Whilst listening to the series of CDs, your birth preparation will take place. Different methods of relaxing you, allow you to turn off your conscious mind, open your subconscious to new thought processes of belief in yourself and your body, and trust will take place.
Also part of the process is allowing any negative thoughts and beliefs you have about birth be challenged (critical factor) and you will be given the opportunity to accept new beliefs and thought processes.
Core beliefs are established at a very young age, and then further developed or challenged as we grow up. It is now time to make the choice to develop positive and happy beliefs about life! This is your choice.
Just a reminder. This takes practice, commitment and diligence.
Behaviours and beliefs can be changed in 21 days, but it does take 21 days.
If you don’t have 21 days remaining, contact me for information on how to develop the skills in an acceptable time frame. After 32 weeks of pregnancy, your mind is really ready to learn. We are motivated by the fact that we are facing a challenge. Our capabilities are heightened, and it is possible to achieve deep relaxation during labour, particularly with the aid of a HypnoDoula.
Frequently Asked Questions about HypnoChildbirth
Is Hypnosis for me?
It is best described as a state of deep and focused relaxation. In fact, an hour of hypnosis is equivalent to three hours of sleep because the body achieves a deep state of relaxation.
Who can be hypnotised?
Virtually everyone who has the ability to achieve focused attention and concentration can be hypnotised. However, some people have better abilities to concentrate than others, and therefore are able to achieve a deeper hypnotic state. With practice, and the ”want” to achieve this, anything is possible. But it does take regular practice.
Studies have shown, however, that individuals who have a good imagination and who are highly open to suggestion accept hypnotic suggestion easily. Although everybody, if they choose, can reach the state!
Will I be in control?
The hypnotised person is always in control and if he or she wishes can choose not to respond to any suggestion, and can bring themselves out of hypnosis at any time. This suggestion is built into your practice. You can walk to the toilet, have a shower, and birth in the bath, whilst still in the hypnotic state if you wish.
Am I asleep when under hypnosis?
No, when in the hypnotic state you are not asleep, but quite awake and aware. Your mind is still active, and your thoughts may become quite clear. As you listen to the words, you can speak, laugh and remember everything that has happened. In fact, while in the hypnotic state, your senses may become more alert. Your sense of hearing may become quite clear, as you become selectively focused on the subject of your hypnotic trance.
The only exception is when a specific suggestion has been given by the hypnotist to forget all or part of what has taken place. This is generally discussed and agreed upon prior to entering the hypnotic trance.
Will I be in a trance?
One common misconception that people have about hypnosis is that the hypnotist exercises some "magic power" over the client and does this with some unique gift, which only the hypnotist possesses. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
Trance is a very common, everyday occurrence. For instance, when we daydream. Another common example of "trance" is when we concentrate on particular visual images such as staring into the traffic lights of oncoming cars during night driving. This phenomenon is known as "highway hypnosis."
By allowing our eyes to become fixated on the lights created by the oncoming traffic, the driver can fall unexpectedly and suddenly into the trance-like state.
If a suggestion is not appealing or appropriate for a person, it will be ignored. If an incident occurred or a suggestion was made that was completely contrary to that of a client's belief or desires, the client would be able to bring themselves out of the hypnotic state.
You will be offered information about:
Everything you need to know to achieve a comfortable, shorter labour and birth
How you and your birthing team can create a birthing environment that is calm, serene, and joyful rather than tense and stressful
Gentle birthing techniques that allow you to breathe your baby into the world
How to use your natural birthing instincts to birth your baby in a way your body was designed to. It is only fear that prevents this… the “what ifs”
The intention is to acknowledge and discover your fears and tension surrounding your thoughts about birth… look at your belief systems around birth, and step you through a process to alleviate the tension and fear, and replace it with trust and expectation of a positive experience, as birth was designed to be.
You will work towards mastering the effect of your own thought processes, producing a physiological response that supports and encourages an enabling, effective, comfortable birth.
As your confidence increases with you skill level, you will relax more rapidly and willingly, allowing your body and baby to work harmoniously and efficiently.
You will discover the words that “trigger” you or relax you. Terminology is important to avoid in case it triggers a psychological and physiological response. Words are amazingly powerful, and we have programmed responses to words unconsciously! The technique we are about to use, by-passes that, and allows our body to respond willingly and with power!
The techniques are useful in any setting… at home or in the most technical hospital setting. Taking responsibility for the way you feel and how you wish to work with your feelings, is an important factor in this process.
Remember, we are working towards eliminating fear and tension… when any arises, acknowledge what it is, where it comes from, and breathe it a way… It’s all a choice once you have learned the skills.
Understanding the "science"
The Hypnotic Model of the Mind
The mind is divided into three parts:
The unconsious mind is responsible for interacting with the physical body, controlling heart rate, breathing, physical emotional responses, and protective functions.
The subconscious mind is like a vast library of experience, cataloguing information by association, storing habits and beliefs, organising information, conserving energy, and feeding the imagination.
The conscious mind is what we are aware of right now. The conscious is logical, keeps track of about 7-9 things at once, and is responsible for temporary willpower.
Between the conscious and the subconscious is something we like to call the critical factor. The critical factor is a comparing function that takes new information, compares it to what is known, and then decides where to store that information in the subconscious. While the subconscious is vast and unlimited, it can generally be divided into three parts: things that are true, things that are false, and things that are unknown (maybe true, maybe false).
Bypassing the Critical Factor
When a person cannot change a behaviour or habit, it is a sign of conflict between the conscious mind and the critical factor.
In fact, one of the common definitions of hypnotists is one who aids a client in bypassing the critical factor and establishing acceptable forms of thinking. While there are many techniques for bypassing the critical factor (also known as inducing hypnosis), it is easy to accomplish, and prepares you for additional hypnotic techniques.
HypnoChildbirth Training - for Doula's and Midwives
HypnoChildbirth is an
effective tool you can offer women to help by-pass the
internal and external fear they face when birthing. Whilst for
many years we have been using deep relaxation to
benefit woman during the powerful birthing time, Hypno-Childbirth
is a tool that is now refined and available to
birthing women and birth attendants.
With the use
of well organised language, and the right amount of
practice, we can now offer women another method of
reaching that 'special birthing place' that all
woman need to find, in order to birth their babies
without trauma or fear.
You will
come away with:
Scripts and CD's to use to develop
your practice as a Midwife or Doula.
Suggestions for working with and
stepping through fears.
Methods of healing old birth attitudes
and beliefs.
The language that works.
Clarification of how and why hypnosis
works.
The ability to instinctively bring
deeper relaxation to all births.
What
you need to bring
Trust and a clear understanding of
birth.
Trust in women.
willingness to practice your new skills.
HypnoChildbirth
is an effective tool you can offer women to help
by-pass the internal and external fear they face when
birthing. This training is for Midwives, Doula's,
and all other birth attendants.
"In
my experience HypnoChildbirths are shorter, more
comfortable labours. Women remain in a deeply
relaxed state with no need for position changes unless
wanted. Women experience total muscle relaxation and
so uterine discomfort (pain) is less and the she
remains in the wonderful 'trance of labour' .
Woman who
practice the tools, can automatically go into the 'labour
trance' right from the beginning of labour, and the
birthing of her child progresses without interruption
or fear!"
Denise Love,
Childbirth Preparation, Doula and HypnoChildbirth
trainer.
About
Denise Love
Denise
Love, of Life Options Sydney, has been working with
birthing women for over 30 years. Known as Mamma
Doula, Denise is one of the pioneers of the
Australian Doula movement.
From
working with Aboriginal women in the outback, to
training Doula's in Sydney, to teaching Hospital
Directors in Thailand, Denise brings a down-to-earth,
heartfelt, passionate, uplifting and effective
approach to all she does.
"I
was very lucky to have Denise Love as my teacher. Her
fundamental teaching of trust and courage, along with
her wisdom, honesty and passion, has stayed with me,
not only in my practice as a Doula and Childbirth
Educator, but also in my life.I can never thank her enough."
Is Hypnosis for me? 
When a person cannot change a behaviour or habit, it is a sign of conflict between the conscious mind and the critical factor. 
