HYPNO...BABIES?

By Amanda Miller

When it comes to the birth plan, we all know that even the best laid plans need tweaking along the way. However, when you have the tools that Hypnobabies provides in your back pocket, the birthing experience is more comfortable and even relaxing.

According to the Hypnobabies website, Hypnobabies is a six-week course that teaches real, medical-grade hypnosis techniques that create a peaceful pregnancy, a calm and confident birth partner, and an easier natural birth. Amy Willson, owner of Louisiana Baby Company and a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator, explains, “Hypnobabies uses hypnosis which is just accessing the way your brain works to affect your experience to make childbirth more comfortable for women. They find that it’s really relaxing and positive, and they love the experience during pregnancy and get to use those tools during their birth as well.”

When it comes to preparing for delivery day, many women sign up for Hypnobabies as soon as they find out they are pregnant. However, Hypnobabies is also beneficial in coping with anxiety. “Some people find childbirth to be scary. It can be an unknown if you’ve never done it before, and even if you have done it before, every experience is different and unique. Some moms reach out as soon as they find out for those anxiety reducing benefits of hypnosis. The latest I recommend is around 28-30 weeks of pregnancy because we want it to be finished before the baby comes,” says Willson. The six-week classes are filled with information to help mama-to-be prepare for birth. Willson shares, “We talk about the nuts and bolts of childbirth: what physically happens to your body and the different stages of childbirth, how to prepare your body for childbirth, how to stay comfortable during your pregnancy, interventions that may be offered at your place of birth, how the birth partner can be involved and helpful, what happens after baby comes, and breastfeeding. We also go into those mental aspects for how to prepare your mind for birth. It’s important to prepare your brain. It makes a big difference in your experience.”

Hypnobabies includes tracks that can be played and cue words that moms learn to tap into their relaxation space. Willson says, “We have over 16 tracks that they get to listen to. Some are focused on teaching them tools like how to relax their bodies and some are specific to visualizing their birth and how they want their birth to go. The tracks are really relaxing. Their bodies are trained to respond to these tracks with deep relaxation. Even if she is experiencing intense sensations, she’s able to manage those in a calm way and access that inner peace.”

Willson recommends Hypnobabies to anyone who is interested in learning how the mind and body work together, people who are looking to lower their anxiety during their pregnancy, or anyone who is interested in a more comfortable birth experience. And, it’s easy to sign up! Willson offers four-six classes a year. Classes are done through Zoom. Hypnobabies. com also offers a six-week online course for moms to be. ■