What is HypnoBirthing®?
HypnoBirthing® is a comprehensive birthing class that fully prepares you for birth, with the knowledge and confidence you need to birth calmly and gently. It focuses on deep relaxation, working with the body and your birthing instincts, releasing fear and replacing it with confidence and trust in the birth process. With HypnoBirthing® you’ll have the knowledge to make confident decisions with your labor options, for a safer, healthier labor for you and your baby.
HypnoBirthing® is based on the belief that severe discomfort does not need to be a natural accompaniment of birthing when a woman is properly prepared and trusts her birthing body.
- Birth is normal, natural, and healthy; it is not a medical event. It is a rite of passage.
- HypnoBirthing® is about helping women learn to call upon their natural birthing instincts.
- Partners play an integral part in this experience, partly because a goal of HypnoBirthing® is to cultivate respect for the right of families to bring their babies into the world in a gentle, calm way.
- HypnoBirthing® is about empowered parents taking responsibility for their own births, seeking care providers they trust, and welcoming their babies into the world in a celebration of life.
“When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change.”
– Marie F. Mongan
How does HypnoBirthing® differ from other childbirth preparation methods?
HypnoBirthing® prepares the mother with the knowledge to birth confidently and comfortably.
While other methods teach women how to cope with and manage pain, HypnoBirthing® provides women with tools like deep abdominal breathing, total relaxation, and the knowledge that pain is caused by constrictor hormones, created by fear. Women learn, instead, to release fear, thus creating endorphins—the "feel good" hormones.
They are then able to change their expectations of a long, painful labor and can replace these ideas with the expectation of a more comfortable birth experience.
Will I experience a pain-free birth with HypnoBirthing®?
HypnoBirthing® does not promise painless birthing, though many HypnoBirthing® mothers do report having a relatively pain-free birth or one that they were able to manage easily.
When the cause of pain – fear that constricts the birthing muscles – is eliminated, birthing can be accomplished in a shorter period and much more comfortably.
A relaxed mother’s body will produce more endorphins, nature’s own relaxants. HypnoBirthing® mothers may still experience sensations of tightening or pressure, but most describe their birth experience as one of working with their body through the sensations.
How is the birth companion involved?
The birth companion is an integral part of the HypnoBirthing® experience.
They practice with the mother in helping to prepare for deep relaxation. During labor the birth companion guides the laboring mother through hypnosis prompts, relaxation techniques, deepening methods, and visualizations; provides comfort measures; and joins in welcoming the new baby, often by receiving the baby as they emerge.
What if my doctor/midwife is not familiar with HypnoBirthing®? Can I still use this method and how can they help me to achieve my HypnoBirthing® goals?
More and more care providers are becoming aware of the benefits of HypnoBirthing®. Many hospitals offer HypnoBirthing® as an option in their childbirth education programs..
If your caregiver is not knowledgeable about HypnoBirthing®, take the opportunity early in your pregnancy to discuss the techniques you will be using and the type of calm birthing environment that you desire.
In class, you will learn how to create a Plan of Birth, which will help you to communicate your birthing goals and preferences to your doctor or midwife. Many doctors and midwives actually recommend HypnoBirthing®.
Will HypnoBirthing® be useful to me if I don’t opt for a natural childbirth or if I need medical intervention or a C-section?
HypnoBirthing® classes will help you to learn relaxation skills that will be useful to both you and your baby, regardless of your birth experience.
In the event that medical intervention of any sort is needed, you will find yourself better able to remain calm and in control.
Mothers who have needed scheduled cesareans report that they were totally relaxed before, during, and after the procedure. Many report that they needed little or no medication following the birth, and they were able to return to normal functioning in a very short period of time.
Will I be unconscious or will I remember my birth experience?
You are definitely conscious during HypnoBirthing®. The HypnoBirthing® mother is deeply relaxed, but she is also an active participant in the labor process, remaining totally aware. She may return to a conversant state or choose to become mobile whenever she desires. HypnoBirthing® mothers often find that they experience time distortion and are not distracted by other people or their birthing environment while they focus on their birthing and their baby.
Hypnosis is a natural state of relaxed concentration and focus. What you experience with HypnoBirthing® is a kind of hypnosis, similar to the daydreaming or focusing that occurs when you are engrossed in a book or staring at a fire. You will be fully in control and able to carry on a normal conversation. You can remain in touch with the instruction, encouragement, and support of your birthing companion. You will be aware of your surges (contractions), but you will feel relaxed and calm.
With HypnoBirthing® you will be:
- Alert and aware
- Interactive and conversant
- Fully in control
- Relaxed and calm
- More rested, during and after the birth
When should I begin HypnoBirthing® classes?
You can begin classes at any time during your pregnancy; ideally, it would be in the 20th week but no later than the 37th week of pregnancy.
What if my partner cannot attend all five classes?
It's wonderful to learn the techniques together with your partner, but if they cannot attend all the classes, they can be caught up with what was missed when they are able to join in.
What is the cost of the classes?
The cost is $425.00. This includes all supplemental material, including the HypnoBirthing® book.
Payment can be made by PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, or by clicking through the website on the "cost and payment methods" page. You can pay in full once you register, or you can make an initial $100.00 deposit to secure your class sessions; payment in full is due by the conclusion of the first class.
Where are the classes held?
Sacred Births continues to offer live, one-to-one classes via Zoom. Moms-to-be and their partners can also choose to attend in-person classes at 286 North Madison Ave Unit 104 in the Playhouse Village neighborhood of Pasadena.
Some of the above information is cited from the website for HypnoBirthing® International - The Mongan Method.