Why and how hypnobirthing works
The S.I.M.P.L.E Hypnobirthing method is an antenatal course like no other and is new to Wiltshire & West Hampshire. If birth seems a little scary to you, if you want a confidence boost or you’re planning the most incredible birth ZenMuma Elle will support you to have the most amazing experience of your life.
SIMPLE Hypnobirthing encourages promotion of the big 3 – oxygen, endorphins and oxytocin. It inspires us to prepare physically and mentally for a rewarding birth, giving us the belief in our body, our baby, and the medical systems we are so fortunate to have access to. It teaches us that birth is nothing more than a physiological process, something our body is designed to, it knows how to grow and birth a baby just as well as it knows how to digest and excrete food! Hypnobirthing inspires us to prepare physically and mentally for a rewarding birth. It educates you that you have choices when it comes to your pregnancy, your birth and your baby and that you and your birth partner can be in calm and confident in control of your birthing decisions to achieve your best birth possible.
Self-hypnosis is a way of guiding the body in to a calm and relaxed state. Which is nothing more than being in a calm and relaxed state, you will learn techniques to get your mind and body as relaxed as possible By relaxing the body into a rag-doll condition and using deep relaxation methods to achieve a meditative state, you will find yourself in Alpha Brain. It is important to try and remain in Alpha Brain during labour to keep the body in the parasympathetic nervous system and ensure adrenaline does not overwhelm the endorphins. Adrenaline is the stress hormone; it is released when the body is in the sympathetic nervous system and is how our body naturally responds to a threat, by attacking, running away from or hiding from the problem. In doing so it takes oxygen away from the uterus and depletes our stock of natural pain killers, endorphins.
Intuition is an important skill to harness for a better birth. Believing in the power of nature, trusting and listening to your body and your baby. Getting to know and listening to your own body and baby during pregnancy should lead to a more positive birth. Believing in the power of nature and recognising that your body is designed to birth a baby as mammals have done for hundreds of thousands of years will provide you with the power to remain in control of your birthing process and make informed decisions should the need arise. Practising pregnancy yoga is an excellent way to bond with your baby and to form that connection with your body supporting you to trust your intuition. By tapping in to and trusting your intuition you can birth simply, and beautifully just as nature intended you to.
Mindfulness is about being present and in the moment. Mindfulness techniques can be useful during birth to help keep our mind focussed on our own body, breath and intuition and stay in that Alpha state. Our emotions are so strongly influenced by pain and so deep breathing, progressive relaxation and deepening techniques can take our focus away from the sensations and project it positively. Being mindful of how the body links, such as the connection between your jaw and your pelvis, ensuring your keep your jaw relaxed which will in turn keep your vagina relaxed is an excellent foundation for a better birth. It is fundamental to be present and fully engaged in your birth, but not to get caught up in your own thoughts and feelings or the feelings and stories of others around you. Remembering that this is your birth, with your body and your baby. Not a previous birth which didn’t go to plan, not your friends’ dramatic birth and absolutely not the birth you saw on One Born Every Minute.
Preparing for birth is not only about getting organised but is also a great way to bond with baby and your birthing partner way before the birthing process begins. Understanding that you have a choice in where you want to birth your baby is the start of an empowering process, packing your hospital bag if that’s where you choose to birth is also part of this; choosing your music, your essential oils and picking babies first outfit are all brilliant ways to get your mind and body in the zone. Practising pregnancy yoga, or just learning some active birth positions, learning about natural induction methods will all get you in a positive state of mind for a positive birth. By writing down your birth preferences and going through it with your midwife in an antenatal appointment you are already proving that you aim to birth your baby with a calm confidence. A babies arrival is not like catching a flight, you don’t have a scheduled departure time (despite what you’re told at your 12 week “dating” scan) so don’t wait until a day or two before the flight to pack your bag (or get educated, choose your birth place, or think about and write down your birth preferences). It is totally normal for your baby to arrive anytime between 37 and 42 weeks.
Loyal birth partners should be by the Mothers side and on the Mothers side throughout her pregnancy and birth. It is their job to keep you in that Alpha brain state by being constantly available, making sure you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Once you have prepared for birth together, the birth partner should take the reins and ensure that your birth preferences are respected, they should be able to answer any questions any medical professionals may have in relation to you and your baby and set up your perfect birthing environment. A birth partner should be able to support you during birth, by helping with active birth positions, by reciting positive affirmations and offering light touch massage. Your birth partner should be your advocate, your biggest supporter, your voice and also your voice of reason.
Endorphins are the body’s natural pain killer, they are 200 times more powerful than morphine When released they trigger a positive feeling in the brain which is like morphine, which explains why when cultivated during birth they can provoke a euphoric feeling. Hypnobirthing will teach you how to harness these happy hormones that are triggered when our muscles are working. The uterus is a muscle and all labour really is, is that muscle working. By learning how to relax during birth we can promote the production of endorphins and send all of the lovely oxygen we’re making to the uterus to keep it working effectively. It is so important to balance our central nervous system through daily life but imperative to ensure we stay in our happy place, our parasympathetic nervous system when giving birth because endorphins inhibit the release of catecholamines, these stress hormones take all the much-needed oxygen away from the uterus which may lead to it becoming fatigued, causing a more painful and prolonged labour.
By following the S.I.M.P.L.E Hypnobirthing method, your birth may not be perfect, but it will be better, both Mum and birth partner should feel completely prepared to birth baby without fear and with a calm excitement to give baby the best possible start.
To get educated, prepared and confident to have your best birth possible get in touch with Elle today. If you’re living in Salisbury, Amesbury, Andover, Durrington, Larkhill, Tidworth, Upavon and want to make a difference to your birth get in touch today!
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