Tracy Farr an author, hypnotherapist, contributor to the Hypnotherapy Journal and mother discusses why hypno-birthing can be incredibly empowering…..
Check out the ever-lengthening list of celebrities advocating hypno-birthing and names like Angelina Jolie, Fearne Cotton, and the Duchess of Sussex pop up.
So what exactly is hypno-birthing, and how does it work?
Simply put, it’s mind over matter, ditching fear in favour of empowerment. Consider for a moment sucking a slice of ripe juicy lemon, really imagine that lemon in your mouth, bite on it, get your tongue around it. If you really focused on that short exercise, most likely you noticed an increase in salivation, simple proof of the power of the mind over physical sensation.
Hypno-birthing taps into this ability, encouraging mums to visualise, embrace, then work with the powerful surges that accompany labour. The opposite approach would be mentally fighting pain, a tactic that reduces the level of oxygen reaching the uterus, as fear tells the brain to ‘tighten’ or ‘fight’ the body, creating yet more pain, the ‘fight or flight’ scenario. Working instead with those incredible surges, who’s purpose is to safely deliver baby into the world, can be incredibly empowering.
The therapist, employing light relaxing trance to access the subconscious, uses creative metaphor to embed positive suggestion, visually or kinaesthetically, then anchors the same using a combination of gentle touch/ pleasant aroma/healing sound. To do this correctly, a personal interview to uncover individual concerns is an absolute must. A competent therapist, working with mum during the third trimester, providing personal (not generic) digital recordings, works to ensure the birth is memorable for all the right reasons.
You will certainly find many professionals offering the service, but beware, not everyone is trained to effectively infiltrate the subconscious mind. Many who run groups and classes, despite being highly qualified in their individual field, have never actually hypnotised anyone! Whilst it’s fun to join a group, meet others and socialise, the challenge of group hypnosis would test the skills of the most competent hypnotists, Derren Brown included!
Aside from this, every mums’ needs, whether she’s a first-timer or refresher, are totally unique, as is each pregnancy and baby. Sure, there are common birthing fears, mostly related to interventions, inductions, or who will babysit other youngsters during labour, but on the whole, when it comes to hypno-birthing, you cannot beat a personal approach. To be effectual, hypno-birthing should be one-to-one, expertly directed by an experienced professional familiar with varying depths of trance, someone used to evoking trance every day, use to creating effective re-frames from clients’ own language style. Contrary to common belief, partners do not need to attend, they can instead be guided by the attendee in how to support the process. Hypno-birthing is very safe and incredibly relaxing.
I love this side of my hypnotherapy work, I love it because whatever anxieties need re-framing, at the end of the day the client is looking forward to a happy and life changing outcome!
Tracy Farr is an author, hypnotherapist and mother, seeing clients in two locations; Pure Treatment Rooms Wetherby, and Moor Monkton.
For more information email tracyfarr11@hotmail.co.uk or visit the website www.clearstepshypnotherapy.co.uk
* Sponsored blog by Tracy Farr Clear steps Hypnotherapy & Hypno-birthing