Hypnotherapy Can Be A Very Useful Aid To Childbirth

Have you ever thought of hypnotherapy as a means towards overcoming birth trauma?

Hypnotherapy is a well established technique for treating trauma in a number of situations - and birth trauma is no exception.

Here hypnotherapist Hugh Clover unveils just how hypnosis can help people suffering birth trauma as well as outlining how it can also be of benefit in helping other aspects of child birth. Hugh embellishes his argument with personal anecdotal experience of working with mothers both prior to and following birth.

Hugh says that the philosophy behind the work of a hypnotherapist is that trauma of any kind tends to get lodged in our subconscious minds. The subconscious - the seat of our emotions, imagination, and habits - is the more primitive, and easily the most powerful ,part of our mind as opposed to our more modern conscious mind, which tends to be more logical and rational.

The subconscious, recognising the pain and anguish of any trauma, will then do its best to make sure that it is not forgotten to prevent someone from having to go through it again. Hence it can be very difficult to overcome trauma through conscious willpower. Trauma often cannot be overcome until it has been sorted out at a subconscious level.

Hypnotherapy allows changes to be made at the subconscious level by using the perfectly natural process of hypnosis - daydreaming, being absorbed in a film or books are just two examples - to bypass the critical conscious part of the mind to let change take place at the subconscious level.

So what does hypnosis feel like? "Basically" Hugh says "hypnosis is a comfortably relaxed and lethargic state. You are totally aware all the time and not under the hypnotherapist's control. Hypnotherapy is a therapy of mutual respect and trust between therapist and client - otherwise it simply would not work."

Hugh says one client came to me suffering from sleeping difficulties and depression. It soon became apparent this related to a very unpleasant experience she had had with the birth of her first child. First she had been taken off to a hospital she did not know due to capacity problems at her first choice and local hospital, and then she felt she had been "butchered" while giving birth, and had been the victim of what she perceived as "bullying" by the hospital staff. Despite a far happier experience with the birth of her second child, the sleep and depression problems stayed with her.

Hypnotherapy was able to identify the root of the problem, and the client was able to let the emotion and anger behind the experience go.

Another client came for hypnotherapy after developing a strong fear that her pelvis was too narrow for child birth after talking to a fitness trainer. Hypnotherapy was soon able to put her mind at rest over this, and further work ensured a very straightforward and enjoyable birth process. She needed no pain relief other than self-hypnosis. This client stated "I had complete confidence in the process. The birth was relaxing and enjoyable. I might have panicked without it (self-hypnosis). I have heard that some mums have been put off after having their first child, and that some have traumatic flashbacks. All I have is a lovely memory." For the full story behind this please see Hugh's website www.hughclover.co.uk .

Only very recently recently Hugh has been working with a client, who suffered a traumatic birth of her first child, and had elected to have a caesarean for the the birth of her second. As well as having anxiety regarding loss of control with the epidural, this lady also has issues as to whether she will bond with her new baby if she does not have a natural birth.

Another mother, who expected she might have to have a caesarean, used hypnosis for relaxation and pain relief up to the operation. She wrote aftrerwards that not only was it a great help "during the birth, but great for relaxation prior to and post birth....I was amazed how effective it was. I had to unhypnotise myself to decide whether the contractions were strong enough to warrant going into hospital, and when we got there the midwife was surprised to see me so relaxed and already at 5cms. If there was any chance of (the baby) arriving naturally I'm sure we would have done it all just with hypnosis and the tens machine."

Even without any sort of trauma hypnotherapy can be very beneficial for someone wishing to have a relaxing and enjoyable birth. Hugh supplies personally made CDs for relaxation and confidence boosting before the birth. He also teaches relaxation and pain relief techniques to assist with the birth itself. The mother to be is taught self-hypnosis so that she can take control of the whole process. There is no need for the hypnotherapist to be at the birth. Once the self-hypnosis and related techniques have been taught,  the mother and partner - and baby - can be left to enjoy their special event as a private family with just the normal attendance of the midwifery team.

For more information regarding hypnotherapy and its use for childbirth and a whole host of other areas please see Hugh's website www.hughclover.co.uk, or email him on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , , or call him on 01206 323089.