HypnoBirthing

I have some other topics to explore over the next few days while I have some time to comment on current events, but I'm trying to get some more wonderful, inspiring birth videos up for you.

Here, a doctor in Canada talks about hypnosis in birth as well as using hypnosis to turn breech babies:



I felt it was important to put a few of these up, even though they don't actually show births, because they do explain what HypnoBirthing is and how it works. These first three also illustrate that HypnoBirthing isn't a 'trend' or confined to the U.S. HypnoBirthers are everywhere! Here is an interview about HypnoBirthing in Malaysia:



Here, a Hypnobirthing instructor in England explains:



Before showing the following births, I thought it might be helpful to understand the mechanics of the birthing process. This is a wonderful 3D presentation of how birth works (and a perfect illustration of why it is PAINFUL and COUNTERPRODUCTIVE for women to be on their backs for birth; please notice that the baby is directly on the mother's tail bone when she is on her back or semi-sitting).



The next two videos are of actual natural birth. The first is an unassisted homebirth. HypnoBirthing, homebirth and unassisted birth HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ONE ANOTHER. I am including an unassisted birth only to show how easy birth can be, and this video shows that. I personally had a midwife at my homebirth, but I support a woman's choice to birth where ever and with whomever she wishes. What I am passionate about is that she do so with knowledge of what she is likely to encounter, based on the evidence.



Another fabulous, ecstatic, joyful natural birth, this one in a hospital. This is not an American hospital.



Now, would you rather birth like that, or like this cesarean delivery.

Even with a positive spin with a sales pitch, surgery is hard to watch. This is worth it to save the life of a mother or baby, which the World Health Organization says should be about 12-15% of the time. In the U.S., more than 30% of mothers will be surgically delivered, with added morbidity and mortality, longer recovery time and difficulties in breastfeeding and bonding. Are mothers really choosing this over natural birth with full understanding of the risks? I had one mother tell me she scheduled a cesarean to avoid the pain of birth. Looking at the first videos and the surgical birth, which do you suppose hurts worse for longer?

Speaking of cesareans, twins and breeches are a common reason that surgical births are scheduled. Here is a natural vaginal birth of twins and a breech:


Yes, it can be done! Twins do not 'always come early' and are not 'always small' as some would have you believe. Unless of course they are evicted from the womb at 36 weeks through induction or surgery. Certain presentations or complications specific to twins can necessitate cesarean, but twins themselves are a variation of normal, not an automatic complication. (Notice these babies are of 'normal' size.)

Likewise a breech baby, as you can see from the second twin. There is a scoring system that can help determine if the type of breech, (butt, feet, one foot, two feet--red foot, blue feet--sorry, I couldn't resist!) the size of the baby, and shape of the mother's pelvis favor a vaginal delivery. A new study just came out that declared that cesarean is safer than vaginal for breech. However, that is probably because doctors do not even learn how to safely deliver a breech vaginally (so I learned from doctor). Since most women go to doctors, if they aren't taught to facilitate a vaginal breech birth, but are taught surgical techniques, that would make sense. However, midwives are taught how to safely assist in a vaginal breech in situations where it is appropriate.
I was born breech in the days when doctors still knew how to do it.