I teach Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis.
I don’t have crystals hanging from my rearview mirror.
I’ve never had my palm read.
I don’t wear patchouli.
I’m not any good at yoga and I don’t even have a Buddha statue in my garden.
So, what’s an average girl like me doing teaching hypnosis techniques?
Isn’t that stuff for the mystical, aura-reading, granola, slightly “out there” types?
I used to think so, until I met my first Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis instructors; she was wearing a button up polo shirt, drove a minivan, and was the mother of three adorable little boys. Some might even mistake her for a soccer mom, certainly not the type of woman who would subscribe to something as extreme as hypnosis!
After a few minutes of hearing her talk about Hypnobabies, I realized that I’d had it all wrong. Hypnosis wasn’t as crazy as I’d thought, in fact it sort of made sense- especially as a tool to use during childbirth. Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis provides birthing moms with about a gazillion ways to make their birth better and it really just starts with hypnosis.
I had a lot of questions about the hows and whys and whats of hypnosis. Turns out, my questions were actually pretty commonly asked. Now, as a Hypnobabies instructor, I answer these questions all the time- especially from doubting daddies. Without fail, there is always a dad who comes to Class 1, who is there, “to support my wife” and that’s about it. I love- and I mean LOVE- skeptical fathers in my class. Why?
1. Duh, they show their character by agreeing to go to a class with their wife (even though the sound of three hours, once a week sounds like torture!) out of pure support. A guy who does that must really love his partner!
2. I know that in a matter of a week or two (sometimes within mere hours) “Doubting Daddy” will
become “Positive Papa” as he sees for himself how beneficial hypnosis is to his wife and child, and how informative the classes are for birth partners and expecting mothers alike! By the end of the series, moms AND dads are sad to go, the classes have been educational, reassuring, exciting, and a great place to socialize and swap positive pregnancy stories!
It’s rewarding to see this transformation as an instructor! I welcome skeptics, for I was once one myself!
If you're hypno-curious (especially if you are a doubting daddy!), take a look at a few of the commonly asked questions. I may just take the words right out of your questioning little mouth! But if not, be sure to send your inquiries to the email address below.
Q: Isn’t hypnosis when someone control’s your mind?
A: an absolute and emphatic, “No!” to this one! All hypnosis is self hypnosis. You are able to pull yourself out of hypnosis at any time and if you never want to enter it you simply don’t. No matter what a hypnotherapist or script-reader of any sort says or reads- you are in complete control! No one can make you do or say anything that you don’t want to while in hypnosis.
Q: If that’s true, why did I see a man squawking like a chicken at the hypnosis show last year at the fair?
A: These types of hypnosis shows are funny for people to watch, but there is a reason why many of the audience do not go up on stage- they don’t want to. The individuals who are doing all the silly things on stage actually want to be up there. You may also see that throughout many of these shows, someone who initially was game for participation but becomes uncomfortable mid-way through, and they are gently escorted off of the stage.
Q: Isn’t hypnosis against the rules of many religions including Christianity?
A: Hypnosis is not mind-control, nor is it a means to alter the mind. Hypnosis is simply a state of mind that we are in many times a day- while we are driving, watching television, or reading the newspaper. Here are two articles written by Christians addressing this question.
Q: Doesn’t hypnosis remove a birthing mother from the process of her child coming into the world?
A: Quite the contrary! Hypnosis actually encourages the mother to connect deeply with her body and baby in order to facilitate a more comfortable birth. Mothers who use hypnosis are aware of the birthing waves that are moving their babies down and out, however many mothers translate these sensations as pressure, a squeeze, or even a warm hug. It’s not that the actual process has changed during these mothers’ births, but they approach the “pain” (I hesitate to use that word, as some do not experience pain at all during their births) from a different mindset.
Q: If a mother is in a trance when her baby is born, is she able to deeply bond with her newborn after the birth?
A: Absolutely. Since the process of birthing hypnosis places great emphasis upon mother-infant bonding, when the baby finally arrives and is gazing into its mother’s eyes the bonding that takes place is ecstatically wonderful. Indeed, the mother already knows her child so well that this face-to-face meeting is extremely meaningful. In Hypnobabies we teach new parents a lot about how to care for their newborn in the earliest moments of life outside of the womb. Hypnobabies has even added a birthing “stage” to their curriculum called, “Baby Kindness”.
Q: What does hypnosis feel like?
A: Hypnosis feels different for everyone. Because we are all so unique in the way we learn and take life in, there is not just one way to explain the feeling of hypnosis, though almost all of my students have, at one point, used the adjective, “relaxed”. In Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis, we place a lot of emphasis on relaxation since the body is better able to birth in a relaxed state. There is no right or wrong, better or worse in hypnosis. While one mother may be able to experience her hypnosis scripts in a very tactile manner, another may see, or envision the script. All learning types will benefit from the calm that relaxation can bring them!
More Q&A to come!
I’d love to get some questions from readers too…no patchouli required. Email me at: mandyschutt@yahoo.com
The Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis website is a fantastic resource for the hypno-curious and covers topics ranging from how to find a local Hypnobabies class, if Hypnosis is in any way related to religion (it’s not!), how you can learn to walk, talk, and birth while remaining in hypnosis, and lots of other great stuff!
