Overview
In this post, I’ll give an overview of HypnoBirthing – it’s traditional definition and it’s history. I’ll then introduce Birthing in Trance, the method used here with clients at Bringing Balance. I’ll share how it differs from the original method and what the advantages are over HypnoBirthing.
I’ll also summarise the benefits of using this technique but in a subsequent post, I’ll go into more detail about the advantages to women & their family of utilising this in their journey through pregnancy into labour & birth.
What is HypnoBirthing?
HypnoBirthing is a childbirth technique that uses self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques help women have a more comfortable and calm birth experience. The method was developed in the 1980s by Marie Mongan and has since gained popularity around the world.
The premise behind HypnoBirthing is that fear and tension can lead to pain and complications during childbirth. By learning relaxation and visualization techniques, women can reduce their fear and anxiety, leading to a more comfortable and positive birth experience. The method traditionally involves attending classes to learn the techniques and practicing them at home in preparation for labour and delivery. Today HypnoBirthing sessions are more frequently delivered online.
While HypnoBirthing is not a replacement for medical care during childbirth, it can be used in conjunction with medical interventions. The technique has been shown to reduce the need for pain medication, shorten labour time, and lead to a more positive birth experience overall. HypnoBirthing is a safe and effective option for women who want to have a more relaxed and comfortable childbirth experience.
History of HypnoBirthing
HypnoBirthing was developed by Marie Mongan, a hypnotherapist and mother of four, who wanted to help women have a more positive and empowering birth experience. She had four children herself and experienced all labours without labour medication. She studied the theories of Dr. Jonathan Dye from the US, and Grantly Dick-Read, of the UK, two pioneers in natural childbirth. Two of her birthings were entirely free of anaesthesia at a time when it was unheard of, and her husband was by her side in both the labour room and the “delivery” room. She drew on her own experience & her knowledge of hypnosis and relaxation techniques to create a program that would help women enter a state of deep relaxation during childbirth, allowing them to work with their bodies and experience a more comfortable and natural birth.
How Does HypnoBirthing Work?
HypnoBirthing works by helping women enter a state of deep relaxation, to reduce fear and tension during childbirth and allow the body to work more efficiently. The programme involves a series of classes where expectant parents learn relaxation and visualization techniques, as well as information about the birthing process and how to work with their bodies during labour.
During childbirth, women use these techniques to enter a state of self-hypnosis, which can help them experience a more comfortable and natural birth. HypnoBirthing also emphasizes the importance of a calm and supportive birthing environment, with minimal medical intervention and a focus on empowering the mother to make informed decisions about her birth.
Overall, HypnoBirthing is a gentle and natural approach to childbirth that can help women have a more positive and empowering birth experience.
What is Birthing in Trance?
Marie (Mickey) Mongon’s vison for any woman in childbirth was to know the joy of a safe, satisfying birth, for both herself & her baby and her work was wide-reaching & transformative. However, in many cases HypnoBirthing has been reduced to an ‘add-on’ of a set of tools that women can acquire, and misses out some of the deeper, more fundamental principles that I believe Mickey would still be endorsing if she was with us today. To differentiate from any inherent limitations in todays, often commercialised, approach, I use the term Birthing in Trance.
Michelle Brain, the phenomenal Midwife Hypnotist first introduced me to the phrase. Michelle generously shared her skill & experience with me and my gratitude to her overflows. The care & attention she gave me, I’m now able to pass on to my clients. She helped me see that if we guide women to connect with their primal, instinctive nature, the body & mind’s natural trance is activated. In other words, in optimal conditions, when childbirth takes place in the right environment, with the right support, enabling the body’s own hormones & natural painkillers to flow and work their restorative magic, trance is instinctual and women can feel empowered to trust their bodies.
How Does Birthing in Trance Work?
The clearest, most comprehensive way, to answer this question is to list the parts of the process & explain the power of each step.
How does Birthing in Trance differ from traditional methods?
Unlike traditional childbirth methods that focus on pain management through medication, Birthing in Trance is a natural childbirth method that emphasizes relaxation and self-hypnosis to manage pain and discomfort. This is also true of HypnoBirthing & I’ll use the term to encompass HypnoBirthing from now on – signposting differences only when relevant. Both approaches encourage active participation from the birthing partner, providing them with techniques to support the mother during labour and delivery.
So, what are the benefits?
There’s a lot to say about the benefits of Birthing in Trance so I’ll share a more in-depth post soon but meanwhile, here are the headlines:
- A more natural experience – there’s less need for medical intervention so unnecessary drugs are minimised or avoided all together. It’s also more natural in the sense that the body & mind are primed to do what they’re designed to do & it connects women with their innate ability to give birth with ease & confidence
- A more manageable, enjoyable even, experience – labour & delivery times are shown to be shorter and pain levels are reported to be lower.
- Better outcomes – the Apgar scores are higher for babies whose mothers utilised Birthing in Trance and bonding between both parents and the newborn is stronger.
Summing up
Birthing in Trance was developed from the HypnoBirthing method, pioneered by Marie Mongan over 30 years ago. It’s a natural method of childbirth that connects the woman to her instinctive ability to give birth with ease & confidence. The Birthing in Trance process utilises a range of techniques, crafted to the individual’s needs. The outcomes for mothers & babies using Birthing in Trance are overall better – less medication, shorter labour & delivery times and healthier newborns (& therefore more relaxed, more reassured mothers).
If you’re looking for a certified hypnotherapist to lead you through this process with as much ease & calm as possible, get in touch…I’d love to help you.
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