Candace McLean

Hypnobirthing in Thunder Bay

What is Hypnobirthing®?

Hypnobirthing® is a natural and peaceful way to bring your baby into the world. This technique has been practiced for many years, and helps to eliminate pain and fear from the birthing experience. Our body (the birthing muscles) and our mind work in perfect harmony creating a peaceful entrance for your baby.

When you use hypnosis for childbirth, you will not be in a trance or asleep. You will experience great focus and relaxation, and will be totally aware and in control. You will feel your baby's movements in a calm, centred and peaceful state of mind, with your muscles supporting your baby's progression. Endorphins (your body's natural relaxant) are released into your system, working as a natural analgesic to reduce pain. Mothers can trust their bodies' natural ability to give birth with ease and comfort.

In Hypnobirthing® classes, couples learn relaxation skills to help the mother through the birthing process. The Birth Companion becomes an important part of the birthing experience, as they are called to lead their partner into hypnosis during the delivery, supporting her to focus.

The Hypnobirthing® Premise

For most of their lives, women have been inundated with the negative stories of other women’s birth experiences. Everyone, from their mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, and even strangers, wants to tell them the horrors of giving birth. They have been conditioned to believe that excruciating pain is associated with labor; and because of this, women today hold an unprecedented fear of giving birth. This extreme fear causes their bodies to become tense, and that tension prohibits their bodies from easily performing a normal physiological function. The result is exactly what they feared most--long, painful birthing or unnecessary intervention.

People who are drawn to this method of childbirth have long been searching for a way to give birth confidently and as calmly, safely, and gently as possible, whether they have chosen to birth in a hospital, a birthing center or at home. Until Hypnobirthing®, this kind of birthing almost seemed unattainable for the general population.

Through a very simple program of self-hypnosis and education, healthy, low-risk women, as well as women who need medical assistance because of special circumstances, learn to dismiss fear-based stories, misinformation, and birthing myths; and they are helped to see birth as normal. They learn to trust that their bodies know how to bring their babies into the world in the calm and gentle way that Nature intended.

Introductory Hypnobirthing® Workshop

The official Hypnobirthing® - the Mongan Method classes will be starting later this year, and will be conducted by Candace McLean, Clinical Hypnotherapist. If you are interested in taking this course, please let us know.

In the meantime, we are offering an Introduction to Childbirth Through Hypnosis workshop:

Date: Saturday April 16, 2011
Time: 3:00 - 5:00
Cost: $35 per person

If you would like to register, please contact:

The Bodymind Centre
#8 - 105 Villa Street
Thunder Bay, Ontario
(807) 344-1628

Benefits of Hypnobirthing®

Several studies have been conducted to determine the effects of Hypnobirthing®. To follow are their findings:

Women in their second or third trimesters are more suggestible (more easily able to achieve hypnosis)
Mothers benefit psychologically from hypnosis (no fear)
Newborns benefit psychologically from their mother's hypnosis; even newborns can pick up on our emotions
Fewer women needed an anagesic during labour
Women had less pain during childbirth
Women had a shorter stage 1 labour
Hypnosis reduced the amount of medical intervention required during labour

Breathing takes on a natural rhythm
Hypnosis reduced the overall risk to mothers and newborns
Women who used hypnosis during childbirth rarely experienced postpartum depression
Hypnosis when used throughout pregnancy, greatly reduced the amount of anxiety concerning the impending childbirth or becoming a mother
Breech babies can be turned using hypnosis
Less tearing

What You Will Learn in Hypnobirthing® Classes

Hypnobirthing® Classes are taught in a format of five, 2 1/2-hour classes.

Unit 1: Building a Positive Expectancy

Introduction to the remarkable HypnoBirthing® philosophy
The History of Women and Birthing
Why and how you can have an easier, more comfortable, and safer birthing
How Nature perfectly designed women’s bodies to birth
How to assist, rather than resist, your natural birthing instincts
The vocabulary for calm and gentle birthing.
Visualizing gentle births by viewing beautiful birthing videos

Unit 2: Falling in Love with Your Baby / Preparing Mind & Body

The remarkable mind of your newborn baby—Prenatal bonding techniques
Rapid and instant self-relaxation techniques and deepening techniques
Breathing techniques for labour and birthing
Hypnotic relaxation and visualization
Selecting the right care provider
The Birth companion’s role in birthing
Preparing your body for birthing with massage and toning

Unit 3: Getting Ready to Wecome Your Baby

Preparing Birth Preference Sheets
Preparing the Body for Birthing
Light Touch Labour Massage
Your body working for and with you
Avoiding artificial induction and achieving a natural start to labour
Releasing negative emotions, fears and limiting thoughts

Unit 4: An Overview of Birthing - A Labour of Love

Onset of Labor – Thinning and Opening Phase
Birth explained simply
Settling in at the hospital or birthing center
Preparing for home birth – or baby’s choice of birth
As labor moves along – passing time through labor
Hallmarks of labor
If labor rests or slows – Companion’s prompts and activities
As labor advances – birthing with your baby
Protecting the natural birthing experience
Birth rehearsal imagery

Unit 5: Birth - Breathing Love - Bringing Life

Moving into birthing
Positions for descent and birthing
Breathing baby down to birth
Baby moves to the breast
Family bonding with your baby

Pre-Register for This Class

If you would like to pre-register for the Hypnobirthing® class, please fill out our online form with your contact information. You will not be required to pay for the course online. By pre-registering, you will be saved a place in the class.

Blog Article: Hypnotherapy for Childbirth

The Benefits of Hypnotherapy for Childbirth

Imagine a peaceful birthing experience free from fear and pain. Does this sound like an oxymoron to you? I can relate. I remember well my experience of childbirth -- I had twins. Unfortunately, I wasn't a Hypnotherapist back then, and was not familiar with hypnosis or the positive effects it has.

Hypnosis has effectively been used as an analgesic to help reduce pain and pain medication during childbirth for at least a century. Only recently, is it beginning to gain some momentum and becoming a mainstream method for pain control during childbirth...

Click here to read more from Candace's blog article about hypnotherapy for childbirth.