Hypnobirthing – How To Get The Most Out Of Your Hypnobirthing Learning

Considering a Natural Childbirth Hypnobirthing Course in Australia? Perhaps you have already done HypnoBirthing and are looking to make the most of what you have learned from the official Mongan Method HypnoBirthing(R) course?

Here are some tips to get the most out of your HypnoBirthing practice.

Regardless of who taught you the skills and techniques, if you don’t practice them, you may not be able to apply them very well, if at all, on the day of birth. The surges of labor (contractions) can catch you off guard in their intensity, and unless you know how to fully relax and go inside your laboring body, you may be caught off guard.

So what do you need to do to really integrate your HypnoBirthing learning so you can be sure of a safe, comfortable and natural birth? The following are lists of suggested activities for mothers and fathers and are in no way to be taken as “be all and finish all” practice suggestions. HypnoBirthing is a relaxed and stress-free method of giving birth and if the following outline sounds too much like “school” or “hard work” then do what is most comfortable for you. Enjoying your pregnancy and childbirth is our love here!

FOR MOTHERS

• Practice wave breathing twice a day. When you wake up in the morning and when you go to sleep at night.
• Daily practice of your affirmations.
• Daily visualization of your perfect birth (during your Surge Breathing practice).
• Daily Practice of Glove Relaxation, Progressive Relaxation, Disappearing Letters, Hypno Labor Sensory Gate Valve, or Depth Gauge – find one that works for you better than the others and then practice it daily

From 36 weeks…

• In addition to the above, make sure you drink plenty of water every day before delivery, to avoid having an IV when you are in the hospital. Two liters per day is suggested as a minimum. Hydration is vital. Even mild dehydration can have an effect on your body’s ability to process labor hormones, to replace old amniotic fluid with fresh fluid and to regulate its volume, and to eliminate any fluid retention you may have in your ankles. Yes, more fluid helps to expel fluid, so don’t stop drinking just because you may have fluid retention. Dehydration will also prompt hospital staff to insert an IV drip into your arm, which can reduce your mobility or prevent you from being submerged in water.
• Daily opening flower display. Use your image somewhere where you can reflect it while you relax. Maybe put it in the bathroom above the bathtub or on a wall near your couch.
• Breathing practice at birth in the bathroom. To make sure you’re doing this correctly, do birth breath to exhale your bowel movement. See how easy it is to exhale your waste this way. Imagine that the sensation of your bowel movement is the sensation of giving birth (because it is very similar)
• Daily 2 capsules of evening primrose oil orally and 2 vaginally
• Daily perineal massage – ask your class or use an Epi-No pelvic floor exerciser, available at select pharmacies and online.
• Weekly or twice a week, do a Fear Release relaxation. Make sure there is nothing left to be afraid of before birth. Do not discard anything, identify the fear, release it and let it go
• Consider seeing a naturopath, homeopath, or herbalist before 36 weeks for a strengthening tonic. They can give you herbs later to start labor, but they’ll want to get to know you well before considering doing so. If you approach them too late, they may refuse to treat you.
• As you can see, there are many things you can do to improve your childbirth preparation with HypnoBirthing. Keep them up. Like everything in life, practice makes perfect. Just doing a HypnoBirthing course is of little use to you if you don’t practice what has been taught and live the “relaxation walking” lifestyle.

FOR PARENTS and PARTNERS IN BIRTH (midwife, doula, friend)

• Newspaper. Monitor Mom for signs of stress or tension. If there are any, be sure to help her relax. Initiate relaxation, walk her through some birth pictures, and practice reading the scripts to her. She needs to feel comfortable with your voice when reading the scripts.
• Daily practice of soft touch massage.
• If there are other children in the house, make sure they are in bed and asleep so Mom can practice in peace; Likewise, turn off the phone, television, radio, or any other noise-making device so Mom can really relax.
• Plant the anchor to take mom into deep relaxation at any time – use “Deep Relax” or similar, and use downward pressure to signal release
• Daily foot and leg massages for mom to relieve swelling in the ankles and lower legs. Use a fragrance-free vegetable oil to reduce allergy risks
• Daily affirmations for yourself: you are a wonderful father who guides with love
• Fear release relaxation if you think you might be relaying your fears to mom; don’t dismiss fears, even unexpressed ones can be accidentally communicated. Release them and let them go. Fear does not serve you, mom or your baby
• Practice reading your Birth Partner Deeper scripts aloud to yourself and to mom too. Mom needs to hear a soft and confident tone and it will benefit you too (to relax and give you confident speaking skills)
• Whisper loving and kind words to mom every time you hug her.
• Take time to relax too

Happy hypnobirthing!