What Is Hypnobirthing?

If you walk down the street and ask any woman if she knows what hypnobirthing is, I’m sure most replies would be no. However, if you follow up the question asking the woman if the birthing process is painful, I’m sure the answer would be a resounding yes. Isn’t it curious that women don’t know what hypnobirthing is but that is the answer to a painless child delivery?

In society, we have been conditioned to believe that painful childbirths are just a fact of life. There is nothing much you can do about it but take painkillers to cope. But why does it have to be this way? After all, aren’t women’s bodies built to have children? Why is it that when the uterus is doing exactly what it is intended to do that it hurts? Other muscles don’t react that way when they are doing their job. Sure, we might have aches and pains the following day through overexertion but not the day of the event. One might have to ask ourselves if the negative imagery has become a self fulfilling prophecy. We all know the power of positive thoughts but what are the effects of negative thoughts as it pertains to childbirth?

It is hypnobirthing’s goal to eliminate negative thoughts of fear from the birthing process. Fear leads to a fear-tension-pain cycle that fulfills the prophecy that birthing will be painful. The fear leads to tension in the uterine muscles which then leads to pain. By relaxing, the uterine muscles open naturally for birthing. It is by replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations, a woman can put herself into a deep state of relaxation that produces natural endorphins which will protect herself from any discomfort.

The bottom line is that a woman should not fight what her body is intended to do. A woman can go through a painless childbirth, all she has to do is trust her instincts and body.

Claudia Tanner is a freelance writer in the childbirth education industry. Find more information about hypno births and hypno birthing techniques online.

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