What is Hypnobirthing?

‘What is hypnobirthing?’ is a question that have been in many mothers-to-be as of late, as they try to find a method to give birth to their children turning the miracle of life into a traumatizing ordeal. First of all, it may be useful to establish what it is not. Hypnobirthing does not claim to take the physical pain away from labor, but it instead offers an alternative manner of dealing with. Also, in spite of what its name may suggest, it does not involve some Svengali mesmerizing the woman so that she falls into a trance.

The HypnoBirthing Institute was started by hypnotherapist Marie Mongan, and its purpose is to educated women as to what it is that is actually going on before, during, and after labor. The future mother stays awake yet utterly relaxed, to the point that they may seem fast asleep. It is a process of self-hypnosis more than anything else, according to Cleveland Clinic perinatal educator Joyce Poplar, as quoted by CNN.com. This state may be achieved with the aid of breathing techniques, music, visualization and others. This helps them to get rid of preconceived notions of labor pains, as well as memories from previous experiences.

American Society of Anesthesiologists’ chair of the committee on obstetrical anesthesia Dr Craig Palmer says he is not familiar with this method, but adds that any form of preparation for childbirth is welcome. Moreover, practitioner of hypnobirthing can choose whether they want to give birth at home or at a hospital, get pain medicine, epidurals or C-sections, seeing as this technique focuses more on being mentally ready for the challenge of giving birth. So, next time you ask yourself, ‘what is hypnobirthing?,’ don’t be surprised to find it listed among other more established methods such as Lamaze classes, yoga and the Bradley system.

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