HypnoBaby Blog

Last week (11 – 17^th May) was Mental Health Awareness Week, an annual event run by the Mental Health Foundation to increase public knowledge of mental health and wellbeing issues.

This year, the event is focusing in the positive effect that applying Mindfulness can have on depression and anxiety.

 

 

In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week the HypnoBirthing Institute are exploring how HypnoBirthing the Mongan Method, a technique that shares many parallels with mindfulness, can be used to vastly reduce postnatal depression and birth trauma in women.  This blog post has been kindly provided by Grace Grieve from the HypnoBirthing Institute:

Postnatal Depression is a crippling illness that affects up to 15% of new mums each year, robbing them of what should be a blissful time with their new baby. Far more than the “baby blues”, sufferers can experience a range of frightening and confusing emotions. They may feel they can’t cope with motherhood and they don’t bond with their baby. Some mothers may feel anxious and worry about the health of both themselves and that of their child. They may suffer panic attacks and feel tense and irritable all of the time, as well as tired and lacking in energy. Most have problems sleeping and a poor appetite and many lose interest in sex.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a reaction to exposure to a very stressful event and can occur in women who have had a particularly traumatic birth experience. They may experience flashbacks, panic attacks and other acute symptoms and in some cases can be unable to even consider a future pregnancy.

Initial findings of ongoing research are starting to demonstrate that it would appear that postnatal depression in women who use antenatal hypnosis programmes to birth their babies is vastly reduced. HypnoBirthing Mongan Method Practitioners universally report a lower rate of PND in the mother’s who take their classes, compared to the national average. It’s unsurprising, given that a traumatic birth experience can massively contribute to the onset of PND.

So we know that HypnoBirthing is hugely effective in reducing PND – but just how does it work?

HypnoBirthing Mongan Method is an antenatal technique that guides and prepares a woman to give birth in a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful manner.  It is a program that considers the psychological, as  well as the physical, well-being of the mother, her birth partner, and the newborn, independent of context, whether that be in the quiet of a home or a hospital.

The HypnoBirthing Mongan Method program is built around an educational process that includes special breathing, relaxation, visualization and meditative practice. In essence, HypnoBirthing Mongan Method empowers the mother to be fully in control of her birth experience, however that plays out. She is mindful, and in tune with her body, eliminating external stimuli.

She is able to focus on that moment, without dwelling on the past (in the case of birth trauma) or worrying about the future. It has a huge impact on the way she reacts to her pregnancy and birth, providing her with a valuable tool to stay both physically and emotionally healthy throughout and in the following months. Thousands of women across the world have successfully used this technique, which was pioneered by Marie Mongan and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

For more information please contact Grace Grieve PR Consultant on 07821 776555 or visit www.hypnobirthing-uk.com

The Importance of Informed Choice

With so much choice in the world these days, it’s becoming increasingly important to inform yourself so you make the right decisions, especially when you are investing your time and money.

That’s why, when you first start looking into HypnoBirthing, it’s important to look for the HypnoBirthing Institute’s Gold Seal on a practitioner’s website and to understand what that Gold Seal means so you are aware and properly informed when comparing different HypnoBirthing courses in your area.

The Importance of the Gold Seal

HypnoBirthing was first introduced by Marie Mongan in the US in 1989 and the word HypnoBirthing is a registered trademark in the US, so clients over there know exactly what they are signing up to.  Unfortunately, Marie has been unsuccessful in registering the trademark in the UK, so in this country, anyone can put together a programme and call it ‘HypnoBirthing’.

This concerns me more and more as I am extremely passionate about ensuring the best possible birth experiences for my clients – they always come first.  Not convenience, not profits, but what is best for the parents I teach and their babies.  And on more than one occasion this year, I have been contacted by parents who have attended uncertified HypnoBirthing courses and found their experience lacking so they seek further teaching and support.

The Importance of Blogging

With such an important investment of your time and money, this has compelled me to write this blog and highlight the issue to parents who won’t necessarily know the difference between all the different advertised HypnoBirthing courses in their area.

For me, the most important aspect of teaching HypnoBirthing is ensuring the parents who attend the course get the best and most up to date information, as well as being taught the full Mongan Method programme correctly – the most successful programme out there for over 25 years.

The Gold Seal on my website tells you that I am fully approved and certified by the original HypnoBirthing Institute, which means you can have the security of knowing I will teach you the official HypnoBirthing – The Mongan Method programme, in a format that ensures you have the best chance of achieving a wonderful birth with all the preparation designed to help and support you.

The Importance of Time Management 

Some practitioners disagree with the principle of 5 weekly classes and will offer weekend ‘crash’ courses, or reduce the course to just 3 or 4 weeks, but experience and evidence shows that parents often struggle to take on all the information when the course is condensed and have had less successful birth outcomes as a result.  That is why the HypnoBirthing Institute has always rejected condensed courses and why those practitioners do not have a Gold Seal – that means they no longer teach the full, up to date HypnoBirthing syllabus and are not certified or regulated by the HypnoBirthing Institute.

HypnoBirthing is not a simple ‘attend the sessions and you’ll be fine’ course – parents need time to understand and perfect the techniques over the 5 weeks, with full support from their practitioner, and they need to put in the practice during and after the course right up to the birth.  So, unless there are special circumstances or you are signing up to HypnoBirthing within your last month of pregnancy, think carefully if your busy life and commitments tempt you to do a shorter course – consider your investment and the benefit of this in the long run.

The Importance of Clarity

And most importantly, look carefully at what the course involves and includes if you are considering a HypnoBirthing course by a practitioner without the Gold Seal as it may not be a full and proper HypnoBirthing course at all, but simply a Hypnosis for Childbirth course that lacks all of the antenatal and birth education the original HypnoBirthing course gives you.  That’s fine if that’s what you’re looking for, but misleading if the practitioner calls it ‘HypnoBirthing’ and you don’t understand the difference.

I experienced the original HypnoBirthing – The Mongan Method myself and had a wonderful birth as a result and I continue to see amazing and inspiring births with the couples I teach, so that is why I am proud to display the Gold Seal and confident that the HypnoBirthing Courses you will experience with me and my fellow Gold Seal Practitioners will allow you to have the best birth experience possible.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like any more information on the options out there and the differences that will make your choice an informed one – whatever you decide and whoever you choose to book with.

 

What a way to end 2013 for Serenity Birthing!

I taught 3 very different couples recently, all privately, but they were all due around the end of November to early December.  And now that all the babies have been born, I am excited to share with you their stories…

Couple no.1

This couple started their HypnoBirthing course with me at 32 weeks, but as they were planning a home birth, they dedicated themselves to practicing the techniques from day one and I loved the way they adapted some of the material to suit mum’s wishes so that all of the imagery and suggestions used were more personal for her.

They had an amazing home water birth, with the overall labour lasting just 12 hours, but amazingly mum did all her dilating (from 1cm – 9cm) in just 2 hours!  Although the sensations were intense, mum managed it all without any pain relief and lifted her little baby girl out of the water herself, birthing exactly as they had hoped and planned – a lovely result for a dedicated couple!

Couple no.2

This couple started their HypnoBirthing journey with me earlier on in their pregnancy and really benefitted from the course – I remember at the start how surprised they were that they had a choice on where to birth, having expected that the only option was to give birth in hospital.  I loved watching their confidence grow as the course unfolded and they ended up deciding to birth their baby at the midwife-led Cossham Birth Centre.

Mum went into labour one evening and rang Cossham accordingly, only to be told that they were fully booked and they would have to go to Southmead hospital instead.  As a result, her labour, which had been progressing calmly and normally up to that point, stopped.  Her contractions stalled as they dealt with this unexpected turn of events, which can happen when mum becomes anxious or fearful for any reason.  Once she accepted the new situation, however, things got going again and they phoned Southmead to let them know.  Thankfully the midwife on duty suggested they check with Cossham again before going in, just in case, and they were delighted to find out a room had only just become available so they could go back to plan A and have their baby at the lovely new birth centre.

On arrival, in spite of her surges coming thick and fast, mum was only 0.5cm dilated, so they tried their best to relax and use their HypnoBirthing techniques for an hour or so…only to find out they were still only 1cm dilated.  But instead of panicking or feeling disheartened, mum did a fantastic job of staying calm and focusing on the task at hand – it turns out there was something specific holding her back, and when it passed a short while later, she went from 1cm to 10cm at an incredible pace!

Less than an hour later (having only just managed to get into the birth pool in time) she birthed her little baby girl calmly and easily in spite of the various hurdles she had faced.  She was the talk of Cossham as a result and everyone was amazed at how well she managed, with only 2 paracetemol needed throughout labour and birth.

Couple no.3

This couple started their course with me at 34 weeks and had the wind taken out of their sails after just the first session when mum was diagnosed with a rare condition that changed everything for them and meant they were facing induction at 37-38 weeks.  To their credit, they didn’t give up, they embraced HypnoBirthing completely and the outcome was quite simply extraordinary.

Using affirmations (positive statements to change the mind’s perception to events) that were specifically focused on keeping her medical condition under control, her body responded accordingly and the early induction was called off as no longer necessary.  They knew they would still need to have a hospital birth and chose Bath Hospital due to their supportive stance on helping her have as natural a birth as possible in spite of the special circumstances.

In a classic case of mind over matter, mum found as she went past her due date that she was feeling more and more anxious – not so much about the birth itself, but because of several outside factors going on, beyond her control, that were causing her stress and worry.  It was clear when we spoke 9 days past her due date that her body was ready to birth, but her mind was holding her back.  Luckily, one of my HypnoBirthing colleagues, who is also a Reflexologist, was available to go and see mum the next day for a reflexology session and extra fear/release work to try and get her ready to labour naturally before her planned induction a couple of days later at 12 days past her due date.

Although her labour didn’t start on its own, all mum needed at the hospital was one pessary.  Her waters released spontaneously at 8.30am the following morning, her labour started and baby was born at 12.50pm, less than 5 hours later!

Ending on a high

All three couples showed what a massive difference preparation can make to your birth experience, and for couples 2 & 3 in particular, everything they learned on the HypnoBirthing course made such a difference to their birth outcomes, enabling them to stay calm and relaxed in spite of obstacles that presented themselves along their birthing journeys.

I am truly proud and amazed at these couples, all with very different circumstances, as well as all the other mums & dads I’ve taught this year, who allowed me to be a part of their birth experiences and to help them achieve better births as a result.  I’ve learnt so much from teaching them and can’t wait to see what 2014 will have in store!

It is, without a doubt, the best way to end an amazing year at Serenity Birthing and truly the best job satisfaction I’ve ever known – I love my job!

“DEAR FATHER CHRISTMAS, PLEASE MAY WE HAVE HYPNOBIRTHING FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR?”

Love it or loath it, Christmas is coming…!

Personally, I love this time of year, especially now our little HypnoBaby is 2 years old and beginning to understand something exciting is coming.  The only part I don’t like is the inevitable questions from husband and family members:

What Would You Like for Christmas This Year?

I’m 40 years old, have most of the things I like or need in life and really struggle to come up with gift ideas to give to my family for Christmas presents – and the alternative of getting surprise gifts doesn’t have quite the same charm now we live in a family home already full of possessions and clutter.  I dread the time spent wondering where we’re going to put that juicer or lava lamp that caught mum’s eye while she was out shopping…

Do You Struggle to Think of Ideas?  Do You Already Have All That You Need?

Well, if you feel the same as me, and happen to be pregnant, here is a novel idea for you:

Ask for a HypnoBirthing Course!

I taught a couple recently who had their HypnoBirthing course bought for them by their parents as a birthday present and I thought this was a brilliant idea!

So brilliant, I want to spread the idea to pregnant couples and their families so that they have an extra choice in present purchases this year!

If you are pregnant and would appreciate the gift of HypnoBirthing, or even a contribution towards the course fee, then please suggest this to your nearest and dearest and ask them to get in touch.

Alternatively, if you are a Mum, Dad, Aunty or otherwise and have a loved one who is expecting a baby, why not offer them part/all of their course fee for Christmas, or a birthday, or simply to support them on their journey through birth and into parenthood?

The Mum of a lady who recently had a beautiful HypnoBirth (in spite of being induced at 42 weeks) said:

“It is the best £275 a woman could spend, HypnoBirthing is just fantastic.”

Serenity Birthing is now issuing vouchers for any amount towards a HypnoBirthing course for 2014 that the pregnant mum/couple can redeem when they book onto one of my courses.   And, for peace of mind, if for any reason they do not go ahead and book the course, the voucher will be totally refundable (see Terms & Conditions below).

So spread the word, ask for a gift that won’t take up any space in your house and will be truly memorable, completely useful and enduring for the couple that receive it – give HypnoBirthing for Christmas this year!

Please Contact Me for further details and have a very Merry Christmas!

 

 

Terms & Conditions for the issuance of gift vouchers towards HypnoBirthing courses with Serenity Birthing:

1. A paper voucher stating the name of the pregnant mum receiving the gift will be issued in exchange for payment received from the purchaser. 
2. The paper voucher will be sent to the purchaser to give to the mum/couple receiving the gift.  Email confirmation will also be sent to the purchaser for their records.
3. If the purchaser only wishes to pay part of the course fee, the amount paid will appear on the paper voucher, along with the pregnant mum’s name, for clarity.
4. When booking their course, the couple must return the paper voucher to Sacha Taylor at Serenity Birthing.
5. Any balance due from the voucher amount up to the full value of the course chosen (group: £275, private: £350) must be paid at least 7 days before the course begins.
6. More than one voucher may be used towards a HypnoBirthing course with Serenity Birthing, provided the vouchers are all issued to the same person attending the course.
7. Vouchers are only valid for the person named and are strictly non-transferable.
8. If, for any reason, the mum/couple are unable to attend a HypnoBirthing course with Serenity Birthing in 2014, the full amount paid will be refunded back to the original purchaser only.
9. Vouchers cannot be exchanged for cash or any service other than a HypnoBirthing course with Serenity Birthing in 2014.

 

 

THE BACKGROUND

Recently I had the privilege of joining approximately 25 other birth workers in the Bristol & North Somerset area at a meeting with 2 of the One Born Every Minute production team to discuss their forthcoming series.

Having filmed in Southampton and Leeds before, the 2 producers were excited about bringing the show to Bristol as it has a great reputation for maternity services generally.

It was fascinating watching the dynamics unfold as we birth workers got a bit defensive and heated about the way most of the births on the show are highly medicalised and dramatic, often instilling fear in viewers across the country, due to the compelling stories they feature.

The big issue we all have is simple – the effect of the show on pregnant women is enormous in influencing their understanding and expectation of birth – especially first-timers who may have no other reference on what birth will be like.  It can potentially affect their actual birth stories too on their labour day if they are filled with fear and anxiety that they might have a birth like ‘that lady last week’.

Three separate mums-to-be told me in recent months that they were actually using the show as their antenatal education and two of them didn’t plan to attend classes otherwise.  One actually said she was prepared for the fact it would last 36 hours and be agony, and if it ended up better than that, it would be a bonus.

Knowing what I know about birth now, both after having my baby and studying extensively about birth and how it definitely doesn’t have to be an ordeal or unmanageably painful, these kinds of comments sadden me and, like most of the other women in the room during our meeting, we feel One Born Every Minute simply contributes further to the negative depiction of birth and doesn’t do enough to show how birth can be calm, relaxed and beautiful – and above all, natural!

That’s why it was great to hear the producers saying passionately that they want this series to be different, to focus on more natural birth and show a different depiction of birth than has gone before…

THE CHALLENGES

That said, there were of course a few ‘hurdles’ to achieving that goal:

1. They have all their fixed cameras set up in Southmead Delivery Suite (with a couple in the birth centre next door admittedly).  By only setting up in a hospital environment, the chances of natural, less medicalised births are reduced.
2. They say they want to film home births.  But they have no access to mums other than those registered to give birth at Southmead, so will struggle to find home birthers, let alone those willing to be filmed at home with a cameraman/woman in the background
3. They would also be keen to film at the new Cossham Birth Centre, but again, no fixed cameras, so mums & dads would need to invite a cameraperson into the suite with them.
4. We birth workers, who have access to more women planning home births or aiming for more natural births with less intervention, are still not totally convinced that the show really wants to break from tradition, and we don’t want to suggest our clients take part if there is any risk of their births being less than perfect as a result, or left on the cutting room floor because it didn’t make for exciting viewing.

ULTIMATELY IT’S A CATCH-22 SITUATION

In order for One Born Every Minute to show better births and help change the viewing public’s perception of birth, mums-to-be have to be passionate enough to want to change it too by volunteering to have one of the most intimate moments of their lives aired for all the world to see, without knowing in advance how they will be feeling at the time or how their births will go.

A couple of us wished we were pregnant now, as it could easily be passionate birth workers who understand what’s involved and are confident in better birthing that could show the way forward.  But that defeats the point, because you don’t have to be a birth worker or experienced in having babies to have a great birth – anyone can do it.

At the end of the day, it’s down to pregnant mums-to-be in the Bristol area now.  Do they want to try and change the maternity world or simply have the best birth they can, in private?

If you are interested in finding out more about this new series of One Born Every Minute, or if you are pregnant and thinking you may want to participate, please comment below and I will send you details.