Hypnobirthing

Have you seen the annual Hindu festival in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, where the masses congregate and pay tribute to a greater being by having hooks and skewers placed in various parts of their body?

They then proceed to head up the steep 300-ish steps to the Batu Caves, where they then have the embedded implements quickly removed, all the while smiling and rejoicing at completing their pilgrimage.

My journey to become a HypnoBirthing ® Childbirth Educator wasn’t dissimilar. The mere thought of leaving my children, to head to the big smoke and follow my dreams to change the way women birthed, was just like those skewers being strategically placed through the cheeks of many excited and committed followers. It was as if a part of me had been injured. Dropping them off at family and waving them goodbye, with a promise that mummy would be back soon, was undoubtedly the hardest thing I’ve done in a very long time.

After I had HypnoBirthed my second child, Tully, I knew I had to share this amazing philosophy of birth. I felt a strong urge to provide for families, to educate them, to teach them the skills they needed to birth gently, calmly and comfortably and embrace the concept that birth is a normal, natural process. Finally, I took the plunge, and enrolled in practitioner training. The journey, just like those steep Batu Caves steps was tough. It was an intense time away from my precious babies; learning about anatomy and physiology of birth, hypnosis and of course the HypnoBirthing ® – The Mongan Method syllabus. Finally, posting off my reviews to the States to the HypnoBirthing Institute, and the anxious wait to see if I’d passed and been issued with my Certification.

The view at the top though, just like the caves is well worth it- amazing, spectacular and magical. It is very moving to check my emails or receive a text about a wonderful birth and how HypnoBirthing ® helped facilitate that birth. It’s truly humbling to be thanked for what I do. And I love it, because slowly, I can see the culture around birth is changing, we’re embracing birth and our bodies and by experiencing positive birth and sharing our experiences, we are setting positive expectations around birth for other couples.

We’re about to embark on a huge shift in the way we birth, and the royal family is definitely contributing to this phenomenon. So, why HypnoBirth? Besides the fact that in this country we seem to have a rather unhealthy obsession with the Royals (and yes I can confirm Kate and Wills are HypnBirthing®). The research points to amazing statistics for HypnoBirthing ® compared to any other antenatal preparation; shorter labour time, less intervention, significantly reduced uptake of pain relief, greater birth satisfaction, and low pain ratings during birth. It’s holistic- you and your birth companion learn about anatomy and physiology of birth, preparing your mind and body, taking ownership of your birth and your baby, putting fear aside, learning to relax, to breathe properly, become empowered parents and learn how to visualise and self-hypnotise. Birth really is beautiful!

And you know, just as you get imitation cheap brands and the dodgy sales pitch in Malaysia, a la “I give you cheap price laaaaady?” HypnoBirthing ® hasn’t been spared either. There have been many to copy, imitate and manipulate the tried and tested HypnoBirthing ®- The Mongan Method, the very method that’s had global success and taught in 45 countries around the world.

Marie Mongan is the HypnoBirthing ® original founder, who authored the book of the same title. So as a consumer, just like the mountain of birthing choices you are faced with, HypnoBirthing ® is similar. Be educated. There is a full list of Australian Certified HypnoBirthing ChildBirth Educators in the HypnoBirthing ®- The Mongan Method Institute Directory (www.hypnobirthing.com). They have undergone extensive training and have a valid code of ethics to follow to ensure YOU receive the full HypnoBirthing ® education program. The “real McCoy” educators will have a Gold Seal displayed on their website to show their affiliation with the HypnoBirthing Institute. Just as I’m committed to educate women how to birth better, I’m also committed to ensuring that it the original and best education out there- HypnoBirthing ® – The Mongan Method.

And as for me embarking on any more steep stair climbs to Hindu caves, my next destination is India, and I’ll be keen to fill you in on anymore pilgrimages I come across!

Alecia provides hypnobirthing classes at My Midwives please visit her website for more information. http://www.shivayatherapies.com/