This coming April, they are holding a certification class in Scottsdale, only minutes away from my parents’ home in Mesa.  I have already been in contact with the instructor and so far I really like her.  This feels like the right class for me and I am ready to go for it!

Hopefully, if all goes well, I will be teaching my first Hypnobirthing class in Utah in May!  If you or anyone you know are interested in taking the class, let me know. 

Dr Harkness said, “The method offers couples the chance to experience a serene and satisfying birth free of the fear that causes tension and pain.

“When the mind and body are in harmony, nature is free to function in the same well designed way that it does with all other creatures.”

Dr Harkness claims that babies born under the hypno-birthing regime are happier with better sleep patterns and that the method almost entirely eliminates “baby blues”.

For the whole article, go here.

Dr T C Chang, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Thomson Medical Centre, told Weekend Today that hypnobirthing “can reduce the need for pain relief.” “Some patients will tell you … they didn’t feel pain. Others will say the pain was reduced markedly”, obviating the use of pain relief during labour, according to Dr Chang, who said that 15 to 20 per cent of his patients use doulas.

According to another doula, Ms Kiki Porter Wolff, hypnobirthing “is mind over matter, the mind controls how the body reacts. It won’t get rid of the pain per se but it reduces the pain to nothing but an irritability.”

For the whole article, go here.

Pope busted another myth — that first-time labors are necessarily difficult — with his story of the most idyllic “controlled” birth he’d ever experienced. “The lights were dim. There was soft music. There was no IV, no epidural. People spoke very few words, hardly any above a whisper. I’ve never seen a more peaceful delivery room. The mother (who’d taken hypnobirthing classes) was in a different place mentally. She only had about 15 to 20 minutes of pushing.”

For the whole article, go here.

This last quote describes my births to a tee!  Low lights, soft music, no IV tubes, no annoying coaching from doctors or nurses, just me and my husband and my midwife working together.  It’s awesome!

As you begin to experiment with different scripts, look for ones that appeal to your learning type.  If you can’t seem to find one, ask your instructor–they have many scripts available and usually just pick a few to give to the class.  You could even write your own scripts, using words and images that appeal most to your learning type.

Visual learners will want to look for scripts containing words and phrases that describe how things look.  Colors, textures, and words like “see,” “look,” and “notice” will appeal most to you.  The rainbow relaxation script is excellent for visual learners because it describes all the colors of the rainbow.  Visual learners will be able to paint a vivid picture in their minds, allowing their body to sink deeply into relaxation while their mind takes a colorful journey.

Auditory learners should look for scripts that use words and phrases describing how things sound.  Look for scrips that talk about the sounds of nature–birds, rushing water, the sound of grass underneath your feet, etc.  Also, try to find scripts (or write your own) that suggest sounds that are relaxing to you, such as waves on the sand.  Auditory learners will also find that music greatly increases their ability to achieve deep relaxation.  Choose your music wisely.  You may also want to find someone who has a particularly soothing voice (such as your mother or partner) to record the scripts for you, rather than listening to them on the CD’s given to you in your class.

Kinesthetic learners (I am in this category) need to choose scripts that make references to feeling and movement.  Look for phrases that describe you walking, rocking, or dipping into a pool of water.  Your own movements during labor will increase the power of these types of scripts and help you achieve deep relaxation.  Kinesthetic learners also find their partner or doula very helpful when using techniques such as light touch massage or hip presses.  You will most likely be in an out of many different positions during your labor, and this is good because it will work for your kinesthetic mind.

If you have any experiences that relate to any of these categories, please post in a comment!

HypnoBirthing helps mothers have pain-free labor

Enjoy!

On Tuesday, April 10th, I was 5 days overdue and VERY anxious for you to come!  (That’s probably the biggest understatement of the century!)  I had my membranes stripped the Tuesday before, and nothing had happened.  My next appointment was originally scheduled for Thursday, but the day before I had called the clinic to change my appointment to Tuesday and have my membranes stripped again.  I was desperate to get labor started!  Part of it was because I would need to have lots of tests done on Wednesday and Thursday since you would be a week overdue, but mostly I just wanted to hold you in my arms and tell you I loved you and finally see what you look like!

I went into the clinic at 8:30 AM.  Melissa saw me (she had also seen me the Tuesday before) and to my disappointment told me that I hadn’t dilated any more…I was still only 1cm.  However, I had gone from 70% effaced to about 85%!  There was still a glimmer of hope!  She stripped my membranes again, and I was on my way.  I picked dad up from school and we came home, and then he went to work.  I had felt some cramping on the way home, and decided to wait and see if any contractions would come before I went to work.  Sure enough, by 10 AM I was having mild contractions!  By noon, the contractions were coming pretty regularly, so I decided to time them.  I couldn’t believe it when I realized they were 5 to 6 minutes apart!  I called dad, my mom, dad’s mom, and aunt Kerynne to let them know I was having contractions.  Then I called the midwife on call, Claudia Killebrew.  She told me it may still be a false alarm since I had had my membranes stripped, and to call back when the contractions were 2 to 3 minutes apart.  So, I continued to walk around the house, cleaning and organizing things in between contractions while I waited.  I started using some of my hypnobirthing techniques, but I was too excited to focus on that for long.  I was so ready for you to come!

By around 5 PM the contractions were 3 minutes apart, lasting 30 to 45 seconds.  They were intense enough that I had to stop and breathe/moan my way through them.  I called dad and told him to come home and bring some dinner.  Then I called Claudia, and she told me that I could come up to the clinic so she could check my progress.  Since the clinic was right next to American Fork Hospital where we were having you, I wanted to finish packing and bring everything in the car.  By the time dad got home, we ate dinner, and got the car packed, Claudia had to leave the clinic and go over to the hospital for another delivery.  So…we had to go to labor and delivery to get checked.  I was still not quite to 2cm dilated!  However, I was 90% effaced, so the contractions were doing something!  They monitored your heartbeat for an hour, and then gave me some morphene and told me to go home and get some sleep.  That was so nice!  I slept for about three hours and woke up around 11 PM feeling intense contractions again.  I moaned through each one and tried to relax as much as I could.  Dad drew me a hot bath and that helped for a little while.  My mom (your grandma Stapley) flew in from Arizona and got here about 1:30 AM.  She was getting ready for bed, but could hear how intense my contractions sounded and suggested to dad that we go back to the hospital, which we did.  We arrived around 3 AM.  How excited we were to find out that I was now 4cm dilated and could be admitted!  They gave us a beautiful room, one of the largest on the floor.  Dad and grandma helped me get settled in, and we were so excited to finally meet you!

The next hours until you were born were a blur for me, but I remember being very tired in between each contraction, and just moaning through the pain when each surge came.  I tried to use hypnobirthing, and the relaxation did help me get through what would otherwise have been extremely difficult and painful!  I wanted to ask for drugs a few times, but dad and grandma helped me through those hard times so I was able to bring you into the world without any possibly harmful effects.  Dad helped with the pain by putting pressure on my hips while I sat on a big ball.  I got in the tub for a while, then out again.  Claudia checked me around 5:30 or 6 AM and I was at 7cm…almost there!  I got in the tub again and while I enjoyed the warm water and jet blowers, I started to feel the urge to push you out!  During one intense contraction, I heard and felt a loud POP and realized my water had broken!  Dad and Claudia helped me out of the tub, and Claudia checked me again.  I was almost fully dilated…just a small lip of the cervix remained.  On the next contraction, Claudia pushed it out of the way, and I was ready to push you out!  I pushed for about 20 minutes…the hardest 20 minutes of my life!!  Dad and Claudia kept saying “she’s almost here” and it seemed to take forever!  Dad helped me a lot and Claudia told him what to do to help you come out.  It was so neat when we could finally see your head coming out!  Dad was crying, he was so happy!  I was so relieved when you were born and they placed you on my chest.  I felt overwhelmed with happiness and joy!  There you were, my perfect daughter I had carried for almost 10 months!  You were 8 lbs. 3 oz and 21 inches long.  You had a sweet little voice that whined at first and then cried a little.  But because I hadn’t taken any drugs, you were very alert and calm and looked up at me with big, beautiful eyes.  Dad and I hugged and kissed each other and you and we were so very happy!  We are still happy that you are ours and we love you very very much!