The following is an unpaid endorsement of the Hypnobabies program.
Hypno Moms (and babies) Rule!
As you know, we used hypnosis for The Boy's pregnancy and birth. I believe the greatest benefit of hypnosis is the time it took to practice during the pregnancy. If I was faithful to the course (and I was) I was guaranteed 30 minutes a day of complete relaxation. I have to say that sometimes I worried it wouldn't work because I often fell into a deep drool-inducing sleep (almost a coma). MH swears that I wasn't asleep because more than once he found me zoned out with my eyes open or alert but in a resting state.
Aside from the benefits of practice (insert Pride and Prejudice quote here :-) ), I can honestly say that the hypnosis alleviated the pain of childbirth. The program says that contractions will be "pressure waves" and that is exactly how I experienced them. I mean, sure, I had a few tsunami contractions, but that was only when I got distracted from my hypnosis or MH and the midwife's coaching.
I cannot say enough about the Hypnobabies program and I encourage every woman to consider practicing this method. Honestly, I hate how we are programed to believe that we can't handle the pain of childbirth. I can't tell you how many people I have met who haven't had kids and they tell me how they couldn't do it. How exactly do they know that? I agree that an epidural is necessary in some cases, and I am not entirely against medicated births. The great thing about hypnosis is that it gives you another option. There isn't any rule that you can't do hypnosis and then change your mind and have an epidural. Many people scoff at hypnosis. What is the harm of giving yourself another tool? Even if I hadn't used it for the birth, it would have been worth it based on the relaxation and energy it gave me during my pregnancies.
Now don't get me wrong, my ego loved it when people stopped by my hospital room to witness my hypnosis or when medical professionals stare at me in awe when I tell them that childbirth didn't hurt, but I am no Wonderwoman. We had two easy births with few to no complications. Women have been having unmedicated births since the beginning of time. I don't mean to be judgmental, I just want to encourage you to encourage women to consider this option rather than telling them what they can't do.
