Posts filed under hypnotherapy

Hypnosis for birth in the news

As a hypnobirth trainer working in Kidderminster I am always interested to read about hypnosis for birth in the news.

I'm not always in agreement with the articles I have read but this weekend I was smiling from ear to ear as I read about NHS hospitals providing hypnosis for childbirth.  The news piece asked:

             " Can hypnosis really beat the pain of having babies? The NHS thinks so"

As an easibirthing trainer I already know many hospitals were providing some initial training in hypnosis within their antenatal care package, but I was excited to read how many more were following suit.  The news explained how midwives are being trained to teach hypnosis for birth in Colchester, Wolverhampton, Stevenage and the Scottish Highlands. The next areas to get on board will be Exeter, Gloucester, Walsall and Bury St Edmunds. A midwife and hypnobrthing coach at Colchester hospital said a quartet of the women giving birth at Colchester general hospital were taking courses in the technique.  The hospital dropped the £250.00 fee after the results were so positive they felt it unfair to only provide it to those who could afford the fee. 

In the article Tamara Cianfini founder of Wise Hippo hypnobirthing explaines how the technique benefits women.

Staying calm reduces the “ fight or flight” response, which can result in adrenaline flooding the body and unhelpfully diverting blood away from the womb.
— Tamara Cianfini

The news paper article includes comments from Naomi Mogg who recently used hypnosis with the birth of her second child.  After a traumatic first birth she turned to hypnosis and found she felt much more in control and able to deal with the pain.

As a trainer in this powerful technique I am proud to be part of the empowerment of women and their partners  through hypnosis for childbirth. Birth has become increasingly medicalised over time which has removed control from women but the introduction of hypnobirthing displays a real commitment to handing childbirth back to women.  I am glad midwives are being trained but I am concerned that many midwives are already overstretched and do not want this training to become another burden they are not truly given time to deliver. At a local hospital in Walsall several years ago they trained midwives to deliver maternity reflexology but shortly after, despite great results, the service was closed due to lack of funding. I hope this is not the case with hypnosis. 

I am also excited by the great research opportunities available as the service is extended. The limitation of much hypno birthing research is the small subject numbers, but as the technique is rolled out to more couples the research could be much more robust.

Unfortunately Worcestershire does not currently have plans in place to introduce hypnosis for their antenatal couples. If you are based in Worcestershire and interested in Hypnosis for Birth training then please do contact me.

Hypnobirthing Couples Share their Experiences

At Breathe Holistic therapy, Kidderminster, hypnobirthing is delivered using the easibirthing® method. I love to hear from new parents about their birthing experiences using hypnosis for childbirth.

The experience of child birth is unique and many parents wonder how hypnobirthing can help them. As a therapist I find one of the best ways for couples to understand the process and the benefits is to talk to other parents who have used the easibirthing® method. Many mums and dads-to-be come to hypnosis for childbirth training after hearing about its effects from their friends and people they have met on their pregnancy journey. Not everyone can talk directly to other hypnobirthers so the videos provided on this page are a great way to understand more about hypnotherapy for childbirth.  The recordings have been prepared by my trainer and founder of easibirthing® Sharon Mustard.  

If you have any questions please do contact me  for more information.  We can arrange a free consultation to discuss your needs if you prefer.  The course is covered in five hours with appointment times and lengths to suit your needs. All supporting material is included in the course cost of £250.00, (e.g six hypnosis mp3s, informative notes and affirmations) The sessions are not on a group basis but for single couples. As a qualified hypnotherapist I can tailor the training to your own specific needs rather than a set course for everyone. If, for example, you have a specific fear or have experienced a traumatic event then we can address this either within your course or in addition depending on the issue. 

For more information videos please visit Hypnobirthing West Midlands on you tube

Posted on March 7, 2016 and filed under hypnotherapy, hypnobirthing.

Reflexology and Hypnotherapy in the news

I'm always interested to see reflexology and hypnotherapy in the news.

I may not know very much about the magazine stars but I am  pleased to see the therapies I am passionate about discussed.  This week I have read about actress  Samia Ghadie benefiting from maternity reflexology and enjoying baby reflexology.  Also,  Kim Kardashian is reportedly using hypnotherapy to encourage her breech baby to turn.

In her blog for OK magazine Samia Ghadie discusses her use of reflexology in her pregnancy and how she is now learning baby reflexology with her baby Yves:

I mentioned a couple of blogs back how reflexology had helped alleviate my pregnancy back pain. Since then I've started a baby reflexology course with Yves.
We've had 2 sessions so far and it's been so cute seeing all the babies on their changing mats ready for their pampering! 
We've focused on learning how to calm baby down when they get a bit grizzly and also how to help their digestion and common complaints like reflux and constipation. I've been practicing on Yves everyday and it is really making a difference.

Baby reflexology is a great skill for all parents, and it is really very easy to learn. Samia is attending a group which can be a lovely way to meet other mums but if you prefer to learn on an individual basis you can at Breathe Holistic Therapy.  Many mums, like Samia, choose to learn baby reflexology after enjoying reflexology in their pregnancy.  Reflexology for babies is also a technique that dads benefit from learning;  it can help them to feel more skilled and confident when handling their new babies.  

In a separate blog Kim Kardashian's  breech baby is discussed. Kim explains how she is trying everything she can to encourage her baby to turn into the head down position for child birth:

I even started acupuncture where I burn moxa (mugwort) on my pinky toe every day! I am even attempting hypnosis!

Hypnotherapy to turn breech babies has been researched and shown to be a  very successful intervention.  Relaxation and visualisation can help to create the right internal environment for a relaxed mum and relaxed uterus enabling the baby to move into the head down position. Letting go of fear and stress relating to child birth through hypnobirthing can  also promote the optimal position for the baby in the womb.

 For more information on either baby reflexology or hypnotherapy for breech presentation please do contact me.

Introducing Easibirthing® hypno birthing to Kidderminster.

As a hypnotherapist I was keen to train in hypno birthing, at Breathe Holistic Therapy supporting women to enjoy pregnancy and childbirth is one of our main aims.

Childbirth has the potential to be one of the most special experiences in a woman's life time. Birth is a natural physiological process. Each birth is unique, and easibirthing® is focused on empowering women to manage their individual experience, not fear it.

I  train  expectant parents to use self-hypnosis, relaxation, visualisation and breathing methods to prepare mind and body for birth. The easibirthing® method teaches  how to use hypnosis for pain management and aims to boost  trust in her body so she enters labour feeling calm, confident and in control. This involves reaching a state of deep relaxation, maintaining perception of control over the process and developing a positive confident attitude. 

·      easibirthing® is a UK  model which was developed with midwives and  complements UK birthing practices. It is a flexible approach that adapts to each unique client; and to empower them to manage whatever course their birth experience takes.

·      easibirthing® receives National Health Service funding in some parts of the country because it is an evidence-base tried and tested model.

·      As a easibirthing® practitioner I hold  the only hypnosis for childbirth qualification in the UK which is independently accredited (ie. by the nchp).  It is also essential to be a fully trained hypnotherapist before training as an easibirthing®  trainer. 

You can view  hypnosis for childbirth videos here: Hypnobirthing videos

Find out more about the benefits of feeling calm, confident and in control in childbirth: Anxiety in childbirth

I am passionate about supporting couples during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. I know from personal experience how this wonderful experience can be blighted by stress and fear and I aim to work hard to promote a postitive pregnancy and birth for all my maternity clients.

for more information please do contact me.

Posted on November 16, 2015 and filed under hypnotherapy, maternity.

Anxiety and Childbirth; You are not alone with your fears.

tired pregnant.jpg

Anxiety in pregnancy and child birth fears

Child birth fears explored by Kidderminster Hypnotherapist. 

Pregnancy and child birth is an amazing time but for some it is blighted by fear and anxiety relating to child birth. It may be hard to express these as it is supposed to be a happy period. If you feel anxious and afraid please do seek help as there are many ways to manage your fears to help you enjoy your pregnancy and child birth. 

To truly understand anxiety disorders associated with childbirth it is important to explore the origins of these fears and anxieties. I feel the foundations for these can be viewed as falling into three themes: 1: loss or lack of control 2: negative expectations and 3: physical and mental distress. Birth is a universal experience existing since the very beginning of evolution, but for some the thought of birthing their baby evokes overwhelming feelings of fear and anxiety. At its most debilitation tokophobia, intense fear child birth, can be diagnosed. Anxiety disorders associated with childbirth, their origins and effects will be explored taking into account the many degrees of anxiety and their response to hypnosis.

The term tokophobia was first used to describe an intense anxiety and fear of childbirth in 2000 by Hofberg and Brockington. A degree of fear of childbirth is fairly common, over 20% of pregnant women report fear, 6% describe a fear that is disabling  and 13% of women who have not become pregnant report fear of childbirth sufficient to postpone or avoid pregnancy. Other studies have shown much higher rates of fear in pregnant women . It is now widely accepted that pregnancy may be a time of considerable anxiety with symptoms worsening in the third trimester .  


There were four significant aspects to tokophobia; intense anxiety and worry about childbirth; difficulties controlling this concern; difficulty concentrating  on work and family activities; plus at least  three  of  the  following  symptoms:  fear  of  pain,  fear  of  being unable  to  give  birth,  physical  disorders,  nightmares,  avoidance  of  pregnancy or request for caesarean section.  It is clear from this definition that tokophobia is relevant throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatally. Tokophobia can be present before any pregnancies (primary), developed after a birth (secondary) or as a result of more underlying psychological disorders.


Tokophobia could be seen as a condition at the top of the continuum of anxiety related to childbirth.  Women and men can experience anxiety at many levels from mild anxiety that fluctuates and recedes right through to tokophobia.  A study in 2002 involving 329 pregnant women in Finland found that 78% expressed fears relating to pregnancy, childbirth, or both. This suggests, therefore, that anxiety and fear are experienced by the majority of women to some degree.  Any level of anxiety or fear in pregnancy has the potential to affect the woman, baby and wider family. Dick-Reid (2013) goes as far as to state that fear of childbirth over many generations has had a growing negative effect on civilisations  all over the world.

The movement of birth into hospitals began in the Seventeenth century in France when male doctors first stepped into the birthing environment.  This marked the start of the removal of power and expertise in the birthing process from the women herself. By removing the birthing woman’s sense of control and introducing many processes and techniques alien to her it is not difficult to see why fear and anxiety would increase.A study in 2008 found that lack of control featured as a cause of secondary tokophobia in all the women interviewed.  


A reason for the profound negative influence of loss of control may be understood by looking at our psychological development as a whole. From our birth onwards we move toward a growing sense of control over our environment, our choices and daily life. It is simply human nature to want a slice of life that we can control and that when this control is threatened anxiety disorders can develop. When a sense of control is lost it can be replaced by a fear o terrible things happening which cannot be stopped . This has clear implications for the process of childbirth. A woman and potentially a man who perceives a lack of control may it seems easily move into experiencing fear and anxiety about the new journey they are embarking on.


An individual’s expectations of a forthcoming event will influence how they feel about it. There are many influences present on modern women’s expectations of childbirth and the proliferation of negative views on birth is widely recognised.


The role of negative expectations in the development of anxiety disorders associated with pregnancy cannot be underestimated. Dick-Reid (2013) highlights the many pronged attack of negative influence on pregnant women; involving the media, literature, friends, mothers and partners.  Most importantly many of these negative frightening influences are from people who we hold as important and respected. This proves to strengthen the effects of their words, however well meaning. Research suggests that mothers who have unresolved trauma relating to birth can unintentionally pass this on to their daughters.


There is a growing recognition of the potential role that medical involvement has in the belief that birth is fearful and potentially dangerous and life threatening. The movement of birth to hospital settings, associated with illness and trauma, could feed women’s and societies belief that birth is dangerous.  The manner in which women are led to believe medical or surgical intervention may be needed e.g. during antenatal checks, even before birth commences increases the perception that child birth is dangerous. An expectation that child birth is dangerous is a powerful foundation for anxiety associated with child birth.


The third theme relates to physical and mental distress. Most obviously this relates to the fear of physical pain during childbirth.  A study in 2006  found that pain during contractions and pain during the passage of the baby from the vagina were both feared although some women feared only one of these. For some the fear of physical distress manifests as a fear of dying during child birth.

 
Mental distress can relate to many aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. If mental distress is experienced then fear and anxiety can reasonably be expected to develop. 
The origins of anxiety disorders associated with childbirth are clearly complex but an awareness of this allows both the effects of this anxiety, wherever it falls on the continuum, and potential ways to manage and reduce it to be understood.

If you are experiencing fear and anxiety during your pregnancy or even before becoming pregnant please do seek advise as you are not alone. Hypnobirthing is one way of lessening and managing this anxiety. Your midwife will also be able to offer you assistance.  If you feel your fear and anxiety is affecting your life please do speak to your doctor for support. 

Related pages : Hypnobirthing evidence.

For more information please contact me.

Posted on November 2, 2015 and filed under stress management, maternity, hypnotherapy.

Childbirth and hypnotherapy

hypnobirthing

As a hypnotherapist I'm always interested to read about hypnotherapy in the media.

A recent article explored the dramatic rise in hypnosis for childbirth. 

 

The newspaper explained how a hospital local to Kidderminster, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS trust, has seen a three fold increase in mothers attending hypno birthing sessions in the last five years.  Although the overall percentages of mums to be attending are low, around five percent, the increase shows a significant trend in a move towards hypnotherapy support for childbirth. 

Teri Gavin-Jones, a midwife from Colchester expressed this important shift in acceptance of this technique " Give it ten years and hypnobirthing will be standard antenatal practice"   The Colchester University Trust has seen a massive rise of 20 fold in the number of expectant mothers taking the courses. Since the initiative was introduced in 2012 those participating has risen from 48 to 960.

Hypnosis for child birth involves teaching women and potentially their partners to relax and breathe more easily, learning to remove the fear associated with the anticipated pain of child birth.  Hypnosis can be a way to empower couples to experience the birthing process with less dread and apprehension., but instead with a sense of calm anticipation.

I am excited to be attending a specialised course in natal hypnotherapy next month.  I will be training with Sharon Mustard who has 19 years experience in hypnosis for childbirth. The easibirthing model has been developed within the united kingdom in consultation with midwives to reflect birthing methods in the UK.  

More information on hypnotherapy or return to home page.

Posted on August 20, 2015 and filed under hypnotherapy, maternity.

Kidderminster Hypnotherapist gains CNHC registration.

Registered Hypnotherapist Kidderminster

I am proud to have attained registration for hypnotherapy with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council.

This professional body had been established by the government to ensure you can chose therapists with confidence knowing they are well trained professionals.  The council sets high standards for hypnotherapy registration including the level of training and continuing professional development.

I would welcome a compulsory government register similar to the nursing register I belonged to as a practising nurse but unfortunately this is not in place. The nearest level of registration is an accredited voluntary register such as the CNHC.  Many therapists are now embracing this professional body and I am proud to be part of the movement towards a more regulated profession.

Due to the high level of standards required  for CNHC registration many health care insurance companies now provide cover for therapists registered in this way. The list of companies is growing so if you have a cash health plan it may include therapies such as reflexology and hypnotherapy.  It is important that the details of your particular plan are checked before booking treatments as there are many individual differences between policies and Breathe Holistic Therapy can not confirm if cover is provided.

I am registered with the CNHC for reflexology, therapeutic massage and hypnotherapy. These treatments are available at the Kidderminster treatment room DY115LB.  For more information please do contact me.

 

Posted on August 14, 2015 and filed under hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy Relaxation for Exam Stress and Anxiety

exam stress

Click for a ten minute relaxation MP3 to promote calm and reduce stress and anxiety for all ages.

Exam season is upon us, from primary school SATS to A levels  children and young people are expressing how they are struggling with exam stress.

Children as young as ten are worried that poor exam performance will have a bad effect on their lives.  many children are so anxious about their SATS that they are too nervous to eat before school, a recent survey found. The survey showed a startling 72% of the primary school children felt pressured at exam time.

Hypnotherapy relaxation is one technique that even the youngest child can enjoy.

Symptoms of exam nerves and anxiety can include feeling sick, sweaty palms, sleeping problems,  loss of appetite and frequent loss of temper. As a parent you know your child best and every individual has a different response to stress and anxiety.  Hypnotherapy is a common method of helping children cope with exam stress. Visualisation techniques can encourage a child to clear their racing mind and approach the exam feeling calm.  Controlling anxiety in this way can help increase concentration levels allowing knowledge to be accessed more easily.  This can lead to better results along with calmer children! 

Hypnotherapy in the run up to exams can be used to increase confidence and motivation, improve concentration and lower anxiety. Learning how to relax can help children focus and revise more easily. Tackling any child's fear of failure can allow them to approach an exam with more perspective and less fear.  

There are many ways available to help your child manage their stress levels better and reduce anxiety. The NHS have advise online to assist families to cope at exam time. This includes practical considerations such as promoting good sleep routines at exam times and providing healthy food and adequate hydration. Talking to your child about how they are feeling is also important.  They suggest reminding your child that nervousness is normal and natural and not something to feel overwhelmed by.  Focusing on their achievements in life and building their confidence is also important.  Listen and support them without being critical whilst also helping them to keep the exam in perspective.  

This can be a difficult time for the whole family and you do not need to cope alone. Along with the NHS advise there are many sources of support online.  Childline have produced a leaflet full of advise for beating exam stress. If you are concerned about your child please do speak to their school or if you feel necessary consult your GP.