Hypnobirthing

Teacher: Emily Hayward

Time: Saturdays 2.30pm to 5.30pm / Sundays 11am to 2pm

Cost: £295 for the complete course per couple, £235 concession rate per couple. Price for both Hypnobirthing course & Birth Preparation workshop when booked at the same time £325 per couple.

Dates:

Course 1: Sat 9th & Sunday 10th and Sat 23rd & Sunday 24th March. FULLY BOOKED

Course 2: Sat 25th & Sunday 26th May and Sat 8th & Sunday 9th June.

Course 3: Sat 14th & Sunday 15th and Sat 28th & Sunday 29th September

Course 4: Sat 9th & Sunday 10th and Sat 23rd & Sunday 24th November

Times: Saturdays 2.30pm to 5.30pm and Sundays 11am to 2pm

What is Hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is an antenatal childcare programme. It offers a simple methodology or even philosophy to empower women to have the positive birth experience they deserve; the father or partner to take the role of supporter and carer and the baby to be given the best possible start in life.

You will learn simple self-hypnosis* techniques to help to keep you calm and relaxed so the fear-tension-pain equation (CHILDBIRTH WITHOUT FEAR, Grantly Dick- Read) is less likely to occur and you can have a positive birth experience.

You will learn fear release techniques to overcome any negative feelings you may have about birth and help to come to terms with a previous traumatic birth.

You will be informed about your choices as a woman giving birth and feel empowered and in control of your body.

*with hypnosis you remain completely in control. It is simply a way to help to release unhelpful thoughts/behaviours.

EMILYS STORY: – I gave birth to a beautiful little girl on March 4th 2010 using Hypnobirthing (Mongon Method). I went into labour at around midnight and had my first surge in the bath. My instinct was to get onto on all fours and rock backwards and forwards as I’d done in my own pregnancy yoga classes (and taught other mothers to do). This was really reassuring, After watching episodes of SEX AND CITY and listening to my husband snoring, the surges became more regular and closer together so I knew it was time to venture to the birthing centre in East London. I got into the car at around 12pm and had 3 surges on all fours on the Bethnal Green Road was noisy and bright. Not the warm, darks safe space of my home but I didn’t feel we had the space to have a home birth.

The midwives at the Barkantine, were aware I was a Hypnobirthing mother. They had seen a few women at the centre using the techniques and were fascinated by their effectiveness. Apart from the occasional monitoring of the baby’s heartbeat, they pretty much left me and my husband Morgan to it. I spent about 5 hours in the pool, getting onto all fours and practicing my first stage labour breathing techniques whenever I had a surge. My yoga practice complemented the Hypnobirthing so well and I knew the yoga had helped to make my body strong to prepare for this day. We had the relaxation music and affirmations playing in the background and Morgan would read scripts to me at certain points. The room was calm and peaceful throughout. I was getting pretty exhausted by 6.30pm but could sense that I was almost fully dilated so Morgan called the midwives who took me out of the pool to prepare me for the final stages of labour. Focusing on my breathing techniques, having Morgan by my side and knowing that I was soon going to meet my baby made the second stage of labour go fairly quickly and I can honestly say I didn’t feel pain. There were undoubtedly strong sensations but they were totally manageable. The birth was pain relief and drug free. Ella Coco was born at 8.08pm weighing 7lbs and 15oz. We had an alert, healthy and very hungry little baby. It was a life changing experience in many senses and hugely moving. The experience wasn’t just emotional for us, the midwife who had been amazing throughout, was moved to tears.

Having had this calm and beautiful experience using Hypnobirthing and yoga, which was so far removed from the painful, medicalised image we know of birthing from the media, I wanted to share the possibilities with other couples which is why I became a Hypnobirthing teacher myself.

ABOUT EMILY: - Emily gave birth to her daughter using Hypnobirthing (the Mongon Method). Emily teaches Hypnobirthing to individual couples and groups. She has worked with experienced Hypnotherapists to deepen her knowledge and independent midwifes. She is a member of The Hypnobirthing Association and Association of Improvement to Maternity Services.

Emily has been teaching yoga for a number of years with a strong focus on breath work and relaxation. She teaches pregnancy yoga and birth preparation workshops at Yoga Place. She also teaches the highly successful Beginners and Level 2 Courses.

BENEFITS OF HYPNOBIRTHING

Shorter labour: Using the Hypnobirthing techniques can help to shorten the 1st stage of labour and help the mother to feel calmer and more relaxed for the 2nd stage of labour. Less pain: The techniques teach the mother to deeply relax which eliminates the Fear – Tension – Pain syndrome (Grantly Dick-Read) allowing them to remain calm, comfortable and in control. 40% of HypnoBirthing mothers birth with no pain relief required a further 37% rely on gas and air.

Less interventions: Hypnobirthing mothers are equipped with knowledge and techniques to help resist interventions unless they are really necessary. They feel in control of their bodies and reassured their bodies know what to do.

Best start for baby: Mothers feel much more in control during the pregnancy and the birth. This feeds into the parenting as the baby starts to grow too and they tend to bond well with their babies.

Quicker recovery: Generally post-partum recovery is much quicker for Hypnobirthing mothers. There are less cases of episiotomy in Hypnobirthing and research shows less cases of post-natal depression

Happier babies: Hypnobirthing babies are generally calmer, happier, feed well and sleep well. They’ve been brought into the world gently and they carry this experience with them.

Father’s/partner’s role: The father/partner is very important in Hypnobirthing. He provides a calm, safe space for the mother and baby. This creates a bond for him and the baby and makes him feel empowered at the birth.

Course outline: -

Session one

• Introductions
• Introduction to Hypnosis
• Introduction to Hypnobirthing
• Birth stories from Hypnobirthing families
• Fear –tension-pain – why labour can hurt and why it doesn’t need to.
• Parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system  – how fear effects labour
• How mammals and other cultures birth
• Importance of father
• Unbendable arm technique to demonstrate how the body follows the mind
• Muscles of the uterus
• Relaxation breathing technique
• Up breathing technique
• Optimal birth position
• Pelvic floor exercises
• Relaxation scripts
• Hypnobirthing DVD

Session Two

• Nutrition
• Relaxation and recap up breathing
• Visualisations for birth
• Positions for birthing
• Avoiding episiotomy – perineal massage
• Down breathing technique – second stage of labour
• Positions for birthing
• Avoiding episiotomy – perineal massage
• Hypnobirthing DVD – BIRTH AS WE KNOW IT
• Colour and calmness relaxation

Session Three

• Looking at your estimated Due Date
• Preparing for home birth, birth centre or hospital
• Early signals of labour
• What are artificial forms of induction and how to avoid them?
• Natural, drug free ways of inducing labour
• Deepening techniques
• Light touch massage
• Fear release exercise for confidence and power

Session Four

• The first two stages of labour: what do in each stage
• Recap on down stage breathing
• How will I know? What do I need? Questions answered
• The importance of the birth partner
• Transfer to hospital or birth centre
• Third stage labour – delivery of the placenta
• Down stage breathing recap
• Meeting and bonding with your baby
• Deep relaxation practice
• Hypnobirthing DVD

Course may be subject to change.
You will be provided with a copy of Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongon, handouts and a CD which are included in the price.
Course can be started anytime after your 20 week scan.

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