HypnoBirthing, Birth Bliss & Baby Bliss

(  If you prefer to avoid hypnosis for birth for personal and/or religious reasons, scroll down for the Birth Bliss Program)

HypnoBirthing®-The Mongan Method Overview

“When all is fine, do nothing. What matters is that the mom and baby know how to do their birthing work and believe that they know.”

Alison is a certified instructor of HypnoBirthing®-The Mongan Method and affiliated with the HypnoBirthing Institute.

HypnoBirthing® Prenatal Classes are a unique and special way to help bring your baby into the world, calmly and comfortably! HypnoBirthing®-The Mongan Method, now taught in over 30 countries, is the original mind/body birth program and was created by Marie “Mickey” Mongan in 1989 and remains the gold standard for a complete prenatal education that encourages parents to tap into and trust the natural birthing process.  HypnoBirthing is a comprehensive prenatal education program that does not require that you attend a another more “medical” prenatal class in addition unless of course you choose to do so. The HypnoBirthing philosophy centers around the idea that birth is a normal, natural event that does not necessarily require medical intervention in order to have a successful outcome.

Mothers are encouraged to follow their body’s lead, to trust themselves and to experience all the joys of giving birth free from the fear-based ideology that surrounds labour and delivery in today’s modern medical world. HypnoBirthing mothers and their birth partners are encouraged to ask for help when and if needed, to ask questions of care-givers and to empower themselves to make the right choices for their birthing experience.

Highlights of HypnoBirthing®

HypnoBirthing prenatal classes are comprised of  5 two and a half hour sessions  in which you will learn important techniques to help reduce or even eliminate the pain and discomfort of giving birth such as:

Learn  to understanding the important mind/body connection and how that relates to the experience of pain and discomfort during labour and birth as discovered by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician who observed many women giving birth naturally and comfortably and coined the phrase Fear-Tension-Pain Syndrome . Dr. Dick-Read postulated that fear created tension in the muscles which then created pain. Learn to release the fear and the tension and discomfort are often completely eliminated !

Three specific breathing patterns to keep you calm and comfortable as your labour progresses:

HypnoBirthing also uses visualizations, guided imagery and self-hypnosis techniques for both mom and her chosen partner ( dad, other family member, friend, doula etc.) to release any fears about giving birth or patterns relating to previous births, to maintain a deep state of calm and to re-establish calm in the event that panic starts to set in. These techniques work equally well if mom’s birth partner is absent or she has chosen to give birth on her own. Keeping mom calm and breathing well ensures that mothers can stay well-rested,strong, nourished and hydrated through-out labour because they work with their bodies  rather than against them which causes fatigue and depletes the body of natural stores of energy. HypnoBirthing moms can also continue to eat and drink normally if they choose because fear or panic has not shut down the digestive system. These factors are especially important during longer labours.

Other essential points of the classes include some optimal positions for both labour and birthing that include standing, walking, sitting and lying down. (Please note that there is a misconception, pardon the pun, that HypnoBirthing  mothers need to be lying down with their eyes closed in order for this method to “work” which is simply not the case. One of my own HypnoBirthing mothers gave birth at home standing up with her arms around her husband’s neck and the midwives on the floor behind her to receive the baby!) While many mothers prefer to be lying down, it is not a necessity for a comfortable, calm labour and delivery to occur.  We also explore positions that encourage  the baby to settle into a good spot for easier birthing, ease back labour and even encourage breech babies to turn head down!

Our parents-to-be learn about anatomical changes in both mother and baby that help to allow for birth to occur, how to ask the right questions of care-givers and how to interpret the answers. HypnoBirthing parents also learn to spot signs and symptoms that may require immediate medical assistance.

Our pre-birth bonding tools are a special feature of HypnoBirthing, helping you to get to know your baby before he or she is born, understand the world from the baby’s perspective and create that very special connection that incorporates unconditional love, positive reinforcement and intimate communication so essential to a healthy, happy experience for both parents and baby!

Other highlights of the class include massage techniques, nutrition, perineal care, post-natal issues, nursing  and much more!

What’s Included?

You class fee includes Marie Mongan’s book HypnoBirthing®-The Mongan Method, (now translated into multiple languages including French, Spanish, German and Russian!)  CD’s and a workbook of handouts, scripts, prompts, pictures and exercises. We encourage our HypnoBirthing parents to try all of the scripts, cd’s and exercises, practice the ones they like, eliminate anything that they find doesn’t work for them and we also give lots of ideas for appropriate supplemental information if needed or requested.

Go to the HypnoBirthing Institute website to find out more.

Check out this article on HypnoBirthing recently published in the Huffington Post!

Check out this radio interview for a great explanation of how HypnoBirthing works!

There are lots of  prenatal programs out there for you to choose from, to find out if HypnoBirthing is right for you or to register for classes, read my past article on HypnoBirthing®, email me at alison@hypnotherapy-vancouver.ca or call 604-616-6400.

Check out this amazing video that highlights the incredible and powerful bonds that exist between families, get your tissues ready!

Birth Bliss Prenatal & Baby Bliss Post-Natal

The Birth Bliss Prenatal Program is created on an individual needs basis, so every class is uniquely designed according to the client’s personal preferences. There is no set number of classes and everyone can benefit! Birth Bliss classes do not include hypnosis techniques, and are perfect for those families who already know that they need a more medical approach to their birthing due to high risk considerations such as advanced maternal age,  previously existing medical condition, IUI or IVF pregnancy, planned c-section or even just because they prefer to avoid hypnosis for personal and/or religious reasons. In these classes we can work with non-hypnotic techniques such as NLP, PSYCH-K and EFT, belly breathing,  as well as Brain Gym postures and movements.

Baby Bliss Post-Natal Care

The Baby Bliss Program is ideal for women and families who need a little extra help after the birth of the baby. Clients may book as many sessions as they like, perhaps just a one session boost or an ongoing maintenance  schedule. This program, like Birth Bliss is designed to help with whatever needs may arise after the baby is born such as:

• baby blues
• sleep deprivation
• nursing issues
• emotional releasing of expectations if things did not go as planned
• traumatic birth release
• post-birth bonding
• premature birth concerns
• post-birth body image concerns
• post-partum weight management
• return to sexual intimacy after birth
• Connecting with other parents of newborns, support groups etc.

Please note that all services, including HypnoBirthing®, Birth Bliss, Baby Bliss, HRT, Hypnotherapy, NLP™, PSYCH-K®, Past Life Regression and EFT offered by Alison Longley are presented for educational and self-improvement purposes only. These services should never be used as a replacement for psychiatric treatment, counselling or the treatment of any medical ailments. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any mental, physical and/or emotional disease.