An expert tells Meera Murugesan that hypno-birthing helps calm mothers-to-be during labour
EXCRUCIATING pain is often portrayed as the most significant aspect of childbirth and it’s a fact that strikes fear in mothers-to-be. It doesn’t help either that most women frequently share horror stories about their deliveries.
FEAR FACTOR
Fear is the reason most women end up overly stressed and anxious during childbirth, explains Dr Tan Ee Ping, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at CT Woman & Child Specialist Clinic in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
When women feel extreme fear during labour, their muscles become very tense, the cervix doesn’t dilate (open) wide enough and they have a difficult delivery.
“This is why some women end up pushing for hours during labour with no results and in the end, the vacuum or forceps is used to get the baby out,” says Dr Tan.
But there are ways for women to naturally manage the fear and pain of childbirth for a calm, stress-free delivery. Hypno-birthing is one such approach.
ADDRESSING LABOUR WOES
Dr Tan, a certified hypno-birthing practitioner, says it helps a woman to stay relaxed and focused during childbirth and is a pain management technique that can be used by all pregnant women.
Through self-hypnosis, special breathing techniques and visualisation, women are taught to release all prior programming about childbirth, and learn to trust their body and work with it for a safe delivery.
Contrary to what its name implies, a hypno-birthing mother will not be in a trance or sleep state. She remains fully alert and the techniques she has learnt will enable her to stay calm, relaxed and better able to cope with pain throughout the progression of labour.
During hypno-birthing classes mothers are taught about nutrition and the various different birth positions, the advantages of each and the importance of having a birth plan.
“Why do women give birth lying on their backs when there may be other more comfortable positions? Sometimes this is just for the convenience of medical personnel,” says Dr Tan.
In hypno-birthing, fathers are also birthing companions and during classes, they will be taught, among other things, special massage techniques to make their wives feel more comfortable during labour.
BETTER FOR BABY
“In hypno-birthing, we never tell mothers to push during labour. Instead of pushing, they will breathe down the baby,” explains Dr Tan.
When mums are very relaxed and continuously focused on their breathing, the baby comes out slowly and gently, so much so that some mothers are not even aware that they have delivered.
Dr Tan says hypno-birthing also helps a woman to feel more comfortable during labour even without pain relief medicines or techniques.
“There are two moments when I see a woman calm during childbirth, one is with epidural and another with hypno-birthing.”
Because hypno-birthing mothers are relaxed and unafraid, there’s also better oxygen supply for the baby. On the contrary, when women are tense, the uterus also tenses and blood cannot reach it, so babies may end up with lack of oxygen.
Similarly, if women are terrified, screaming and shouting, their breathing is affected and the baby will also not get enough oxygen.
MANY BENEFITS
Hypno-birthing can also help to cut down on the Caesarean rate and reduce the need for an episiotomy (surgical cut to enlarge the vaginal opening to speed up delivery and avoid tearing). Since the baby comes out very slowly there is less chance of tearing in the vaginal area.
Where Caesareans are concerned, Dr Tan says the rate is going up worldwide and this is a cause for concern. In some countries it’s as high as 90 per cent, mainly in South America. Malaysia will also catch up unless we do something about it.
Government hospitals have already doubled their Caesarian rates from 10 years ago. It now stands at 25-30 per cent of all deliveries, while it’s between 30 and 60 per cent in private hospitals.
She believes that there is a need to cut back on unnecessary Caesareans. However, she stresses, although hypno-birthing teaches a mother to follow her natural instinct during childbirth, these women are not left on their own. They deliver under a doctor’s supervision and if medical intervention is necessary, it is given.
For example, if during labour, there is a medical need for the mother to be induced or to have a Caesarean for a safe delivery, it will be done.
Dr Tan says hypno-birthing doesn’t stop medical intervention but hypno-birthing mothers are better equipped to ask doctors the right questions before an intervention so they understand why it needs to be done.
Their coping mechanism also means they are better prepared to handle any birthing situation.
“With hypno-birthing you are alert, drug-free and in control of your mind during labour,” she says.
MOTHERS SPEAK OUT
FOR second-time mum Aishah Sinclair, the birth of her daughter, Aina Elisabeth in April this year was a beautiful experience thanks to hypno-birthing. She says the classes helped ensure she had a calm and natural birth experience.
The television personality chose hypno-birthing because she wanted a drug-free birth, the freedom to move around and try whatever position was comfortable to her during labour instead of lying down or being strapped to machines.
She says: “Hypno-birthing teaches you to be confident of your ability as a woman and what your body is capable of.”
Besides attending hypno-birthing classes, she also did yoga and went for walks during her pregnancy to keep healthy.
For Cheah Joon Li, the birth of her daughter Abigale two years ago was an equally memorable experience. Although she had contractions on and off for almost a week before actual labour, she managed to stay calm and confident.
When it finally came time to go to the hospital, she was in the labour room for two days. If not for the techniques she had learnt during hypno-birthing classes, Cheah says she would not have been able to cope with the situation.
She managed to ward off fear and anxiety, and like Aishah, had a safe, drug-free delivery.
“When you learn to trust your body, it can do wonders.”
Details at www.facebook.com/HypnoBirthinginMalaysia.