But with childbirth, the evidence of the effectiveness of hypnosis is less easy to define, as every birth experience is unique.
So, "Does Hypnobirthing work?" becomes a loaded question, because what is that person really asking? Do they mean, "is birth pain-free?"; or, "will birth be easy?"; maybe, "will I not be scared?"
I have to presume it means all of the above, and more!
And the best answer I can provide is that, from my own experience of hypnotherapy for birth (18 years ago now), and from testimonials of dozens of my Hypnobirthing parents, all of us have said that we felt more relaxed, confident and in control during labour than we initially expected. And many of us were enabled to give birth with the minimum of interference and drugs.
So the best answer I can provide when asked, "Does Hypnobirthing work?" is that, yes, it works in as much as it can drastically reduce your fear of giving birth. And when you remove fear from labour, you greatly increase your chances of having a more comfortable experience.
My next few blogs will explain how and why fear causes / increases pain in childbirth and how you can gain control over it.
Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici and freedigitalphotos.net
