I Love Hypnobabies!

So for some reason I can't find a picture on this computer of my Hypnobabies class that I took in January of 2007. Instead here's a cute picture of two sleeping boys (Derek and Brighton).

As many of you know I use self-hynosis for my birthing times. I can happily report that with both of my previous pregnancies I have used this and have not felt any pain. Definitely pressure, but no "pain". Of course I plan to use this technique again, but it does take some practice. I had planned to start listening to my hypnosis tapes in January, but here it is mid-February and I'm finally getting started.

Well, better late than never! Lucky for me, it's come back to me already. I've only listened 3 times to my tapes and all but the first time, I was able to easily slip into the hypnotic state that I will use for my birthing time. I guess it's like riding a bike in that once you've learned, you don't forget....even if you are a little rusty.

I've always joked with Derek that he could never be hypnotized because he doesn't want to do it. This is something that you have to allow your body to do. You have complete control over yourself during self-hypnosis, but you can direct your body into feeling (or NOT feeling) different sensations. I Choose not to feel any pain and it certainly works.

The funny thing, to me at least, is that while listening to my tapes I'm awake but my eyes are closed and I'm just listening to them. When they first start, I am consciously hearing every word the speaker is saying to me, but during the tapes, I obviously drift in and out of "conscious awareness" I listen to them on my Ipod and the second time I was consciously aware that I was ending the session soon, and the next thing I knew ZZ Top was blasting in my ears! I have consciously heard every word in the script that is being read to me, but it's like I only consciously hear different parts of it each time I listen.

Now, I'll have to get Derek to read me a few scripts for practice. It's especially funny to me that I can "not consciously hear" what he is reading to me although I AM PAYING ATTENTION and not sleeping, like he sometimes claims.

I definitely recommend Hypnobabies to any mom that wants to have more control over her birth and especially when trying to have a non-medicated birth.