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Natal HypnotherapyTM
09/07/2012

http://www.birthaffinity.co.uk/

tackle your fears with natal hypnotherapy

How Can Hypnosis Help You Prepare For Birth?

In your normal awake state you use a part of your mind which evaluates all things around you and is rational, critical and analytical. That is the conscious part of the mind.

However when you are in a day dream like state (hypnosis) another part of your mind becomes more active. That is the subconscious and is the part of you that is responsible for all the things we do automatically, such as the beating of your heart, hormone production, elimination system and giving birth. In addition it is the part which stores all your memories, emotions, fears and anxiety.

Using hypnosis, you can access the subconscious easily to deal with, and overcome fear and anxiety associated with pregnancy and labour, and to increase self confidence and trust in your body's natural ability to give birth.

By practising Hypnosis (being deeply relaxed and listening to positive suggestions and imagery) daily before the birth, you are effectively "rehearsing" or "experiencing" in your mind a calm, instinctive birth over and over again. As the mind does not know the difference between things you have imagined and reality, when the actual birth begins, your mind and body are familiar and comfortable with the rehearsed responses and so reacts accordingly. In addition, the hypnosis is conditioning your body to be relaxed and calm no matter what is going on around you.

Therefore, the hypnosis suggestions create a pre programmed response for the birth which is to be relaxed, involved and in control, being conversant when necessary and aware of the experience. Being so relaxed leaves no room for the fear and tension, which are the main cause of pain. This calm state increases your natural pain killers (endorphins), increases the flow of oxygen to your baby and to your muscles, so making contractions more effective, which in turn reduces the need for intervention.

The outcome

By attending the workshops as a mother you will leave with skills which will help you:-

• Overcome fear of birth
• Reduce pain during birth
• Enter deep relaxation in seconds
• Feel relaxed and calm at all times
• Increase your energy and well being
• Sleep well
• Increase bonding with your baby
• Increase your sense of being in control
• Reduced the need for intervention / drugs
• Give birth to a calm, alert baby
• Enjoy comfortable breastfeeding
• Decrease the chance of postnatal depression

Your birthing companion will leave with skills to help them:-

• Feel calmer, confident and more relaxed about the forthcoming birth
• Have a better understanding of the birthing process
• Overcome their fears, concerns and needs
• Support the mother effectively
• Deal effectively with the medical team
• Make informed choices and decisions

Is this a HypnoBirthing® course?
No, Natal Hypnotherapy™ is not part of the US HypnoBirthing® group. Natal Hypnotherapy™ has been developed in the UK by its founder, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Maggie Howell. The techniques have been developed organically through her own experiences of using them for four births, through her work as a hypnotherapist and Doula and her work with leading birth specialists including Michael Odent, Ina May Gaskin and Sheila Kitzinger.

Both HypnoBirthing and Natal Hypnotherapy use professional hypnosis techniques to help couples prepare for the birth and both teach how relaxation, hypnosis and overcoming fear can drastically reduce the level of pain and help the couple feel and be more confident and in control.

The Key Differences Between Natal Hypnotherapy and HypnoBirthing

Natal Hypnotherapy	HypnoBirthing
Created in the UK	Created in the USA
Offers the choice of creating your own tailored script or using the highly successful Natal Hypnotherapy CDs	Uses set pre defined scripts
The course is tailored to each participant. Everyone is required to complete a detailed pre course questionnaire to be sent to the practitioner prior to the course. Hypnosis sessions are personalized to address couples issues	The course follows a standard format with set scripts
The mother learns how to do this all herself - the birth partner learns ways to help her if she needs it.	Requires the attendance of the birth partner during the birth to take the mother into hypnosis
Allows each person to find the right breathing pattern for themselves - the emphasis is on the rhythm and depth rather than timing or set patterns	Teaches set breathing exercises for different stages of labour
The training to become a Natal Hypnotherapy practitioner takes 7- 9 full days	The training to become a HypnoBirthing practitioner takes 2-4 days
No change in words is suggested - simply to focus on the positive outcome at all times and to use words which make you feel good	Requires that you and the medical team use different words for the birth e.g. surges instead of contractions
All Natal Hypnotherapy practitioners are assessed and evaluated after each course. That way we ensure that all practitioners are maintaining a high level of tuition.	Practitioners work independently

The results
Both approaches help mothers feel and be more confident and trusting in the body's natural abilities. The difference in outcome is on the avoidance of a C section - see below for a comparison

	Caesarean Section Rate
Natal Hypnotherapy Course (feedback from 50 course Natal Hypnotherapy CDs attendees)	9%
Natal Hypnotherapy CDs only (online survey of 769 women)	15%
HypnoBirthing courses (US HypnoBirthing website)	15%
National Rate (NHS maternity statistics 2005 - 05)	23%

New Natal Hypnotherapy Workshops

There are two types of workshops available at Birth Affinity:

1. Hypnosis for Birth - Natural Pain Relief

2. Practical Preparation for Birth

With Birth Affinity and Natal Hypnotherapy™ Workshops you can:

1. Learn effective and easy to use techniques to manage pain

2. Flexible two step approach - attend workshops in any order and at any time

3. Workshops complement other antenatal classes

4. Attend on your own or with a birth partner

5. Meet people in your area and make new friends

Why do I need to do this course if I am already taking an NCT or NHS course?

These workshops are an excellent compliment to other antenatal courses as they approach birth preparation from a unique yet simple, easy and effective angle covering areas not covered by most other courses. As one mother said:- "This course reaches the parts other courses can not reach!"

Most courses focus very much on what will happen during birth and all the procedures and protocols of our modern maternity system. There is often a strong emphasis on the types of medication and intervention available, however there is usually little taught on mental preparation and practical tools and techniques that a woman can do to help herself.

The Natal Hypnotherapy workshops focus exclusively on what you can do to help yourself have the most positive birth experience, regardless of the type of birth you are planning. Whether you want a natural water birth at home or are open to having an epidural in your local hospital, what you learn on these workshops will give you the confidence and ability to work with you body no matter what your birth choices are.

So what will I learn on each workshop?

Natural pain relief - Hypnosis for birth

The first of the 2 workshops focuses exclusively on natural pain management tools and techniques - namely breathing, relaxation and self hypnosis. This workshop can be taken as an individual or as a couple. The natural pain relief workshop focuses very much on your mental preparation for birth, again an area often missing on other courses. It helps you address and overcome any fears, teaches you how to relax and use your breathing effectively and helps you understand why and how these things are so important.

The workshop is either a full day from 9.30 - 5pm or 2 evenings from 7 - 10 pm during which you will learn:-

· Natural ways to reduce pain in child birth

· Self-hypnosis skills to overcome fear and increase your confidence and trust in your ability to give birth

· Effective breathing and deep relaxation techniques

· How fear or anxiety can have a negative impact on your body during the birth and learn how to reduce it

· Ways your birth partner can help you achieve a deeply relaxed state

This one- day workshop can be taken at any time during your pregnancy and is the perfect complement to NCT / NHS classes, as it covers areas that are not covered on the majority of these courses.

Practical birth preparation

The second workshop is a very practical day to help you and your birth partner prepare both physically, mentally and emotionally for the birth. During the day you will be taken step by step through the birthing process from a physical as well as emotional perspective, learning practical tools and techniques to help you work with your body in the most effective way.

The birth preparation workshop teaches you simple, effective and practical tools and techniques to stay calm, relaxed and confident as well as helping you understand the physical as well as emotional map of birth. The emotional map is one which very few other courses touch on and yet for hundreds of couples who have done this course, they feel that this was one of the most important things they learnt.

This workshop can be taken as an individual or as a couple, however it is extremely useful for a birth partner to attend as many techniques work best when a birth partner is involved. The workshop is a full day from 9.30 - 5pm or 2 evening sessions from 7 - 10pm during which you will learn:-

· Practical techniques to help you stay calm and relaxed during the birth including massage, using a birth ball and birthing positions

· How your body works best during labour and what you can do to help it

· Practical tools and techniques for your partner to keep you calm, relaxed and ease discomfort during the birth

· How your emotions change during the labour and signs to look for

· Effective ways to work with the medical team supporting you

This one-day workshop can be taken at any time during your pregnancy however most couples prefer to take it closer to the time of birth (from about 32 weeks onwards).

This workshop is a natural compliment to the natural pain relief workshop. It also works well with couples attending NCT or NHS classes as it covers elements such as the emotional map of birth and physical techniques that are not covered on most other antenatal courses.

How much does it cost?

Each group workshop costs £95 per mum-to-be and birth partners attend for free! You can book workshops individually or at the same time. Private workshops are £150 per workshop, or £290 if you book both together.

There will be a small charge for bookings made by credit card and cheque, however there is no extra charge for bookings made by debit card or BACS .

Special offer:-

Book both workshops (group or private) at the same time you will receive a complimentary copy of Maggie Howells book "Effective birth preparation - your practical guide to a better birth" worth £8.99.

Testimonials

"This course reaches the parts that other courses fail to reach"

"I didn't feel any pain pushing him out, all I felt was pure joy. There is no doubt in my mind that my fabulous pregnancy and birth was a result of what I learnt on this course"

"Because of what we learnt on the course I had my dream birth! We both felt relaxed and confident throughout - it was amazing!" Jane and David, London

"Everyone should attend this course!" Tony, Hampshire

"This course should be on the NHS - all expectant parents would benefit" Tim, Brighton

"I felt calm, in control and really knew how to support her through the birth" John, London

"The best part for me was understanding the emotional aspects of birth (not covered by other courses) the importance of preparation, really grasping how natural childbirth is and giving me the confidence and trust in my body. This course has really helped me! Thank you!' Kate

"The key issues for me that came out of the course were all the ways to provide effective support for my partner, increasing my confidence to deal with the hospital environment and the relaxation techniques. The course was extremely useful. Men need to know this stuff." Chris

http://www.birthaffinity.co.uk/

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