Relaxation Practice

Now that you have experience with several relaxation techniques, it’s important to start to make a plan for how you will use these techniques during labor.  The first step is deciding which techniques you like best and that work the best for you.  Next, make a list of these techniques and have them available for [...]

Affirmations – Birthing Zone

Affirmations are a great way for your Birth Companion to support you during childbirth.  While you are doing any techniques you like to get you relaxed, your Birth Companion can simply read your favorite affirmations to you to provide additional support.  Check out post, “Affirmations” for more information on affirmations and creating your own affirmations. 
In [...]

Relaxation Techniques

I don’t always see a clear-cut line between relaxation, deepening and visualization techniques, but to simplify things while you’re learning we’re going to categorize the techniques.  Here’s a list of the relaxation techniques you’ll be learning through the HypnoBirthing book and/or your NC HypnoBirthing class:

Progressive Relaxation
Disappearing Letters
Light Touch Massage
Anchors

Shoulder Anchor
Verbal Anchor

Affirmations
Eye Fixation – Hypnotic Induction
Double Hypnotic [...]

Facial Relaxation

Facial relaxation is simply a technique of relaxing the muscles in the face and often in the rest of the head.  Many progressive relaxation techniques begin with facial relaxation.  Relaxing your face and head is a powerful way to relax your entire mind and body and prepare for birthing, especially if you you give yourself additional [...]

Preparing for a Calm and Gentle Birth

The best way to create a calm and gentle birth is to spend some time preparing to give birth.  Sounds simple right, but so many women approach birth with very little knowledge about the process and what they can do to facilitate the kind of birth they desire.  The fact that you are taking a HypnoBirthing [...]

Double Hypnotic Induction

A double hypnotic induction is when two sets of instructions are given at one time.  Hypnotherapists accomplish this several ways:

Two hypnotherapists work together giving suggestion one at a time and building off of each other

Two hypnotherapists each speak into one ear and give suggestions at the same time

One hypnotherapist uses one tone of voice for one set of suggestions [...]

Practice With and Without Movement

When you first begin your relaxation practice, you’ll want to find a comfortable position and you’ll likely stay in that position for the entire practice session.  When you don’t move around much, it makes it easier to get deeply relaxed, especially when you’re still new to hypnosis.  
In addition to adding distractions when you get more skilled at getting [...]

Verbal Anchor

A verbal anchor works in a similar way to a physical anchor.  You follow the same kind of pattern of getting into a peak state, this time you are saying something unique and then repeating the process as you are building the anchor.  Once you’ve sufficiently built the anchor, all you have to do is say the verbal anchor to help [...]

Practice With and Without Distractions

When you first begin your relaxation practice, you’ll want to create a supportive environment.  Dim the lights, create a quiet environment, get into a comfortable position and you may even want to turn off the phone.  As you become skilled in getting deeply relaxed, it’s good to start including some distractions into your practice sessions.  The purpose [...]

Shoulder Anchor

Physical anchors are a way that the Birth Companion can support the birthing mother in deepening her state of relaxation without the Birth Companion having to say a word.  The key to anchors is to get into a peak state, do something unique and then repeat.  For HypnoBirthing, an anchor you might want to establish would look [...]