Hypnosis and Childbirth

If you are looking for a way to give birth naturally, yet minimize the pain that inevitably accompanies labor, you may want to investigate hypnosis. “Hypnomoms” use hypnosis to eliminate pain and fear from the birthing experience and induce relaxation. This technique is used to train the mind to “experience discomfort as only pressure” and “programing” the inner mind to believe that birth will be comfortable, easy and joyous.

Today, hypnosis is used therapeutically in many areas of medicine, dental anesthesia and personal therapy sessions. Yet many misconceptions regarding hypnosis remain. If you are a skeptic, there are a few things you should be aware of, says Kerry Tuschhoff of iVillage:

All hypnosis is self-hypnosis; the hypnotherapist is only the guide. A person chooses to enter into a hypnotic state, stay in and come out at will.

Stronger-minded and stronger-willed people are easier to hypnotize — not the other way around as is usually assumed.

Hypnosis is merely a way to direct your inner mind toward the positive.

Natal Hypnotherapy has some more info if you want to learn more, and also offers a birth preparation CD which “guides mothers into a deeply relaxed state using breathing techniques, guided imagery and visualisation.”  The CD continues with a detailed visualisation of giving birth, with soothing predictions of how you will feel and respond to the sensations and changes during labour.

Anyone out there actually used hypnosis to give birth? Tell us about it!