Hypnotherapy can be used to help and support those with fertility and conceiving through to pregnancy and childbirth, and can be referred to by the generic term, “hypnobirthing. Hypnotherapy can help those who wish to have a natural, gentle birth.
Hypnotherapy can be used to overcome any fear and anxiety around conception, pregnancy, the birth itself and parenting. Hypnotherapy can reduce stress and anxiety, not just for the mother, the parents, the birth family and the baby. It can boost the confidence in being a parent and give a sense of control, so the birth experience is the best it can be.
There are many factors that contribute to infertility, some of which may be associated with stress and anxiety about parenthood, or even tokophobia, the fear of childbirth. Hypnosis can help partners to explore and overcome any psychological barriers, to trust their bodies and feel positive and believe in their ability to conceive and feel at peace with themselves and emotionally and physically calm and relaxed with mind and body in the best possible state for conception.
For couples undergoing fertility treatment, hypnosis can be used as a complementary therapy to reduce harmful stress and to increase a sense of calm during treatment cycles. When combined, this has been shown to increase the chances of conceiving.
Childbirth is a major life event and being anxious with stress is a common reaction in terms of what to expect, with worry about the potential for pain and discomfort, and the health of the baby. This fearful expectation creates tension in a birthing mother, which in turn can create pain with risk in a longer than expected labour. Where there is fear or apprehension, even at a subconscious, primal level, it will inhibit labour because a mother will resist her baby being born where they perceive there is a threat to their wellbeing.
“My dream is that every woman, everywhere, will know the joy of a truly safe, comfortable, and satisfying birthing for herself and her baby.”
– Marie Mongan, who founded the HypnoBirthing Institute (USA) in 2000 and author of the book HypnoBirthing (1992).
Childbirth can be a positive and special experience. Hypnosis works at a subconscious level, changing negatively conditioned expectations of birth to a positive one; enable birthing mothers to trust their bodies. Hypnosis also enables mothers to feel in control in a medical environment. Free of fear and feeling in control, the mother’s experience of birth usually becomes much more positive.
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”
– Marie Curie.