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You may not have heard of hypnobirthing before, but it can be a very useful technique during childbirth and has actually been around for quite awhile.
Pregnancy, labor, and delivery is a collective experience that is unique to every one that has gone through it. Although there are a few truths universally acknowledged by way of experience and modern science, such as the pain to be expected and the anxiety and apprehension that comes with it, you do not expect another person to have the exact same birth story as yours.
Anxiety and apprehension about birth is normal, and not even the most prepared and well-adjusted pregnant mother is exempt. Anxiety has different levels, and given that childbirth is a strenuous experience no matter if you decide to give birth naturally or via caesarean section, you are bound to experience it. After all, it just does not end there. There are many factors to think about, such as recovery, your baby’s well-being, and your own. This, combined with hormones that shift levels as pregnancy progresses, is bound to cause mood fluctuations, which are already uncomfortable enough without adding the pressure of giving life to a whole other human being.
Luckily, there are ways to reduce anxiety levels during this time. One of which is using hypnosis techniques, or hypnobirthing, as it is more popularly known.
Hypnobirthing has been around for centuries, but it was not until the 1930s that it was formed as a theory. A book was published in 1933 by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician. In his book, entitled “Childbirth Without Fear”, he stated that:
“There is no physiological function in the body that gives rise to pain in the normal course of health. In no other animal species is the process of birth apparently associated with any suffering, pain or agony, except where pathology exists or in an unnatural state, such as captivity.”
“When we’re afraid, our body diverts blood and oxygen from non-essential defense organs to large muscle groups in our extremities. Our face drains of blood and we are said to be ‘white with fear’."
According to Dr. Dick-Read, hypnobirthing is effective because it eliminates the fear and tension felt by women during childbirth. Calling it the “fear-tension-pain syndrome of childbirth”, he. believed that this was the cause of approximately 95% of labor pains. This syndrome causes the blood to be filtered away from the uterus, for use by the muscles activated in the fight-or-flight response in the perceived dangerous situation. As a result, the uterus would be left without oxygen, thus, it is unable to function without pain.
Now, in the mid-1950s and centuries, this book happened to come to the hands of a certain Marie Mongan, who used the method when she gave birth to her four children. In an era wherein twilight sleep, loss of consciousness through an injection of morphine and scopolamine, was the mode of choice for painless delivery, this was seen as groundbreaking. Marie Mongan herself had a counselling background and was a hypnotherapist. She further developed the technique, utilizing what she knew, and extensively discussed it in her book, “Hypnobirthing: A Celebration of Life”. Mongan’s method is the most popular method taught in hypnobirthing classes today, and a major tenet of her philosophy is “---that every woman has within her the power to call upon her natural maternal instinct to birth her babies in joy and comfort in a manner that most mirrors nature” (Mongan, 2005, p. 6).
According to the Mongan method, hypnobirthing classes aim to have expectant mothers view birth in a positive manner with the belief that childbirth does not have to be painful. It focuses on teaching the skills of deep relaxation, visualization, and self-hypnosis. This self-hypnosis is used to release fears that can convince the mind that labor is painful (Mongan, 2005; Walker et al., 2009).
It may sound woo-woo and New Age-y, but it has actually been scientifically proven to be effective in reducing anxiety. A study in 2018 selected a sample of 30 pregnant mothers near delivery date. These mothers all voiced out that they had anxiety during delivery. They were then allocated into two groups: hypnobirthing, wherein the mothers attended hypnobirthing classes, and no-hypnobirthing, wherein the mothers did not attend. After intervention, their anxieties levels were tested, and they found out that pregnant mothers in the hypnobirthing group had lower anxiety levels that were significantly lower than pregnant mothers from the no-hypnobirthing group. A 2019 study measures the birth perception of a pregnant mother before and after attending hypnobirthing classes as part of antenatal education. Their anxieties were mainly focused on: the perceived pain they will experience during delivery for themselves, and their babies being harmed. The study concludes that birth perception became more positive after attending hypnobirthing classes, one of the reasons being that they felt more relaxed.
Hypnobirthing is not just limited to breathing techniques; taking from Florence Nightingale’s nursing theory, the environment where the mother will deliver also influences the birth experience. Low lights are recommended, as it has been said to boost oxytocin, an essential neurochemical for uterus contraction, feelings of love, and calmness. Other ways to boost oxytocin can be through massage or aromatherapy. Adding music to the techniques learned can also help, and there is guided audio available in case the mother does not feel confident about her self-hypnosis skills.
Its research-based effectiveness notwithstanding, women that opt to deliver their babies without any pain medication use this as their main form of pain relief. Natural childbirth has many advantages, the main reason being that no drugs will have been given to the mother that may affect the baby. It is important to remember, however, that hypnobirthing can also be used in conjunction with pain medication, especially during labor. Every form of birthing is a valid experience, because again, it is a key life event that is unique in every one that goes through it.
When creating your birth plan, you should inform your care team that you plan to utilize this technique during your labor. They are more or less familiar with it, and can even help you get more resources about it. Midwives and birth doulas especially have a large body of knowledge about, and in fact, a lot of them are certified to teach hypnobirthing.
Pregnant women are usually recommended to take hypnobirthing classes at 28-36 weeks of gestation. This gives them ample time to prepare without worrying about being due to give birth any time soon. With this, they can also practice and perfect their relaxation and breathing exercises. Not only will it make hypnobirthing more successful, it could also help alleviate other anxieties they may have.
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