Frequently Asked Questions

about HypnoBirthing® - The Mongan Method

When should I begin HypnoBirthing classes?
It is recommended to begin around the sixth month of pregnancy. If you are later in your pregnancy, you can still benefit from the class. We can arrange a timetable to meet your needs and allow for the maximum amount of practice and hypnosis sessions.

What is HypnoBirthing?
HypnoBirthing is a childbirth method that focuses on preparing parents for gentle birth. In HypnoBirthing classes, you will learn proven techniques in a well-thought-out program of deep relaxation, visualization, and self-hypnosis. All of these are designed to help you achieve a more comfortable birth. HypnoBirthing encourages a calm, peaceful, and natural pregnancy, birth, and bonding experience for families.

How can hypnosis help with childbirth?
A study conducted by University of Florida researchers (August 2000) found that learning self-hypnosis actually gives a patient greater control over the stress, anxiety and pain of medical operations and childbirth. They concluded that women who learn hypnosis before delivering babies suffer fewer complications, need less medication and are more likely to have healthier babies than are women without hypnosis.

In 1990 the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and Waukesha Memorial Hospital studied the benefits of hypnotic analgesia as an adjunct to childbirth education. They found that hypnotically prepared births had shorter Stage 1 labors (the opening and thinning phase), less medication, higher Apgar scores, and more frequent spontaneous deliveries as well as lower incidents of post-partum depression.

A Retrospective study was conducted by Shawn Gallagher in Canada in 2001 to assess the effects of prenatal hypnotherapy classes on the length of labor, use of pain medication, intervention rates, maternal pain perception and maternal satisfaction. The results showed that women who were prepared with hypnosis had shorter labors, used less pain medication, had lower intervention rates, and perceived their births as being very satisfactory and would recommend using hypnosis to other women. The birth partners were also trained in how to use additional hypnosis support during the birthings.

A study published in The Journal of Family Practice , May 2001, evaluated how childbirth preparation incorporating hypnotic techniques affected the labor processes and birth outcomes of pregnant. The study provides support for the use of hypnosis to aid in preparation of obstetric patients for labor and delivery. It showed a reduction of complications, surgery (C-Sections), and hospital stay which reflects a direct medical benefit to mother and child and suggest the potential for a corresponding cost-saving benefit. [Source]

As early as 1993 studies were showing a reduction in the length of labor when the Mom was prepared for birth with hypnosis. This study was published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

How does HypnoBirthing differ from other childbirth preparation methods?
Unlike other childbirth methods that teach you how to cope with and manage pain, HypnoBirthing is based on the premise that childbirth does not necessarily need to be painful if the mother is properly prepared and relaxed. When women understand that pain is caused by constrictor hormones, created by fear, they learn, instead, to release fear thus creating endorphins—the feel good hormones. They are then able to change their expectations of long, painful labor and are able to replace them with expectations of a more comfortable birthing. Rather than exhausting, shallow breathing and the distraction techniques of typical “prepared childbirth” programs, HypnoBirthing parents learn deep abdominal breathing and total relaxation, enabling the laboring mother to work in harmony with her body and her baby. This allows her to achieve a shorter and more comfortable labor for herself and baby.

How is the Birth Companion involved?
The Birth Companion of the mother’s choice is an integral part of the HypnoBirthing experience. He or she practices with the mother in helping to prepare for deep relaxation. During labor the Birth Companion guides the laboring mother through hypnosis prompts, relaxation techniques, deepening methods, and visualizations, provides comfort measures, and joins in welcoming the new baby, often by receiving the baby as he emerges.

Will I be unconscious or will I remember my birth experience?
Despite misconceptions and misinformation, you are definitely not unconscious during self-hypnosis. The HypnoBirthing mother is deeply relaxed, but she is also an active participant in the labor process. Though she is deeply relaxed, she is totally aware and may return to a conversant state or choose to become mobile whenever she desires. HypnoBirthing mothers often find that they experience time distortion and are not distracted by other people or their birthing environment, while they focus on their birthing and their baby.

Will HypnoBirthing be useful to me if I don’t opt for a natural childbirth or if circumstances necessitate medical intervention or a surgical birth?
Absolutely. The things you will learn in your HypnoBirthing classes will help you to learn relaxation skills that will be useful to both you and your baby, regardless of your birth experience. In the event that medical intervention of any sort is needed, you will find yourself better able to remain calm and in control. Mothers who have needed scheduled cesareans for medical reasons report that they were totally relaxed before, during and after the procedure. Many report that they needed little or no medication following the birth, and they were able to return to normal functioning in a very short period of time.

Is it true that I will experience a pain-free birth with HypnoBirthing?
HypnoBirthing does not promise painless birthing, though many HypnoBirthing mothers do report having a relatively pain-free birth or one that they were able to manage easily. When the cause of pain--fear that constricts the birthing muscles—is eliminated, birthing can be accomplished in a shorter period and much more comfortably. A relaxed mother’s body will produce more endorphins, nature’s own relaxants. HypnoBirthing mothers may still experience sensations of tightening or pressure; but most describe their birth experience as working with their body through the sensations, and thus avoiding the excruciating pain that is frequently spoken of by women who choose other methods of preparation for birthing.

What if my doctor/midwife is not familiar with HypnoBirthing? Can I still use this method and how can my healthcare providers help me to achieve my HypnoBirthing goals?
More and more care providers are becoming aware of the benefits of HypnoBirthing. If your care giver is not knowledgeable about HypnoBirthing, take the opportunity early in your pregnancy to discuss the techniques you will be using and the type of calm birthing environment that you desire. In class, you will learn how to create a plan of Birth Preferences, which will help you to communicate your birthing goals and preferences to your doctor or midwife.