HypnoBirthing - The Basics

I know we keep harping on about it, but seeing how it's a pretty major focus of ours from now until the birth, it's going to take up quite a lot of our time and effort. Consequently, we thought we'd give you our take on the basics - and that way, you may be able to help out a little as well.

In Western society, if you ask someone to explain childbirth in one word, generally that word is pain. This is so ingrained into our society, it is very hard to enter into childbirth without some element of fear, and many find it terrifying. This fear brings about a Fight or Flight response, which can slow or even stop the birthing process. Blood is channelled away from the uterus and the uterine muscles tense. The mother then finds they have to push against this. Even the classic 'puff-puff' breathing we've all seen on TV actually works against the birth.

In other cultures, where the fear of childbirth is not as prevalent, it has been found that women are able to give birth much more easily and with less, or even virtually no, pain. This is possibly where the stories of mothers working in the fields, giving birth, picking the baby up and then barely skipping a beat come from. (Not that I will be giving birth at the office and continuing with my daily routine - hopefully anyway!) Without fear, the cervix relaxes and each surge of the uterus allows the cervix to open slightly more, so the baby will, quite literally, 'ease' out.

So if it's all so natural then why does it need this western HypnoBirthing® methodology. In essence, I have to be de-programmed from my cultural Western fear of birth. Part of that is how it's referred to. As you may have noticed in the previous paragraph, some of the terminology is changed, so that there is less anxiety involved:

Due date is 'birthing time', but we like guess date
Labour becomes birthing
Contractions are surges or waves
Pushing is actually instead a process of breathing down which really goes well with my practice of yoga and pilates
Dilating is the far more graceful opening

There's a heap of other ones, but they're a bit too American for us.

In our society people love to share horror stories, which just goes on providing this warped Western view. People who have good experience subsequently feel guilty and avoid sharing those experiences, which are the ones that should be shared.

So - that'll about do. Cory and I are working hard, so that I can have as calm a birth as possible. Even if things don't go according to plan, I'm sure the practice at being able to relax will come in very handy at some point in the next 23 years.