Hypno-birthing???

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Feb 11, 2003

I gave birth to my 4th child using hypnosis, after preparing for it with my hypnotherapist for several weeks, and I never needed so much as a Tylenol during the whole 14-hour labor. This was almost 15 yrs. ago, and at the time, it was almost unheard-of. I remember the labor nurses coming in and out of my room and whispering to each other, "I don't know what she's doing in there, but she's quiet!". What I used for a guided-imagery scenario was a beach at sunset; with coaching, I was able to visualize myself lying on a deserted beach, with a soft breeze blowing, seagulls flying around, and of course the waves, which represented my contractions: building up slowly, then mounting higher and higher until cresting, and finally washing over me with cool sprays. In this manner I went through labor, transition and birth without once losing control.......I never even broke a sweat (thanks to that ocean mist!) and delivered my 8 lb. 2 oz. son in full makeup!

So, yes, it works, and for me it was much more effective than Lamaze. Good luck in pursuing more information; this is a wonderful way to give birth, but it's still not well known, and thus underutilized.

mark_LD_RN · Feb 11, 2003

we had a patient here us it it work pretty well especially in early part of labor. have also had patients use hypnosis it worked well. the hypno birthing thing i think would work better if the person had a lot of preperation.the one i had just found it on internet and read book on it late in pregnancy.

researchrabbit · Feb 11, 2003

We have had this in hypnotherapy class, but no chance yet to use it in real life. :) Most effective if begun several weeks in advance so the client is easily induced into the hypnotic state, and knows what to expect.

CMTMom · Feb 12, 2003

the hypnobirthing technique requires a lot of preparation on the patient's part if you go with the actual program called HypnoBirthing. There's something like 12 weeks of training, visualization and meditation work that the pt has to do at home and throughout the pregnancy.

I was going to try it with my last but could never muster up the required focus

luv l&d · Feb 12, 2003

Have seen it used a couple of times in the last yr. primips and multips. Preparation is the key. Had a primip that did not even break a sweat even while at 9 for 2 hrs. I'd ask her "pain level" and she'd say "about 8-9" whoa! Absolutely amazing. Have also seen it fail miserably with a multip. Preparation is the key with this process. If they are properly prepared and focused, it is an amazing tool.

emily_mom · Feb 12, 2003

I would like to try it with my next one. Unfortunately I live in the sticks and this is unheard of. You either get a stick to bite on or an epidural.....

Kristy

RN2B2005 · Feb 12, 2003

The hospital birthing centre where I delivered my son offers both regular childbirth preparation classes and HypnoBirth classes. We took the regular class, and it was a joke. Thirty pregnant women in a room, pretending to be in labour? I can only imagine that HypnoBirth classes would be even more ridiculous.

Although the hospital is consistently rated as one of the best places in the state to deliver a baby, I tend to think that this is mostly a marketing ploy. When I asked my L&D nurse how many women ended up with epidurals, she said that 80% of the lady partsl deliveries there ended up with an epi--and the number was higher with primiparas. She didn't think there was a difference with Lamaze, Bradley, etc. vs. HypnoBirth.

This is just one L&D nurse, but given the reaction I received after I delivered my son 2 hours after checking in with no meds on board, it must be unusual to go without the epi. My son fell asleep after delivery--not a peep--and another nurse was drawing up Narcan for him when I shouted that I'd had no meds!

There are a lot of HypnoBirth practitioners in our area--I'd be interested in the overall rate of drug-free delivery for those moms. I think it could definitely work if the mom had done meditation before and had a high pain tolerance. I made it through by doing a little bit of self-hypnosis--imagining the pain as a wave and spreading it throughout my body. I also had my husband periodically tell me that as soon as the baby was delivered, I'd be done being pregnant. Obvious? Yup, but a powerful motivator, since I hated being pregnant.:roll

mark_LD_RN · Feb 14, 2003

RN2B2005, what hospital was that at,that is an aweful high epidural rate. ours is maybe 20 percent here at the highest. Have found the patients that do the best are the ones that can stay in control and relax as much as possible. no matter how the do it.as long as they stay focused. i personally like the bradley method,but the hypnobirthing thing as got me interested in it enoughto explore it some more when i get a chance.

keeper · Feb 15, 2003

I have quite a few online friends who have used this, and a high pain tolerance was not necessary as they experienced NO PAIN WHATSOEVER. One experienced some pain during second stage, but otherwise, they had painless labors and births.

We have used Bradley and for my fourth, I used a lot more imagery and visualization and was amazed at the results. I chanted in my mind, "I'm a tulip, I'm a tulip," while vizualizing the baby moving down and my cervix opening up. I've gone completely drug free with all of my births, but this was the best.

Oh, and here in good old UT, we have an epidural rate around 90%.

Sarah

labornurse · Feb 16, 2003

One of the nurses on our unit went to a hypnobirthing seminar and teaches a class for this. Not a lot of people yet, but those that have come through with hypnobirthing are having really good experiences with it.