Is HypnoBirthing right for me? When should I begin classes?
The two most frequent questions that I receive about HypnoBirthing are:
1. What type of people should take HypnoBirthing?
2. When do you recommend we begin classes?
Question: What type of people should take HypnoBirthing?
Answer: Anyone who has a general understanding of what it is and who wants to do it.
Most often when other birth professionals refer an expecting family to me for HypnoBirthing it is because the family has a fair amount of anxiety around birth. HypnoBirthing certainly will help manage anxiety.
Even when a family is feeling positive and upbeat about their upcoming birth, HypnoBirthing is still extremely beneficial. This is because HypnoBirthing uses hypnosis to remove tension causing fears from your logical mind and more importantly, from your subconscious mind.
If you think of your entire mind as an iceberg then the part that can be seen above water represents your conscious mind and the much larger and much more influential part would be what can not be seen below water. The part below water represents your subconscious mind.
Your subconscious mind has been collecting scary and untruthful ideas about birth your whole life....sadly. The fear that is stored there will undoubtedly affect the physiology of your birth if left unchecked. HypnoBirthing utilizes hypnosis to release fears-both know and unknown around birthing.
A few important points about hypnosis:
-All hypnosis is self-hypnosis... you can not be made to cluck like a chicken unless you want to do it.
- Everyone who wants to be hypnotized can be - though it is contraindicated for some psychiatric conditions
- If under hypnosis, you were needed in an emergency, you would immediately be able to alert yourself.
- When you are driving and you do not remember a part of your drive, that is due to hypnosis.
- Hypnosis is when your brain waves slow down just a little bit which makes your subconscious more open to suggestion.
- It is nowhere near as exciting as some would like for you to believe.
In addition to the unique relaxation techniques and hypnosis, HypnoBirthing also includes general childbirth education. General topics included in the class series include:
- Exploring and discovering birth preferences
- Communicating those preferences to your care provider - role playing activities will build confidence in your skills to do this effectively.
- Nutrition and movement.
- Positions and strategies for birthing - with practice
- Signs of Labor
- Decision-making and navigating special circumstances
If you are trying to decide if HypnoBirthing is right for you then the best thing to do is to contact a certified HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator and ask any questions that you may have and get a good understanding of what the classes consist of and how the program works. There are sometimes misconceptions about the program, so it is important to get your information directly from a HypnoBirthing practitioner.
Question: When is the best time to start a HypnoBirthing class?
Answer: The official answer is anytime after the first trimester and the sooner the better, but I do want to include some additional thoughts..
If you attend HypnoBirthing classes you will get a good childbirth class that emphasizes nature's perfect design.
If you attend classes AND practice daily then you will get a program that has the potential to completely transform your birth experience. The daily practice is crucial.
I tell families to practice for a length of time that is sustainable every single day. It is much more productive to practice every single day for only 5-10 minutes that it is to practice only 4 days per week and for two hours each time. On your birthing day your techniques will come naturally and prove effective if you have been doing them daily leading up to your birth.
Some techniques are initiated with hypnosis. Once initiated, you want to practice daily. Occasionally a family will attend and finish a series with 4-5 months left before the birthday. If you think that this long time might cause your practice to drop off for a while because you have so much time to pick it up later then wait a while before you start.
I have witnessed a very high degree of satisfaction from families who started as late as 36 weeks, but it is definitely not ideal to wait quite this long.
This question is really a case by case situation that only you know yourself well enough to answer.
If you are interested in Childbirth classes in Richmond VA please do not hesitate to get in touch with me!
Additionally, Joyful Birth Services loves offering placenta encapsulation in Richmond VA, birth doula support in Richmond VA, and birth photography in Richmond VA.
I am occasionally available for travel beyond my immediate service area. Please never hesitate to get in touch if you are curious about any of our services!
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