HYPNOBIRTHING DIARY

Well, our 5 x week hypnobirthing course is finished and it was a real joy to work with 'my' wonderful pregnant ladies and their equally wonderful partners. We covered so much ground, logically and seamlessly moving from one topic to the next, gradually bringing the couples closer to that final, joyful act of birthing a brand new baby. 

My list of homework to check up on grew longer and longer from week to week. There are several keys to this course, one of them being the different types of bbreathing that the pregant mum has to learn. So I made sure that they clearly understood what each of the breathing techniques is, how to do them and when to use them. 

Partners had homework as well and I found it very encouraging that 'my' fathers took their work seriously as they all wanted to be supportive and understanding. It is so important that the birthing mother knows that she can rely on her partner so that she can go within to her birthing body and her baby uncluttered by any outside concerns. 

In our last two sessions we focused not only on the lead-in to labour and the birth itself, but also addressed any lingering fears by using specific fear-releasing hypnosis scripts. Everything is geared towards a calm and gentle birth.

One of the fathers told me on the last day that initially he really was not interested in participating as he did not believe that such a course would be any good. He is now so enthusiastic that he can hardly wait for the birthing so that he can put into practice what he has learned. 

'My' pregnant ladies grew so much in self confidence and strength that by the end of the course they had a calm and dignified air about them that would not allow anyone's negativity to upset them. It was such a privilidge and a joy to work with these wonderful people. 

We included their babies in our talks, thus acknowledging their existance and their individuality. I have a very strong feeling that these babies will be born into calm, loving and understanding families. I like that. 

Elke