Learn How the Knowledge and Use of Hypnosis Supports Healthy Outcomes in Childbirth

The Mind- Body Connection

Eleanor D. Laser Ph.D

Using hypnosis to relax and be in control during labor and delivery isn’t simply a matter of babying yourself; it’s actually good for you and your baby.  In fact, hypnosis can help you experience a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy. Larry Goldman, MD. In Medical Hypnosis:An Introduction and Clinical Guide, states that it may help control nausea and vomiting, help adjust blood pressure, may reduce the risk of premature delivery and  help reduce or eliminate pain and the need for drugs during labor and delivery, may reduce the need for episiotomies ,as well as prevent postpartum depression.  Best of all, hypnosis puts you in charge or your childbirth. It prepares you to enjoy the greatest event of your life; the birth of your baby.Dr. Eleanor Laser “laserhypnosis.com” says that hypnosis is a phenomenon that can assist in adjusting areas that are inhibiting you from a productive life.

The childbirth technique is based on the pioneering work on” The Hypnoreflexogenous Technique” by Drs. Roig and Garcia, and Dr. Grantly Dick-Reed author of “Childbirth Without Fear.”  According to these studies, in hypnosis, each contraction can serve as a cue to go into a deep state of relaxation, even during the height of labor.  It empowers you to eliminate fear, tension, and anxiety, which in turn relaxes the muscles of the uterus, thereby reduces pain. Therefore, a part of your mind can be enjoying the beach in Hawaii floating in the water, while the other part of your mind can hear every word and direction during the process while participating in harmony and comfort.

Hypnosis training begins in your sixth month of pregnancy for you and your birth companion, who actually becomes your coach. You will learn for example to imagine that you are on a vacation, daydreaming, relaxed and oh so comfortable.  Hours seem like minutes and minutes seem like seconds and time passes quickly. With each contraction you will relax even deeper into the rich color of your choice. Staying in this beautiful place you realize that you will remember only the pleasant things about labor and delivery.  And your labor will seem short and your delivery a wonderful, pleasant experience”…Ultimately, hypnosis may make your childbirth more comfortable, and enable you to bond with the baby in a more relaxed and energized experience.

Now that you learned a bit about hypnosis, you can apply this knowledge to your own health care situation. The advantages of hypnosis are that it is effective in treating numerous symptoms and problems those resulting from medical, psychological, and sports. Some of these areas include smoking cessation, needle and general phobias , infertility, overweight, shift negative patterns, performance anxiety, and also in preparation for  surgery as well as during surgery and many other  issues and or symptoms. Dr. Laser also teaches “hypnosis for surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital at Harvard in Boston. To sum it up, with hypnosis, childbirth may be more comfortable; the birth companion has more of a role; and after the birth you can endear and bond immediately with the baby because you are more relaxed and energized.  There are more positive outcomes for you and your baby, and you achieve a calmer, more peaceful birth environment.  In addition, hypnosis produces more calm natured babies who are better sleepers and eaters. There may also be fewer complications, less need for medication, and easier resolutions, all because hypnosis allows you to relax more than any other method.

Basically, hypnosis is an altered state that we all experience everyday, its like daydreaming, when you forget how you exited the road and arrived home, or when you are watching a movie or reading a book.  So, come along, start to awaken to the power of the mind.

Childbirth In Comfort (adobe PDF)

You're in Labor, and Getting Sleeeeepy (New York Times article)