Lately there has been a lot of interest in natural childbirth. Many women are realizing that there can be complications from epidurals and other pain relievers. And they also want to fully experience the birthing process, not just be numb on pain relievers. As a result, more women are turning to hypnosis delivery, or hypnopartum, which is a completely natural method of childbirth that combines medical hypnosis with a variety of relaxation techniques. When done correctly, hypnopartum can result in completely pain-free labor.
While more and more women gravitate toward hypnobirthing, they often don’t realize that there are numerous hypnopartum programs to choose from. While all of the major programs are legitimate, it is vitally important to choose the program that best suits your learning style and personality. Too many people are simply borrowing a hypnobirthing book from a friend or signing up for whatever method they find first. The smartest approach is to carefully review each of the main methods and choose one that fits well with your personal philosophy and lifestyle. The five main methods are: the Mongan method, the Leclaire method, HypBirth, Hypnobabies, and Gerald Kein’s Complete Painless Delivery Method.
The Mongolian method of hypnopartum was developed by Marie Mongan in 1989 and focuses on unleashing your natural birth instincts through hypnosis to promote a serene birth. The program is best suited for classroom learning and there is a vast network of certified professionals in the US and the rest of the world. CDs, scripts, and a workbook are included with the class. While this method costs several hundred dollars, the classroom experience is very helpful and the instruction is thorough.
The Leclaire method is also known as the original method and was developed in 1987 by Michelle Leclaire O’Neill. She is the director of the Mind Body Center in Pacific Palisades, California. This program strives to combine ancient wisdom with modern science and focuses on meditation, visualization, and self-hypnosis. It is clearly the most holistic and naturalistic method, and should only be used by women who are comfortable with statements and theories that tend to stray from conventional scientific thinking. Classes are available at the Mind Body Center, but for those who do not live nearby, the program can be purchased as a home course packaged with a book and 3 CDs.
HypBirth was created by Lori Dorman, a certified hypnotherapist and birthing doula practitioner. Her show has been hugely popular since its launch and she even appeared on the TV show “A Baby Story.” The techniques focus on eliminating stress hormones that cause pain while increasing endorphins that relieve pain. It is specifically designed for home study and includes a DVD and 8 CDs. Low video quality is the only real weakness of this DVD program, but this is offset by excellent content.
Hypnobabies is the method that Kerry Tuschoff developed after losing faith in the classes she was teaching through other hypnobirthing programs. Tuschoff believed that the hypnosis methods advocated in these programs were inadequate for a totally pain-free delivery and began studying true medical hypnosis with Gerald Kein. Working closely with pregnant women, she refined these methods to suit the real-world conditions women experience during childbirth. His techniques have been shown to be highly successful in completely eliminating pain and fear. Hypnobabies has an excellent home study program, but also offers classes through a network of instructors.
As mentioned above, Gerald Kein’s complete painless delivery method is at the root of hypnobabies. But it is also available as a standalone course and is a great option for anyone interested in learning true medical hypnosis. However, this is more geared towards professional hypnotherapists, and learning their methods is a huge commitment of time and effort.
All of these hypnopartum methods have been successful and offer excellent testimonials from women who have used them. The key is to first decide which method best suits your personality and then commit 100% to learning and practicing the techniques.
