. ..  When should I Learn HypnoBirthing® ?

I suggest beginning the program near your 24th week of pregnancy. However, if you are beyond your seventh month with only several weeks to prepare you can still benefit from hypnosis sessions.  You may not be able to fit into a class cycle, but depending upon your birthing time, you can still benefit from individual instruction.   The key lies in your desire, and your commitment to practicing the hypnosis for birthing techniques you learn daily, at home.

I’ve read the book, can I do HypnoBirthing® on my own?

Yes, you can. BUT before you make that decision, read this blog post where I cover the pros and cons.

As a certified hypnotist, I am trained in the art and science of bringing people to the optimal state of relaxation that you will use in birthing. Most likely, I can help you experience the hypnotic state more quickly than if you were to just practice it on your own. Working with a HypnoBirthing® Educator will help you to become more in touch with your own natural instincts and prepare you for the birth experience in much the same way a coach would assist an athlete to fine-tune the techniques he/she knows how to do innately for maximum confidence and success.

My doula said she used hypnobirthing and can teach me. Why do I need to take HypnoBirthing classes?

Having a birth partner, doula, and OB/Midwife that support your birth goals is an integral piece to having the birth you desire. Having used the tools successfully in their own birth is definitely an asset for any doula to have in her toolkit. She will know the way in which the techniques can be applied and when and how to best use them. She will be able to reinforce the language we use in HypnoBirthing that helps your subconscious mind create and sustain that deep state of relaxation and self-hypnosis. Her knowledge of the ways in which HypnoBirthing shortens labor, and the different way a HypnoBirthing might look from a non-hypnotic birth will be beneficial (To those untrained, it can look like “stalled” labor.). 

What she won’t have unless she is a consulting hypnotist or a Certified HypnoBirthing Educator, in the knowledge to teach you to create those deep relaxation states yourself. You won’t have the practice and confidence of having worked with someone highly skilled in guiding others to access the hypnotic states to make sure you are practicing correctly. You also will not receive the special mindset training provided by Certified HypnoBirthing Educators. Yes, hypnosis is a natural state, and in our fast-pace, high stress society, it takes a bit of practice for most people to attain the levels of hypnosis that accompany a gentle, calm, less pain filled birth. 

What is hypnosis and how can it help with birthing?

Hypnosis is a natural state in which both your mind and body are completely relaxed – and a state that we all have experienced on a daily basis. I, as the hypnotist, guide you into accessing this state more readily and teach you how to consistently produce the same state though self-hypnosis.  It is in the hypnotic state, a state of highly focused concentration, that you can use the power of your mind to alter your perception of pain, and relax your body so that it may instinctively do exactly what nature intended to create a satisfying, calm and relaxed birthing experience.

Can everyone be hypnotized?

In general, most people can be hypnotized.  Those that can’t usually are:

• People with mental retardation, and I.Q.’s below 70 or with developmental disabilities who cannot maintain the focus required to follow the directions and instructions of the hypnotist.
• People under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol also cannot focus properly and would probably just fall asleep.
• Anyone who does not want to be hypnotized. Your desire to be hypnotized creates your permission for hypnotism to occur.

How do I know I can be hypnotized?

For many people, the trance state is a subtle state. It feels a lot like daydreaming. Because people are expecting a certain feeling or reaction they think that they haven’t experienced “hypnosis”.  There are some suggestibility measurements that can be done to determine if hypnosis is likely to work for you.  As part of your initial consultation, I use these exercises to determine your suggestibility to hypnosis and if you are likely to be able to train your mind to slip into the alpha wave state of focused concentration. When your mind enters this state, it is highly responsive to the suggestions utilized in HypnoBirthing®.  If you have a desire for it to work, hypnosis will work.

Can you make me do something I do not want to do?

Hypnosis can not be used to make you do anything that you do not want to do, but it can be used to help you achieve what you might not be able to achieve without your full concentration. During the HypnoBirthing® classes, you will learn how to work with your subconscious and to achieve an anesthetic effect without the use of potentially harmful drugs.  You may have seen people at a stage show squawking like a chicken or barking like a dog and you probably have been left with the mistaken impression that they were acting that way against their will. Those are purely for entertainment and the guests on stage are open to the idea of putting on a show.  In other words they are choosing to cooperate with the stage hypnotist for the sake of entertaining the audience

Can you control my mind?

No, I can’t control your mind, but through the HypnoBirthing® classes you will learn to control your mind so effectively that you will be able to reach a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration within minutes.  You will also be able to manage discomforting pain as labor advances. In the hypnotic state you will be able to provide your mind suggestions for relaxation and work with your body to create a natural, calm birthing experience.

I want to remember the birth of my baby. Will I remember what took place while I was in hypnosis?

There are a few other natural birthing models that suggest you will not be aware of your birthing experience if you use hpynosis for birthing. This is nothing more than marketing hype. You are not going into a coma; you are entering into a state of deep relaxation, much like the relaxed state you feel when you are drifting off to sleep. While in hypnosis your mind is in a highly focused state.  You are aware of everything around you.  While in hypnosis, you will be able to hear outside noises, respond to questions, control what you think and say, and feel your own feelings.  You will remember your birthing experience.

What if it does not work?

In 1958 the American Medical Association (AMA) approved the use of hypnosis for treating physical and psychological disorders. The AMA would not have endorsed hypnosis it if it did not work. It may not work for everyone, but then, neither does penicillin. If you do the work that goes along with the program, the program will work for you.  Childbirth doesn’t always follow a woman’s plans and should special circumstances arise, at the very least, the hypnotic skills you will learn will help you relax and minimize anxiety, no matter what kind of birth experience you have.

I have already made a payment or paid in full but can’t attend the training/class now. What are my options?

All payments & deposits made are non-refundable but transferrable for up to one year from the time you made your initial payment.

What happens now?

Call me at 916 668.9889 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. This consultation can be done over the phone, or through web conferencing.  During the consultation, I can answer any additional questions you may have and we can enroll you in an upcoming class or schedule your private sessions, whichever you prefer.