care during pregnancy, during labor, and even after birth.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is hypnosis used during labor?
During labor, some women may use hypnosis in a number of ways to promote relaxation, reduce pain, and change their perceptions of labor, labor pain, and the difficulty of the birth process.
When do we start practicing hypnosis for childbirth?
Hypnosis cannot be started at the last moment when labor begins, but rather it must be prepared for a sufficient period before childbirth, so specialists always recommend that the hypnosis course for childbirth begins when the pregnant woman is in the 20th to 30th week of pregnancy, and since the course lasts for 4 weeks; This means that the pregnant woman will be in the 24th to 34th week when the course ends, which is an ideal time.
Can you learn to give birth by hypnosis yourself?
Hypnosis childbirth depends on the power of suggestion, as positive affirmations, meditation and visualizations are used to relax the body, direct thoughts and control breathing, and this can be done through self-hypnosis, or by receiving help from a hypnotherapist