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Replacing Fear with Calm

January 26, 2012 5:04pm
Anissa Moussi (right) used hypnotherapy during the birth of her daughter, Océane. Seen here with hypnotherapist, Jennifer King.

By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Jan. 28, 2012.

When Anissa Moussi drove to the hospital for her childbirth, she was so calm, so relaxed, the nurses were convinced she had come early.

You are not even ready yet, they told her.

But Moussi knew she was in deep labour, only she wasn’t screaming or writhing in pain, the usual image attached to child birth.

“I was simply not scared of giving birth,” she said.

That wasn’t always the case; in fact, she was scared of C-section when she first discovered she was pregnant. 

“You have the images in the media about child birth that are terrifying,” she said.

Then, she met Jennifer King, a hypnotherapist in Squamish, who helped her erase the words ‘fear’, ‘scared’, and ‘terrifying’ and replace them with a singular sentiment for child birth.

Natural.

And that’s the core of birthing hypnotherapy: the peeling away of fear and anxiety by simply claiming the body and the mind for yourself.

But hypnosis often conjures images of control, not of calm.

Hypnotherapy is about releasing fear and stress, says King

So, in case you are wondering, King doesn’t sit in a half-lit room, casting the spell of black magic on pregnant women. No, she doesn’t trick them into doing goofy things either.

What she does is train pregnant women—and their spouses—to access their subconscious, and relax and focus it when the moment of child birth comes.

“Hypnosis is a state where your body and mind are extremely relaxed and yet the mind is highly aware and focused,” King explains.

To achieve that state, King gives would-be-moms verbal and visual clues in hypnotherapy sessions that allow women to go deep into their subconscious.

Another goal of these sessions, which start usually at the 30th week of pregnancy, is to train women for hypno-anesthesia.

Hypno-anesthesia is a state of calm attained not through heavy sedatives, but by practiced cue which allows the body, and particularly the uterus, to relax for a smooth birth. 

The earliest use of hypno-anesthesia can be traced to India in 1845, although it’s being used now in surgical operations as an acceptable alternative to painkillers and sedatives.

Women in King’s class also learn to ‘move’ their hypno-anasthesia through various body parts to relieve themselves of discomfort and stress.

“It’s all about releasing fear and stress by believing in the power of your own body,” she says.

Suzie Beliveau and Adam Hart joined the hypnotherapy class when Suzie was pregnant with daughter, Juliette. 

Hart, a food coach, said they enjoyed the session.

“You are never under a spell, but a visual clue is trying to anchor you with soft guidance,” he said.

Hart said the experience gave him an understanding of the birthing process and how important a role language and visual clues can play in making the mind and body relaxed.

Anissa Moussi recalls one such session, when King helped her imagine a light going down her body, relaxing her as it trickled down.

As the session progressed, she was pinched to find the state of hypnosis she was in. 

“I never felt it,” Moussi says. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anissa says

    January 30, 2012 at 2:23 pm

    Just a point of clarification- I never went to the hospital. It was never my plan to go to the hospital. I went to a hotel and there were midwives present. I would never go to a hospital to give birth unless a midwife transitioned me there due to complications.

    • Gagandeep Ghuman says

      January 30, 2012 at 5:47 pm

      Thanks for pointing that out. I regret the error.

  2. Jenn King says

    January 30, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Thanks for writing this article Gagandeep!
    I just wanted to clarify that the sessions you’re referring to are done as part of a complete childbirth education program called Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis. I also offer one-on-one hypnosis sessions but those interviewed here took my complete prenatal classes where we do a different hypnosis session at the end of a 3 hour weekly class. Education and knowledge of choices is another important element to reducing fear and creating a sense of empowerment.
    Thanks!
    Jenn

  3. Diane Sam says

    January 31, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    Nice to see this getting “mainstream” media attention – way to go Jenn – great story.

  4. Crystal says

    February 2, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    So great to see Hypnobabies being offered in Squamish! 🙂 Way to go Jenn! I’m preparing for my first birth in June with Hypnobabies and I’m LOVING it!

  5. Nancy Moore says

    February 3, 2012 at 8:32 pm

    how do I go to look at earlier editions

    • Gagandeep Ghuman says

      February 3, 2012 at 8:43 pm

      Hi Nancy,
      Articles from previous editions are being added to the archives section gradually. In time, all the articles would be transferred to the new website.
      Thanks
      Gagandeep

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