Why does hypnobirthing work
You are pregnant or thinking about it but this thought keeps popping up in your mind. Will I be able to handle the pain? As a woman I say YES, you will, I have done it and enjoyed the process. As a Doula I will say DEFINITELY and then explain where pain comes from and how you can manage it, naturally or otherwise if needed.
Pain is a complex sensation. It happens, in your body, as a "notice" for you to take action to keep you safe and healthy. But how you perceive it will greatly affect how it manifests for you. Specially in birth.
What do I mean? Your thoughts and reactions are connected. Think of your favorite food and imagine yourself biting into it. What happened? You probably salivated or even had the impression of tasting it. That is how immediately and easily your body reacts to expectations, memories or just thoughts.
So, let's apply this to birth. If you expect it to be super painful, any new sensation will be scary and you will be tense. You then secrete hormones off stress and alarm (catecholamines, adrenaline) these are meant to protect you in true emergencies but now they just get in the way, because they constrict your uterine muscles to redirect blood flow to your arms and legs, for you to run and a save yourself. Fight or flight reaction.
On the other hand if you expect functional sensations that may be hard or tiring but not scary, you are able to relaxand let your do its thing. You secrete more oxytocin (love hormone) that is responsible for connecting with others, it's present in lovemaking and causes the uterine surges that will hug your baby out. And WAIT FOR IT! You create your own morphine like painkillers. Endorphines. This will take you naturally into an altered state of mind; you and baby are a bit high (in a great way) and the perception of time and pain are reduced or transformed in and to pleasurable effort.
This is where hypnosis is great. It trains you
to relax quickly and at will. This allows for better oxytocin end endorphine flow and you get less tired. When your perception of pain is influenced by your life's history, either in your body or your emotions, hypnosis is a great tool. You can be guided into your subconscious to reprogram the triggers to empower yourself. You can also do as the athletes do: n deep hypnotic relaxation visualize and embody YOUR BIRTH, in great detail and as you want it to happen. WHen the time comes your body will say "I know I can do this, I have done it, bring it on"
In my work I have seen many women use hypnobirthing at birth. Most of the time they look like they are sleeping or gently pondering the beauty of life while gently rocking side to side. In many cases, they suddenly "wake up" and say "baby is comming". Some others were more vocal and active but they all reported enjoying being "in the zone". They felt powerful and confident as they relaxed and let their body birth.
If you think Hypnobirthing might be for you, I suggest you find a practitioner in your area. There are many hypnosis for birth methods but my favorite is the Mongan Method. I suggest you find the one that "clicks" for you.
You can also book me for online hypnobirthing sessions.
Find your resources, trust Yourself and BIRTH YOUR WAY.
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