Working with hypnobirthing:
If the mother is rematernal, I check for labourtrauma, and if so, we work through that in regular trauma hypnotherapy first. Then move on to the new fearfree situation, where she is in charge..
With first-time mothers I normally meet them twice. First session (alone or with partner) in about week 20-30, to listen to their expectations on childbirth and teach them relaxing with hypnosis. I record a 20 min lovely relaxing soundfile, for both parents to practice. (And to be used before, during, and for ever after labour, when needed ; )
Second session, in about week 33-38 is about the labour itself (together with partner when possible, or other person who will accompany the mother at childbirth.) The aim is to prepare mentally, to provide tools for the woman to collaborate with her body, and for the partners to work together at the childbirthprocess.
One part is about paincontrol, history of paincontrol, how to use glove-anastesia if they wish, plus teaching the method to them parents for them to practise, at home, daily. (not very common, but it happens)
Second part is to create a hypnotic metaphorical journey for the labour process itself. The mothers inner pictures will help her to really collaborate with, and use the waves of labourpower, that brings her and the baby closer to one another. We discuss what inner pictures the woman likes as metaphores for the labourprocess, and then we do a hypnotic journey (that I record for the parents to use often before the labour, in order to prepare for a shared journey.)
The hypnosis gently takes the woman through the process, staying in contact with breathing, trusting her body, that actually knows what to do, giving supporting suggestions on all levels, aligned with her own metaphores, reminding also how the baby pushes its way towards you through the channel of life.. etc. This helps the woman to stay in her process, to keep direction, and not get lost on the sea of labourpain..
Third part is about the afterlabour; hypnotic body-healing, attaching to the child, more and more as you get to know each other, day by day,coming together as a family, becoming and growing as parents, keep the patience even though you might not have slept, and to keep in sensualcontact as spouses etc. (Reminding them to use the hypnotic relaxation-recording whenever..)
Every single woman/couple that I met for hypnobirthing, has e-mailed after a month or so, sending a picture of their sweet little ”hypnotic baby”, sharing their story of how great help this preparation was. They speak about calmness, happiness, laughter, collaboration, love, coping with pain with little or no sedation,.. and fast healing afterwards. And, in those cases that they had to had ceasarean section during the process, they still kept calm and in acceptans.
Almost all of them say that in their mother/ parent-groups, when sharing their labourstory, they were the only ones that had a positive experience of childbirth!
There are plenty of scientific articles that supports their experiences, and some that are sceptical of the effects of hypnosis at childbirth. Personally I think that it is an important factor if the mother is willing to practice selfhypnosis (with the recorded material) in advance, and if her partner is willing to support her in this job, taking part in using supportive suggestions him or herself, aligned with the mothers inner pictures.