Childbirth, Hypnosis and the Meditative State

By Arielle Wolter

 

Childbirth and hypnosis, two subjects that are vastly misunderstood by the common public today, actually go hand in hand to create a natural childbirth experience. Through understanding of both of these modalities mothers, babies and their families can have an natural and gentle birthing experience.

 

 

Childbirth

Childbirth is something many people fear and expect to be painful. Often times before a woman has felt any pain at all she is consulted by medical staff and asked if she needs pain medication. Sometimes women even plan to have pain medication at their prenatal check ups, long before labor has even occurred. The main culprit for many pregnant women is anticipation. They anticipate the pain, they anticipate it coming and have heard horrible stories from grandma Ethel and even seen TV shows where women are lying on their backs screaming as they are being rolled down the hall.

 

After hearing the horrible birth stories many women thank god for an epidural, even though it may have caused them to push for longer duration or have a c-section. All because of anticipation. Yet women just a couple of generations ago did not go to the hospital for labor. There was no maternity ward and the most common way to have a baby was at home. What did they do? How did they cope? There was no epidural, how did they survive the pain?

 

 

Hypnosis

Often seen as mystical hypnosis is actually quite a natural state that we experience everyday. When you watch TV, are driving down a long road or encapsulated in that novel you just cant put down you are actually in a state of hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply a way of speaking directly to the subconscious, the place of our inner knowledge. Inner knowledge which allows us to breath without consciously thinking and to have pain reflexes without consciously telling our nervous system too talk to our brain. The subconscious is even responsible for baby growing inside of you, labor and contractions and even when and how to make colostrum and milk for your baby. If you think about it for just a moment this subconscious actually is much more active and intelligent then the conscious part of the brain. Hypnosis is actually akin to guided meditation and is used in much the same way. Guided meditations with the same intention as your hypnosis session will put you in the same state of mind and talk to your subconscious in the same manner as hypnosis.

There is also another part of the brain called the conscious mind which is the part of the mind we use during our time spent awake every day. It tells us when our next meeting is and much of the time its pain coping mechanism is ow ow ow or oh my god stop this pain. The conscious is quite negative verses the subconscious and not nearly as wise and therefore usually will take the easy way out in stressful situations such as labor.

 

 

Birthing a Free Mind

Trust and belief in the body are two main ingredients that any woman who is birthing her baby naturally must be equipped with. Birthing is a state of mind. Yes your baby is a physical person and yes the muscles that contract to push baby out are physical. However your birth experience relies on your minds perception of the event. Often times women will remember the birth of there first child as a pleasant event. However during their second childbirth some women may try to go more natural then the first time, which can bring up feelings and emotions from the first experience. Under reevaluation women who have had interventions or a c section can have underlying traumas hidden in their subconscious.

 

Childbirth is a natural, normal and healthy function of the body. Without it we would have died off as a species from the first human and needless to say none of us would be here today. Our ancestors had no doubt that they could birth because there mother did, their sister did and every woman in their village did. They believed they could because it was just a normal occurrence. Therefore it is their state of mind that allowed them to produce their baby since they have the same muscles and bodily functions that women do today. They simply did not think themselves into pain. This in turn did not cause their perineum muscles to clench up in fear. They did not have anxiety about which medications to take. They simply knew they would have a baby and prepared to welcome them into the world.

 

 

Hypnosis and Birth

Knowing how much the mind plays a part in our birth experience and our babies birth experience the benefits of hypnosis begin to unfold. Training the mind to not be fearful and to not anticipate pain can allow women to have quicker, safer and more gentle birthing experiences often times without medical interventions. Training the mind will take time before the birth of your baby therefore it is best to start as early as you can.

 

Hypnosis Sessions

Having an individual session with a trained hypnotist can help you in your own personal anxieties and fears. A true hypnosis session will be tailored to suit your needs. Some hypnotists can make mp3s or tapes of your session to listen to at home in between sessions. If you have special circumstances this may be your best option. Always make sure you feel comfortable with your hypnotist to achieve the best possible results. It can also be beneficial for them to have a background in birth. Sometimes doulas or childbirth educators will be hypnotists as well and can offer a session to better suit your needs.

 

Hypnosis/Meditation Classes and Group Sessions

Classes or group sessions often consist of quite a couple of women or possibly even couples. In addition to hypnosis/meditation there may be talks which can allow you to hear the thoughts of other women. This can be very beneficial as talking can allow things that you may be hiding in your subconscious to come out and be handled in a nurturing, healing way. Often times group sessions will form a sisterhood amoungst the attendants which is also a helpful form of mental support before during and after labor. Like a hypnosis session classes or group sessions can be tailored to your needs depending on the needs of the other women and the number of participants in your class.

 

Hypnosis/Meditation Birthing tapes or mp3s

Hypnosis birthing tapes or mp3s allow you to train your mind at home. These are a wonderful modality when going to sleep or simply relaxing during the middle of the day. Mp3s can be made that are tailored to your personal needs by a trained hypnotist. There are also generic mp3s which can be used by most women in pregnancy and labor. When purchasing mp3s ensure that they geared towards pregnant women and birthing.