Hypnosis?
You mean like giving birth in a weird trance??
Hold on a minute…
There are tons of misconceptions surrounding the term “hypnosis.” That’s why we don’t like to use the word. Let me dispel some of them.
First of all—what is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is simply what we like to call, “a focused state of attention.” You are in and out of hypnosis literally dozens of times a day—when you are intently watching TV and you don’t hear the phone ring, when you are so focused on your thoughts while driving that you miss your turn, when you’re in those last few moments before dozing off to sleep, etc.
Hypnosis is NORMAL and NATURAL. It is just a state of mind. Your mind. It isn’t (or shouldn’t be) someone else telling you what to do, like dance around on a stage singing The National Anthem like you have peanut butter in your mouth. (Yes, I’ve actually seen that one…)
How can hypnosis help during birthing?
The right type of hypnosis is a powerful relaxation tool that can be utilized any time of your life. It is particularly effective at helping women cope with pain and anxiety during childbirth. Effective hypnosis isn’t limited to natural birth—it should be just as effective at keeping you calm and focused whether you are getting a C-section or having a home birth.
What doesn’t work?
Women often feel like failures when they attempt to utilize self-hypnosis and find that it just isn’t working for them—especially once they get into a stressful situation such as giving birth. Why? The hypnosis most people are familiar with is entry-level, direct-suggestion hypnosis, in which a script or hypnotist tells a person what to think, how to feel, where to go, and what to do. (Think peanut butter.) This approach is largely ineffective and takes the mom out of the experience, particularly when the one reading the script has not had adequate training—such as a birth partner or a childbirth educator who has had a few days of entry-level hypnotic training at best.
What works?
Advanced hypnosis is open-ended, solutions-based, and used therapeutically, meaning that you are in control—you can allow your mind to progress through your own thoughts—healing and changing your perceptions of birth, or anything else, able to respond to the needs of your body without hindrance from outside suggestions.
Experience it yourself!
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