About HypnoBirthing®

Hypnosis and imagery are simply forms of focused relaxation. These techniques promote a calm and peaceful environment for you and your baby. The self-hypnosis techniques you will learn connect the conscious and unconscious mind. We all experience aspects of imagery, hypnosis, and deep relaxation in our daily activities. Daydreaming is just one example of this.

HypnoBirthing® —The Mongan Method is as much a philosophy as it is a technique. The concept of HypnoBirthing® is not new, but rather embraces the philosophy of birthing as it existed thousands of years ago and as it was recaptured in the work of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, who, in the 1920s, was one of the first to forward the concept of natural birthing. This method of childbirth education teaches you that, in the absence of fear and tension, or special medical circumstances, severe pain does not have to be an accompaniment of labor. You will gain an understanding of how the birthing muscles work in perfect harmony, as they were designed to, when your body is sufficiently relaxed and you trust birth. You will learn how to achieve this kind of relaxation, free of the resistance that fear creates, and you will learn to use your natural birthing instincts for a calm and comfortable birth. You will learn how to build upon your inner resources and develop your own personal approach to labor, while being in charge of the process of hypnosis. You will find you sleep better, feel more relaxed and confident about your pregnancy and birthing, and feel prepared to accept and care for your baby following birth.

Trained HypnoBirthing® educators are successfully teaching women and their birthing companions to trust birth and release all fear and limiting thoughts. HypnoBirthing® practitioners can be found in 27 countries throughout the world.

HypnoBirthing® Class Format

All HypnoBirthing® Classes are taught in the format of five 2 1/2 hours classes. If you are very near to your birthing time, special arrangements for other format options may be possible.

Classes through blossom birth & baby are offered at the beautifully appointed office of Chrysalis Counseling Services, located inside Sound Holistic Health in downtown Everett. Childbirth instruction is private, held with only the mother-to-be and her birth companion of choice. Please note that your partner or birthing companion is welcome at the classes, but is not essential to learning the techniques. Session times are flexible and will be scheduled with each family on an individual basis to best meet their personal needs.

Included in the course fee is the HypnoBirthing® book and CD, and numerous informational handouts. The book and CD are sent to course registrants upon receipt of an initial deposit to reserve the session times. Any questions you may have about this program are always welcome. Please feel free to call or email for more information.

HypnoBirthing® Advantages

You will find that HypnoBirthing® . . .

• Embraces the concept of pre-birth parenting
• Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension, and thus pain
• Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby
• Gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birth
• Leaves mother alert, awake, and energized
• Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing
• Shortens the first phase of labor
• Reduces and often eliminates fatigue during labor
• Reduces and often eliminates the need for medications in birth
• Reduces the need for episiotomy
• Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without forceful physical pushing

HypnoBirthing® Class Outline

Below are some of the topics you can expect to cover in each of your five HypnoBirthing® Sessions:

UNIT 1
Building a positive expectancy

• Introduction
• Rationale for a comfortable birth
• How the uterus works
• What's wrong with labor?
• How fear affects labor
• Origin of the pain concept
• Hypnosis and deep relaxation
• Creating positive birth outcomes

UNIT 2
Falling in love with your baby/preparing your mind and body

• Pre-birth parenting techniques
• Relaxation and visualization for birthing
• Rapid and instant relaxation techniques
• Breathing techniques for labor and birthing
• Progressive, instant, and deepening techniques
• Hypnotic relaxation and visualizations

UNIT 3
Getting ready to welcome your baby

• Looking at your estimated due date
• Making hospital, home, or birthing center plans
• Preparing the body for birthing
• Light touch birthing massage
• Preparing your birth preferences sheets
• When baby is ready
• Avoiding artificial induction of labor
• Your body working for you and with you
• Releasing negative emotions, fears, and limiting thoughts

UNIT 4
Overview of childbirth - a labor of love

• The onset of labor - the thinning and opening phase
• Arriving at the hospital
• As labor moves along
• The birth companion's role
• If labor rests or slows
• Positions for labor and birthing
• Protecting the natural birthing experience
• As birthing advances - nearing completion
• Birth rehearsal imagery

UNIT 5
Birthing - breathing love, bringing life

• Mother nears completion - the thinning and opening phase ends
• Birth explained simply
• Breathing baby down
• Birth of the placenta
• Family bonding
• Forest Fantasy metaphor

HypnoBirthing® mothers are making
informed choices and creating change

• In 2007 15.5% of US HypnoBirthing® mothers birthed via C-Section, compared to the national average of 32%
• 12% of HypnoBirthing® mothers chose to birth in the comfort of their homes. The national average is less than 1%.
• 6% of HypnoBirthing® mothers chose to birth in freestanding birth centers. The national average is less than 1%.
• Over 70% of HypnoBirthing® mothers birthing vaginally had unmedicated births.

Top >