Hypnosis During Pregnancy and Childbirth – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

With my eldest just turning fifteen and with both of my kids now at college, the pregnancy and childbirth for both of them should feel like a long time ago (they grow up so fast as we like to say!). Yet, I can still remember the entire experience of pregnancy and childbirth like it was just a few days ago.

There was the worry, anxiety, stress and hope that all would be ok and that they would be born healthy and well (especially as we had sadly suffered a miscarriage along our journey to parenthood). There was the whole birthing process and the tiredness and anticipation of waiting for the little one to come along. And then the turmoil as you try and work out what to do with a new baby in the house and how to try and stay on top of everything as you build new routines and try to cope with interrupted sleep, feeding and nappies whilst also managing work and life at the same time.

I often work with women during pregnancy and through childbirth and throughout the adjustment to parenthood stages.  They may be struggling with anxiety and a sense of overwhelm. There may be anxiety about health, about being in hospital and coping with the birthing process, and about how well they think they will cope with having the responsibility of a new born to look after. There is no doubt that there are a lot of demands, challenges and things to learn through pregnancy and into parenthood (as well as a lot of love, happiness and joy, of course!!). And, of course, the change in roles and routines can equally have an impact upon fathers too as they also need to adjust through the pregnancy process and into being a new father.

Pregnancy related anxiety can lead to fear, worry and dread about any and all of the specific issues, demands, challenges, events and changes that surround each stage of pregnancy and child-birth. There can be issues around health (your own and the baby’s), hospital visits and the process of childbirth. There may also be social, relationship or financial issues, concerns about fulfilling the role of parent and about your physical appearance and the impact upon your body and the physical changes from pregnancy. I’ve covered pregnancy anxiety in an earlier article: Pregnancy Related Anxiety 

Over the years I’ve helped many Mum’s to deal with pregnancy related anxiety and to learn how to feel calmer and more in control of their thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions throughout the entire process.

And here I’m looking at a the evidence contained in a review that assessed the impact of hypnosis on a women’s childbirth experience.

Hypnosis During Pregnancy and Childbirth

The changes that occur through pregnancy and childbirth can make it all a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, where your own subjective experience can be positive, negative or even traumatic. There can be all sorts of psychological and emotional issues such as worries about being a good parent, changes in body shape, pain and discomfort, vomiting, sleep issues and anxiety and fear about aspects of pregnancy or giving birth.

Catsaros and Wendland (2020), conducted a systematic review to examine the use and effects of hypnosis based interventions during pregnancy and childbirth on women’s childbirth experience. They found that hypnosis-based interventions on mothers-to-be can positively impact their subjective experience of childbirth. The findings showed how women felt less fearful and more confident with themselves and in their capacity to go through labour, whilst enabling them to deal with their emotions in a more satisfactory manner.

That is, hypnosis positively supported the women through their pregnancy and the childbirth experience. The findings suggested that hypnosis improved the childbirth experience and helped with alleviating the fear and pain associated with childbirth, supported enhanced well-being after the birth and also helped women to feel more confident and in control of their emotions during childbirth.

A crucial part of the findings was the sense of feeling in control of the situation that was experienced as a result of the hypnosis intervention. This is important as feeling in control is considered to be one of the main ingredients of a positive childbirth experience.

And, on a wider level, hypnosis can help with all sorts of aspects of anxiety, dread and fear. Whether it is related to the hospital setting, anxiety about the future, the fear of childbirth, fear of vomiting, or some other psychological or emotional issue, hypnosis has a strong track record for providing effective support.

This review, specifically about pregnancy and childbirth, suggests that, rather than leaving it to chance, hypnosis can support you to increase the likelihood of you going through a more positive birthing experience. Hypnosis can help support you through your pregnancy, through the childbirth experience and into being a parent and managing and dealing with whatever comes your way. You can feel more calm, confident and in control throughout the entire journey and into the happiness, joy and love of being a parent to a new born.

There’s nothing like having a new born in the home and enjoying being there as they learn and grow and as you get to know them. Despite the hard work, I still look back fondly on those early years. And they do seem to pass by so quickly and in a flash they are teenagers!  Yet as I head back home to face it, I think we can leave talking about dealing with the teenage years (or at least surviving them!!) until another time and instead just remind ourselves how cute they are when they are little!!

To your happiness,

Dan Regan

Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket

Struggling with your anxiety and need some expert help to overcome your anxiety? Book your Complimentary Hypnotherapy Strategy Session with me now: Appointments

You can discover what many, many other people have said after their anxiety hypnotherapy sessions with Dan: Testimonials

And check out these powerful anxiety hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away: Anxiety Hypnosis Downloads

Reference: Catsaros, S. and Wendland, J., 2020. Hypnosis-based interventions during pregnancy and childbirth and their impact on women’s childbirth experience: A systematic review. Midwifery, 84, p.102666.