Hypnosis for Birth on NPR

NPR has been doing a series on chilbirth around the world and different options/information for women.  On July 18, 2011 they had a segment on HypnoBirthing (a variety of hypnosis for childbirth technique).  You may read the whole story by clicking on this link .

It is exciting to see more and more positive media on using hypnosis for birth!  Hypnosis covers a wide range of techniques and uses.  This is also very true in childbirth as well.

I have been teaching Hypnosis for Birth since 1995 and have studied several of the techniques available.  Initially I was certified in Mongan's HypnoBirthing, but allowed my certification to drop in 2000 as I had customized and altered the program to fit my practice and clients.  Some of those differences included not using the "rainbow relaxation" that is mentioned in this story, nor do I suggest women use a visualization that takes them away from their birth.  I prefer to teach visualizations that support what the woman's body is doing while diminishing her perception of sensation and assisting her to go into deep relaxation and focus. This serves to help her stay calm and peace while working with her contractions. 

Using the power of mind and consciously accessing more with the mind-body connection is a powerful for birth and in many other aspects of life.  I'd love to hear other's experiences using hypnosis for their pregnancies and birth.

Homebirths on the Rise

Articles and news items hitting the airwaves this week around the increase in homebirths - up 20% from 2004 to 2008 according to an article in Huffington Post.  You can read the full article here Home Births Up 20%  or at The Washington Times article here More Women Stay Home to Birth

The good news is the research is showing homebirths have the same low mortality for mothers as hospital births, and that on average 88% of women choosing to birth at home do so successfully without complications or medications.  Pretty impressive stats!

The sad news is, as we experience this flurry of media attention on homebirths, what we will hear about is the women with the more extreme reasons/circumstances (previous c-section, health issues, unattended births, etc.).  While this helps to support the medical establishment's view that homebirth really isn't safe, and smart people don't choose it, the reality is actually the opposite! 

My request is, as you read or hear these articles, use your critical brain and look at how they are presenting the "facts" and what their agenda might be.  The results might surprise you.

Healthier Eating for 2011

Happy New Year!

This first blog of the year is a departure from hypnosis for birth or even pregnancy.  However it is a topic that can be very important to families.  I've heard about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods but until a few months ago I really didn't understand what the fuss was about (beyond general principal).  Now the more I learn the more it concerns me.

The biggest thing that caught my attention was the basics of "why" GMO and how it worked in soybeans and corn.  Basically what the companies are doing are genetically modifying the food product so that "Roundup" won't impact or kill the growing food plant, but will kill the weeds around it.  Guess where the residual pesticides end up when we eat GMO foods?  Yup - we are now eating "Roundup"!

Does this horrify/scare you as much as it does me?  I keep thinking about the warnings on the "Roundup" containers about impact on people and other living things you don't want to injure/kill.  And now we are getting it directly in our food.

YIKES!  Thanks to Facebook I got some good resources for information and shopping guides on how and why to feed yourself, and your family, non-GMO foods.  Here are some links to get more information:
Non-GMO Project
Non-GMO Shopping Guides

As a healthcare provider, I look at this as an unknown risk we are all subjected to, without our consent or knowledge.  This has very high potential to impact our health, our ability to get pregnant, birth healthy babies, and raise healthy children.  I figure it doesn't get any more important than that.

Educate yourself and bon ape'tit!

Hypnosis really changes your mind

Article from a 2004 issue of New Scientist: "Hypnosis is more than just a party trick, it measurably changes how the brain works, says a UK researcher."
"Hypnosis significantly affects the activity in a part of the brain responsible for detecting and responding to errors, says John Gruzelier, a psychologist at Imperial College in London. Using functional brain imaging, he also found that hypnosis affects an area that controls higher level executive functions." Click here to read the full article.

MY COMMENTS:
I'm always thrilled to come across articles on evidence based information on the effectiveness of hypnosis!  There is some fascinating research over the past several years using functional MRI. 
The research they are talking about in this article reflects what I've seen with clients in terms of increasing their ability to make positive changes in how they respond to life's stressors and reducing their perception of pain.  All of this is helpful not only for childbirth but for many areas of life.
To your best births and life!

The C-Section VBAC Debate

Health

Lessons at Indian Hospital About Births
By DENISE GRADY
Published: March 6, 2010

A small, underfunded hospital in Arizona, with about 500 births a year, is outperforming richer institutions when it comes to keeping Caesarean rates down. Click here to read the full story.
 
This is a great article with another view on the c-section (Caesarean birth) and VBAC debate.  This is an issue that is going to continue getting more and more attention (hopefully) as many women are discovering how limited their options are currently because of a previous C-section birth.
 
Regardless of the reason(s) for the C-section women are now being told in increasing numbers they have no option but to have repeat C-sections for their future births.  I've also had clients who have been told they should limit their pregnancies (and therefore their C-sections) to 3 due to the impact on their bodies. 
 
What is your experience on this topic?  Weigh in with your thoughts and comments please!

The Debate of Pain in Birth

An interesting article from The Irish Times, published February 2, 2010, on the debate of what makes a satisfying birth experience and options to increase comfort in birth. 

Article excerpt:  Outlining the role of the midwife in pain management in pregnancy and the peripartum period, Denis Walsh, associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University in the UK, said that the epidural was very effective in complicated labours, for example where the birth was being induced or sped up.

However, in normal pregnancy there was evidence that three forms of care reduced epidural use: one-to-one care in labour given by a midwife; access to water immersion, ie getting into a tub during labour; and access to self- hypnosis or hypnobirthing.

“When those three forms of care are widely available for women, we see quite a low rate of epidural, even in first-time births... Click here to read the full article

MY COMMENTS:  This is a debate not only among women, but chilbirth professionals world wide!  I appreciate seeing what other countries are finding and how they are approaching birth for their populations.  The choice to use midwifery care is an important one, and has consistently shown good results for mother and baby health, and women's satisfaction with their birth experience.

I've been teaching hypnosis skills for birth since 1995.  Many of my clients have been couples choosing out of hospital births and water births.  It is great to see the statistics on success and satisfication from using hypnosis (and water tubs) - particularly internationally.  Hypnosis has been steadily losing its "whoo whoo" reputation as more and more research validate how it works, as well as the benefits it offers.  I look forward to continuing to be a part of helping women prepare for birth with skills to truly increase their satisfication with their birth experience and to be more comfortable thru the process.

All the best,
Nancy

Pubic Bone Pain in Pregnancy

Today on About.com Robin Elise Weiss has an article on pubic bone pain in late pregnancy: 
"Pubic bone pain in pregnancy is also know as Pubic Symphysis Diastasis. This is where, usually in later pregnancy, the hormone relaxin causes the pelvis, particularly at the pubic bone, to loosen. In general, this is a good thing as it makes birth easier for mom and baby. However, sometimes the separation is exaggerated and can become quite pain for the mother "  Click to read more.
 
My comments:  I've been seeing this with several of my clients in the past few months.  It is uncomfortable to say the least!  I would make a couple more suggestions that she doesn't make in her article to help alleviate the problem.  These would include seeing your chiropractor, accupuncturist, and/or pregnancy massage therapist.  All of these professionals have skills and options to help stabilize your pelvis and relieve the pain.  Physical therapists can also provide treatment and exercises to stabilize the pelvis.
 
The important thing is not to ignore the problem or tough it out.  This type of pubic bone pain can negatively impact your ability to work with your labor contractions!  It is definitely one of those issues best dealt with as soon as possible.  Make sure you are informing your midwife or doctor about what is going on.  They often will have referrals to professionals who have the specific skill needed to help.
 
Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and birth,
Nancy 
www.HypnosisForBirth.com

Morning Sickness Survival Guide

"Just eat a few saltines and you'll be ok".

When I had my daughter many years ago – this was the prevailing thought. Even now when I hear someone say this, I’m tempted want to slug them! 24-7 morning sickness for 3 plus months is hard to forget!

If you're suffering with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, you're not alone. Most women experience it to some degree during their first trimester. This is largely due to the increased hormones your body is producing to keep your pregnancy healthy as the placenta grows. By the 4th month the placenta is developed enough and things settle down a bit.

In the meantime – try the following tips for some relief.

Keep your blood sugar regulated

One theory about why morning sickness is worse in the morning (and for some women only occurs then) is because when you wake up from sleep, you have low blood sugar. For many pregnant woman, going 8 hours without food is just a bad idea.

You might find it helpful to eat a high protein snack before bed, and even to eat a bite each time you get up in the night to go to the bathroom. (Which in the beginning may be quite frequent!)

For some how you start off first thing in the morning was of paramount importance. So either put some food on a plate beside your bed or asked your hubby to bring you a snack first thing in the morning. Take your time. Eat your snack slowly and lie still for a few minutes afterwards. Then slowly get up and immediately go to the kitchen and eat another bite. Again, emphasize protein.

Avoid foods that cause rapid blood sugar shifts.
Fruit juice, sugary snacks, processed cereal (the kind that comes in a box), anything made with white flour, etc...these types of foods cause your blood sugar to rapidly rise then come crashing down, triggering nausea and vomiting. Eat protein foods and whole foods.

Meat, cheese, yogurt (be careful here- try plain yogurt with fresh or frozen berries mixed in. Many yogurts have way too much sugar), eggs, nuts, nut butters, veggies, and whole grains should be your staples. Even if eating doesn't appeal to you, coaxing yourself to eat a little bit of a protein food every 2 hours will help prevent vomiting. Don't leave the house without carrying a snack with you.

Hydration 101
It's very important that you stay hydrated. You're going to need extra fluids to support the pregnancy, but many women find that drinking water makes them more nauseated. Some things to try:

1. Smoothies made with fruit, ice and plain yogurt or kefir. The tangy flavor of these two dairy products really hit the spot for many. They also sneak in some extra protein.
2. Water served VERY cold with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
3. Carbonated water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor.
4. Weakly brewed iced or hot tea with lemon. The small bit of caffeine won't harm your baby. Something about the bitter tannins in tea may help ease nausea.
5. Citrus fruits and melons.

Avoid nausea triggers as much as possible.
Your nose is on hyperdrive during early pregnancy! Stinky smells like poopy diapers, kitchen trash, even morning breath may be impossible to totally avoid, but try your best to avoid smelly situations.

Have someone else take out the trash. Have hubby change your toddler when he's home. 

And don't be shy about telling someone who has bad breath, noxious perfume or cigarette smells on them that you're in a delicate condition and need some fresh air.
 
If cooking smells make you ill, take a break from your usual garlic and onion specialties. Don't be a martyr. Hubby will understand that you can't make his favorite sausage and peppers for a while.

Prepare meals that won't stink up the kitchen. Green main dish salads with cold, cut up chicken, steak or hard boiled eggs. Sandwiches are good too.

Go with your cravings, within reason.

 
Aromatherapy

Put a couple of drops of lavender, mint or lemon essential oil (these oils are generally regarded as safe to use during pregnancy) on cotton balls and keep these in various locations... the kitchen, bathroom, your purse and in the car. Take a whiff when you feel sick. Put a few drops on your pillow.

Exercise

I know, I know... exercise is the last thing you want to do when you can hardly get your face out of the toilet! But if you force yourself to take even a ten minute walk outside every day, it WILL help.

But do try to take it easy, avoid stress as much as possible, and rest as much as you can. You're doing the very important job of growing a baby. Explain to your other children why you're feeling poorly and that it won't last forever. Call in favors and ask friends to come over to play with your 2 year old for an hour so you can sleep, or ask them to cook extra when they make dinner tonight and bring you a dish.

When you feel a bout of nausea coming on, try to lay down for a few minutes in a dark room with your eyes closed. Sometimes if you do this the episode will pass.

Hypnosis

Yes! Some self hypnosis/meditation can help during this time. If nothing else it will help improve your tolerance of the discomfort!

Accupuncture is also helpful.

 
More Ideas
Avoid getting overheated or chilled. Extremes in temperature can trigger vomiting.

Try Sea-Bands, available at large drug stores. They're designed for motion sickness but helps some pregnant women.

Clean the toilet daily, even if it's the only household chore you can do right now. Better yet, have someone else do it. And wear your hair up for awhile. If you're going to be throwing up, at least you will have your hair out of the way and a clean bowl to hug!

Final Note

Sometimes when you're so miserable it's easy to forget what's making you so sick! Remember that statistically, women who experience nausea and vomiting of pregnancy are more likely to carry the pregnancy to term.

One midwife told me that she always worries when a Mom comes in for her first prenatal feeling wonderful...the chances of her miscarrying are higher.

So rejoice in your strong hormones! Read pregnancy magazines, birth stories on the Internet, look through maternity clothing catalogs, do whatever you need to do to cheer yourself up and get yourself in the mood for a new baby.

New blog post today on shifting from surviving to thriving: http://ping.fm/XGBER

Happy Holidays!

For all my clients, friends and family-

Along with wishes for your every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year - comes a prayer that this finds you and yours safe, warm, healthy, happy, and loved!

I'm writing this while watching the snow that continues to fall and pile up around us. I don't remember a snowy Christmas time like this since 1996. That was the year my grandson was born. He was a 6 weeks old when the snow hit, and 4 generations got snowed in together for several days. We spent the time playing, snuggling, and marveling at our little man. It is one of my favorite memories even with the power outage and water heater that went bad!

So my hope for you is that in this year of snow that you are reveling in what is truly important in your life and making some great memories. Staying home, playing with your kids, making some cookies and watching the snow pile up isn't such a bad way to spend some December days. Normal weather and life will be back with us soon enough. One of things I love about living in the NW is that the snow is an occasional event - not the norm!

For many years now during the time between Christmas and New Year's I reflect on the ending year and get clear on my intentions and goals for the new year. This has served me well, in good times and in bad. What are your goals and intentions for 2009? Our country (and world) is in a time of challenges and changes, that will push all of us to make some new choices. If you need some help getting clear, and moving into 2009 with some new attitude and tools under your belt - I'm here. I continue to marvel at how blessed I am in my life and work. It is a pleasure working with all my clients (general adn pregnant), and feel priveleged to attend births as a doula. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your process through your life and your births, as well as sharing your birth stories and photos with me. It is amazing seeing how your babies are growing!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your process through your life and your births! I am also deeply grateful for all the referrals I receive. Sending your family, friends, and clients to me is one of the highest compliments I can receive - Thank You!

May you have cozy, bright, and fun holidays and a joyful new year!

Many Blessings,
Nancy

NY Times Article on Hypnosis

The NY Times this week published a great article on the the power of hypnosis and explaining how the power lies in the client! It is exciting to see the research and positive attention hypnosis is getting, moving out of the shadows of woo woo and swinging watches. While not specifically a pregnancy related article it provides some great information around some of the common mis-conceptions people hold about hypnosis and how it works.

The article references a 2001 research results article by Dr. Brian Alman. This research was done at the Department of Preventive Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Diego, California. It adds and contributes to the growing positive outlook of what hypnosis can offer to creating greater health and wellness.

All of this mirrors what I have found over the past 15 years in my practice with clients. The power to change really does lie within the client - not me. I serve as a facilitator and guide to assist clients in tapping into their mind-body power and creating the changes they desire.

More links to articles and research results can be found at my website at http://hypnosisforbirth.com/hypnosisforbirth/Links.htm. Feel free to contact me with questions or comments.

Orgasmic Birth Part 2

In my last post I started a thread about orgasmic birth, what it means to us as birthing women, our partners and as birth professionals.

In my work teaching Hypnosis for Birth and as a birth doula, I've been bringing this discussion into sessions with my clients. We talk about how to bring the love and closeness they have as couples into their closeness through birth. It is interesting the responses I get. Some are curious, some surprised and some worried that this means they are suppose to "perform" at a whole other level for birth. What do people think of when they hear "orgasmic birth"? What do you think of?

The movie Orgasmic Birth is a beautiful gentle affirming movie. My intention and desire of bringing it to more couples is to bring the love and intimacy that made the baby into their baby's entrance into the world. I believe it will bring a whole new level of comfort and relaxation for women beyond birthing techniques, and assist their partners to have a powerful role and connection with the birth of their child. It is early yet to know how much it will help, but I will continue adding this into my birth preparation work.

I attended a beautiful birth yesterday. Tho we had discussed and they had viewed Orgasmic Birth, I don't know yet how much the mom felt it contributed to her birth experience.

As she was held in her husband's arms and sitting in the birthing tub, she breathed, sighed and rocked her hips as her baby slid into the world. She never did any breath holding pushing! It was almost as if she danced her baby into the world. The couple's love and connection was clear, and her flowing with the energy of birth was amazing to see.

Of course for a wide variety of factors not everyone can experience a birth like this. There is always the risk of a woman reading this thinking if she didn't birth this way, she was somehow deficient. The sad truth is that many women who have amazing - wonderful births don't talk about them for exactly these reasons. So pregnant women get bombarded with horror stories in everywhere, including the checkout lines at the grocery by perfect strangers!

How incredible would it be for more women to hear about births like this and then find their way to the best birth possible for them - however that looks? The more we take in and hear about wonderful births the more the possibility that it can be that way is available to everyone.

I know I will remember this birth for many years to come, and will hold in my heart and in my work that more women can experience the same type of birth, in ways that are empowering and beautiful to them.

Orgasmic Birth

I was fortunate to attend a screening of a new movie now in very limited release titled Orgasmic Birth. This documentary provides a fresh look at how birth can be.

The movie is inspiring me to once again look at how I am working with and preparing couples for birth, as a childbirth educator and as a birth doula. How can I help couples plug into the potential of a sensual birth experience? This question is interesting to consider and to reflect on how we look at and expect birth to be, both as professionals and as birthing women and their partners.

I'll post more on what changes this is bringing to my work as it comes into being. In the meantime check out the movie for yourself at www.orgasmicbirth.com

Hypnosis for Birth FAQ's

Welcome to the first blog for Hypnosis for Birth!

To start off I thought I'd answer some of the most common questions I hear about hypnosis in childbirth. So here goes....

What are the biggest myths/misconceptions about Hypnosis for Birth?

Probably the biggest is that with hypnosis their mind is going to be put to sleep while the hypnotherapist does whatever they want. For birth specifically, women are usually concerned they are going to spend their labor in La La Land and not be present in the room or thru the process. Neither of these could be further from the truth!

All hypnosis is self hypnosis, and is completely controlled by the individual. Hypnosis is a natural state we all go into and out of regularly. [An example would be pulling into your driveway and not really remembering the last 10 minutes of driving, or zoning out during a boring meeting or class.] By practicing hypnosis, people can develop the mental muscle to focus their minds and hold the focus where they wish. The individual is always in control.

As with any tool, women can choose how they use hypnosis during the birth process. The method I teach is for the mother to go quickly into her deep focused state at the beginning of a contraction and come back to the room at the end. If needed, she can also stay in her focused state and catch a cat nap between contractions. Additionally the hypnosis does work with an eyes closed inward focus, or an eyes open external focal point.

What about claims that hypnosis in birth can make it pain free?

Wouldn’t it be lovely if this were true for everyone? Unfortunately it isn’t. Hypnosis is a proven method for reducing pain and increasing relaxation during birth. However, the actual amount of pain reduction is very individual. Some women report hypnosis allowed them to labor with little discomfort, while others say it allowed them to cope with the discomfort from labor more effectively.

Hypnosis is very effective at assisting a woman to maximize her individual ability to achieve her greatest level of comfort throughout birth, and often shortens labor times. More importantly, it assists women in staying calm and working smoothly with whatever their birth experience brings. Ultimately I believe that is one of our greatest powers – to manage our response to life events. These learned skills are really life tools and are helpful long after the birth is past, for the woman and her partner.

How does Hypnosis for Birth work with other childbirth preparation techniques?

Hypnosis for Birth works well with all childbirth preparation techniques, largely due to its design. My intent with clients is for them to learn how to very quickly go into a deeply relaxed, focused, and aware place to work with their contractions, while diminishing their perception of sensations and discomfort. These skills amplify and build on the information and techniques taught by other childbirth classes, and will work in a variety of birthing positions and situations. I’ve had women comment after their birth took an unexpected turn [C-section, transfer to hospital, etc.] that the hypnosis skills were a huge help in staying calm and flowing with the change.

Are there particular types of clients for whom hypnosis is most helpful?

Most frequently, the couples I see are interested in avoiding or minimizing her usage of pain medication in birth. They are either planning on not using any drugs, or want to avoid systemic drugs while they consider/plan on using an epidural as needed.

I often receive referrals from other birth professionals for women with anxiety around birth, panic attacks, a history of abuse, or previous birth related traumas. I also see couples with anxious fathers or couples who have difficulty communicating with each other. Any of these clients and situations may benefit significantly from the hypnosis process and tools; particularly because I only work in private sessions with women and their partners. Working privately allows me to more specifically meet the needs of each couple and tailor the skills and tools I have learned over the years to their particular situation.

Hypnosis is also very helpful for women, and their partners, who are coming into birth without any added challenges – providing tools for both partners to navigate birth more calmly and smoothly.

I'll answer more next time. If your question wasn't answered in this blog, feel free to email it to me - I'll include as many as I can!