Hypnotherapy and self hypnosis is a wonderful tool to have when you are pregnant. The most obvious application for this tool is labour but most people ignore that it also helps with fertility, with all of pregnancy's ailments, aches and pains and with breastfeeding.
Before I start, please note that I am running hypno-reiki classes for pregnancy. Why not join my next class, or if you are a group of Mums interested in a class, contact me so I can come to you? If you are not local, why not try my hypnotherapy CD called "walking peacefully into motherhood" on sale in the shop.
Fertility: most fertility clinic have as part of their treatment a course of relaxation. Why is that? Because although the causes for fertility are often complex, in most cases of unexplained fertility - i.e. without a physical or medical cause - it can be linked to stress. What I mean by stress is unhealthy lifestyles that cause physiological or emotional stress on the body. But in a lot of cases, the fact that treatments have taken such a big part of the lives of couples who try to conceive can cause a near obsession and this in itself is a further impediment to getting pregnant.
Hypnotherapist can be of great help to couples who try to conceive by:
- helping them continue to have a normal life despite the invasiveness of the treatments
- address emotional baggage that can come in the way of conception, and
- help clients reduce their stress levels so that their bodies can work properly. When you are in a fight or flight mode (the mode induced by stress - whether perceived or real), your body will naturally reorganise priorities within your bodily functions are guess what: digestion, immune and reproductive system are the first one to be put on the back burner. This should help you understand the importance of relaxation in fertility.
Also try my general relaxation CD on sale in the Shop.
Pregnancy: once you have become pregnant, more help is at hand. Do you know for example that if you expect to have nausea, then there are much higher chances that you will get some during your early pregnancy? I am not saying that there is no underlying physiological cause, but why do some women get nausea and others don't? Back pain, high blood pressure, moodiness, to name a few can be helped with hypnotherapy.
Labour: fear is the main reason for a vast majority of long and painful labour and even for c-sections. Unless there is a physical cause for difficult labour, here is how it goes: we are bombarded continually by images and stories of painful and difficult labour. It's in the media, in literature, in films and in other mother's stories (friends, family, ante natal groups, etc). This is a creation of our Western world: there is no such expectancy in Africa for example. And our expectations have an enormous impact on the outcome. If you expect a painful delivery of your baby, you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Hypnotherapy will help you reprogramme your mind that your body is naturally apt at delivering a healthy baby without pain. You might have discomfort because in effect bringing a baby to this world involves a lot of stretching of muscles... but it does not have to be painful. Don't take my word for it, try it.
Breastfeeding: anxiety often comes in the way of easy breastfeeding, as well as emotional issues. When I breastfed my children, I had two generations of women watching over me and telling me how it wasn't going to work because it didn't work for them. I did it anyway. Not every body's story is as dramatic as mine but fear and anxiety need to be addressed to help breastfeeding. These anxieties are usually linked to a fear of not being a good mother. Again, hypnotherapy can help with this.
Motherhood: Motherhood can be a roller-coster of emotions. It triggers our buttons of lack of self-confidence and re-opens unresolved issues from our own childhood. I believe as a mother, it is very important to continue to look after oneself and to get continual support on our journeys. Issues of motherhood start arising during pregnancy but they obviously continue after the baby is born. As a friend of mine used to say "Small children, small worries, big children, big worries." Please look after yourself and get proper support.
I can offer that support but maybe you can find a support group that works for you. Don't wait until it's too late and you feel tearful all the time. To make an appointment, please call 07914606729.