Comfort Managment: Dissociation

Visualizations are particularly useful during labor.  In addition to being very effective, they are also something the birthing mother can do herself with little or no outside prompting.  So often when we talk with moms in our HypnoBirthing classes after the birth of their babies, they talk about how much they enjoyed using their visualizations during labor and how much they thought the visualization helped speed labor along.

So how can visualization help if you experience discomfort or pain during birthing?  The answer is through an approach called dissociation.  In dissociation you visualize the pain or discomfort as something else and then you begin to modify that imagine so that it diminishes or moves the pain and discomfort away from you.

Examples of Dissociation Techniques:

• Imagine your pain or discomfort wrapped in a light blue mist.  As you breath out imagine blowing the light blue mist further and further away from you until it drifts up and away from you and disappears altogether with your discomfort.
• See the pain or discomfort as a large spot (red works nicely).  Watch the dot shrinking, and notice how your discomfort lessens as the dot grows smaller and smaller now.  See the dot getting smaller and smaller until it eventually disappears, taking your discomfort with it. 
• Place your pain or discomfort into a toy boat.  Place the boat into the water and watch the current gently pulling the boat further and further away from you.  See the boat moving along with current getting smaller and smaller as it moves away from you.  See your discomfort vanishing just as you lose sight of the boat.

Note: Pain and discomfort management techniques should be used during birthing if the mother experiences these symptoms as part of the normal birthing process.  They should never be used to cover up a serious condition that requires medical attention.