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I interviewed Charlotte, founder of Bloom Hypnobirthing, on the occasion of the imminent birth of Archie, Meghan Markle's son and Prince Harry. According to the British mentors, the Duchess of Sussex had opted for hypnosis with the intention of preparing for a birth that was as natural as possible , something that Kate Middleton, Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie or Gisele Bundchen also chose in their day.

Radio, television, tabloid programs ... Everyone talked about this topic , so I went in search of this well-known hypnotherapy instructor in the Norwich area, to explain to me what exactly hypnosis was during delivery, and that I only saw the image of a very serious man exclaiming: "One, two, three ... sleep!"

Yes, I confess my reluctance starts l. I thought: "One more that the milonga is going to tell me that giving birth does not have to be something painful, but a wonderful, serene and almost pleasant experience. Again, they will emphasize the importance of our children being born free of epidural and "shout pelao", as Mother Nature commands. " But no, I was wrong. Charlotte managed to break down my prejudices and change my whole concept of the matter.

COMPLETE PRENATAL EDUCATION

She, who is the mother of three children, explained to me that hypnosis is not only a method that teaches future mothers to relax deeply and allow their bodies to give birth as biologically they are designed to do so, but that it is a complete prenatal education aimed at releasing fears around childbirth, giving them confidence before the arrival of their baby . In addition to learning methods of self hypnosis, massage techniques and visualization, hypnotism teaches that the path taken by the baby's arrival does not matter.

That is, the pregnant woman is informed that labor and birth are unpredictable and that, although it is important to focus on the type of birth they would like to have, on the way they can find surprises or potholes. Together with the couple, who also attend the course, they are encouraged to think about all possible birth scenarios; as, for example, that after trying the vaginal delivery, the mother finally, by decision of the specialist, required a caesarean section (as happened to Charlotte herself with her last child).

That was exactly what conquered me, the fact that this technique considers all the options of childbirth, something tremendously strengthening for a woman. With this philosophy rooted in the mind of a pregnant woman, whatever happens next in the delivery room, in the end she will feel satisfied and full of happiness , instead of feeling as if she had "failed" in some way. Something, which, unfortunately, happens on many occasions.

FEELING OF SCAM

Because the problem with hypnotherapy comes when certain people offer you this technique as a substitute for pain , when they sell you the bike that you are going to fall into a hypnotic state in which each contraction will be more or less like feeling an orgasm. But then reality comes and with it the feeling of fraud .

I fully understand certain criticisms of the technique that I have read recently in some maternity forums, in which many mothers let off steam complaining that they have felt cheated .

This is what happens when they sell you a delivery as if they were convincing you to buy the thermomix; This is what happens after all when, very quietly and subliminally, they put a first-time in the head that without a doubt "a childbirth" is the best for your child.

That is why it is tried and therefore, when the thing ends in caesarean section or begging the epidural, in the end, and despite having given birth to a healthy and precious creature, you feel as if you are the worst mother in the world.

DO NOT OVERCOME THE PAIN, BUT THE FEAR

Carmen Martín Martínez, who is a midwife specializing in hypnotherapy at the maternity center, Mamá Mimada, in Ciudad Real, is resounding and denies that hypnosis is an alternative to the epidural as such . "It is a way to understand why it is important to feel instead of rejecting any physical sensation. Hypnosis is what you want to overcome the fear of pain, not the pain itself , while arguing the fact that a birth does not it must be painful by definition, "he explains.

Because the pain in childbirth, no matter how subjective it is and that some women experience it to a greater or lesser extent than others, exists. "Transcending that pain is not an easy task and requires a very constant commitment and practice, since it implies a radical change in our belief system regarding childbirth that resides in our subconscious mind, which costs a lot to access. Hypnosis facilitates access to the subconscious, but does not guarantee that the habit or limiting belief can be changed (something that is not true, but that we perceive it as true and we consider it good), "says this midwife, who ensures that her goal is that the maximum number of women be able to trust the process, "eliminating any expectation and accepting with serenity the way in which the baby finally decides to come into the world".

OXITOCINE AND CONTRACTIONS

The pain will be there, but the key is to eliminate the fear of feeling it. And that is what you learn in these courses. The elimination of this fear is absolutely key to a positive birth experience , since when fear is present so is adrenaline, a hormone that prevents the progress of labor.

When we are scared or stressed, our body goes into freezing , fighting or flight mode , something that in childbirth translates into a stampede of blood, which will go away from the muscles of the uterus - where it is most needed - to our extremities. This causes the muscles of the uterus to seize or contract, which explains why so much pain is experienced.

Simply put: if fear is removed , tension is removed , and with it the sensation of pain (or, at least, so much pain). On the other hand, a mother who is calm, relaxed and feels safe will produce more oxytocin, the hormone that will allow her contractions to be more effective and that will ensure that the baby receives an abundant amount of oxygenated blood through the placenta , which will make both mother and baby cope better with labor.

In addition, a mother who produces oxytocin will also produce endorphins, the body's natural hormone that relieves pain, which means that labor will be more comfortable.

SUGGESTIONABILITY DEGREE

Carmen Martín says that the hypnosis of television shows has little or nothing to do with therapeutics. "You have the idea that hypnosis can make you lose control, but the truth is that no one can be hypnotized if they really do not want it. This is influenced by the so-called degree of suggestibility, which varies in each person. The more suggestible you will be more effective hypnosis, but in most cases you can benefit from a state of inner calm that, depending on the degree of suggestibility, will be more or less intense, "says the instructor.

This state, the professionals say, is achieved by practicing different breathing and relaxation techniques constantly during pregnancy , as well as listening to hypnotic scripts, which are simply guided relaxation focused on empowering the future mother so that gain firm confidence in yourself and the full certainty that the birth of your baby will happen the way it has to be.

DO NOT REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF CESAREAS OR EPIDURAL

But ... does it work or not? It depends on what each one understands to function, that is, the objective that each mother has in mind when enrolling in the course.

If a pregnant woman approaches this technique to dodge the epidural or avoid a C-section, we have to say that several independent studies that have been done in this regard (especially in the United Kingdom and the US) have not found differences between women who they prepare for childbirth with self hypnosis and those who attend conventional lifelong classes .

What these investigations have reported is a higher number of safer mothers when facing childbirth , with fewer fears and more prepared to face the circumstances, surprises or incidents that may arise during and after the birth of their son. That is no small thing .

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