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HypnoBirthing® a promising alternative to birthing with drugs
Nov 8, 2005, 05:30 PM MST

KVBC-TV Las Vegas, NV

http://kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=4091820

 

Every mom wants to do what's best for her baby, but what if skipping all the painkillers, like an epidural, during labor and delivery was best for your baby? Would you do it? What if you knew there was a way you could deliver your baby naturally with little pain?

It's one of the promises of HypnoBirthing®, a method that's been around for decades and has recently grown in popularity. We rarely see images of a comfortable mother, a peaceful room and a relaxed father. But Sarah and Carmen Educate say that's exactly what the birth of their son, Nicholas, was like.

"...there is a big misunderstanding with hypnosis. They (people) think, oh you're going to be lethargic, you're going to be completely sedated you're not going to have any control over your body but it's completely the opposite," explains Sarah. "It puts all the control back into you so then you can allow your body to do what it's naturally supposed to do."

Sarah and Carmen delivered their oldest daughter with an epidural but their next two kids were born drug-free with HypnoBirthing®, a method and philosophy taught to them by Anne Swanson. A chemist by trade, Anne says HypnoBirthing® made scientific sense to her. She used it to deliver her daughter and now teaches the method to expectant couples.

"It's a complete child birth education program so you're actually finding out what is happening with your body with the uterus and the cervix. When you understand what's happening, then we can eliminate some of that fear because basically it's fear that is creating the intense pain during the birthing process."

The American Medical Association has recognized the benefits of hypnosis since the 1950's and doctors like Summerlin's Steve Harter say HypnoBirths tend to go faster and require fewer C-sections.

"It allows you to relax in stressful circumstances. Having a baby is very stressful and being in a hospital and this whole event is very stressful for people that are involved so it allows them again to kind of gain control over the situation and relax."

And that's exactly what the Educates were able to do.

"It's comfortable, it's comfortable delivery, it's not really pain. I wouldn't consider it pain at all if you're relaxed you're just able to tolerate."

Many HypnoBirthing® moms choose home deliveries but Dr. Harter strongly discourages that.

He says there's no reason a mom can't have a drug-free experience in a hospital, and if something does go wrong, help is there. If your OB won't support your decision to HypnoBirth, Dr. Harter says find another doctor.

 

This article has been edited to reflect the Register Trademark status of HypnoBirthing®.

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