Natal Hypnotherapy
Having learnt self-hypnosis while pregnant, to help with the birth of her first child, Maggie Howell, the founder of Natal Hypnotherapy, went on to give birth to her eldest son, Joseph, at home in a relaxed and comfortable environment."When Maggie first mentioned that she was going to use self-hypnosis for her first labour, I was sceptical as to whether she would be able to achieve this. During her labour I was happy to be proved wrong. Her ability to remain relaxed, totally in control, yet fully communicative throughout the experience was impressive." Judy Aitkin, NHS midwife.
Ria Haydon, NHS midwife agrees: "Maggie 's demeanour was calm. She appeared to be 'sleeping ' during most of her contractions, breathing slightly more deeply as they peaked. She used no pharmacological methods of pain relief and conducted her labour and delivery entirely under self-hypnosis. She appeared to experience no pain and very little discomfort throughout."
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The midwives were so impressed with the effects that they asked Maggie to talk to local antenatal clinics about her experiences. Maggie then decided to give up a successful career in the events and conference industry and train to be a Clinical Hypnotherapist. The aim then, and now, was to use the power of hypnosis to help women overcome their fear of birth and enable them to be more in control and manage the physical sensations involved in child birth.
Maggie developed the Natal Hypnotherapy CDs as a result of her research and hypnotherapy work with individual mothers and antenatal groups. She has since used the techniques herself for the births of her second and third son. Maggie is a Doula (trained birth companion) and currently works with midwives, antenatal groups and hospitals running workshops and classes. She also runs 'effective birth preparation ' courses for couples teaching them how to use hypnosis for an instinctive birth as well as training workshops for birth professionals.
What is Natal Hypnotherapy?
Natal Hypnotherapy can help women have a positive pregnancy and birth experience. The award winning self-hypnosis programme is for use throughout pregnancy, childbirth and afterwards. Mothers using the CDs learn self-hypnosis techniques, relaxation and guided visualisation to help them be more confident, create a state of calm and relaxation, increase bonding with their baby and maximise their body 's natural potential.
Self-hypnosis has been clinically proven to reduce pain in childbirth, reduce medical intervention, overcome fear, increase control and shorten labour - all key issues that affect a woman 's birthing experience.
Maggie Howell explains, "Regularly listening to the CDs helps women increase their belief that giving birth is a natural event, not something to fear. By being relaxed, confident and skilled at effective breathing and relaxation techniques, women go into labour feeling positive and prepared. This alone helps the body birth more effectively, reducing the tension and adrenaline, which cause much of the pain in childbirth. With the pain management techniques learnt with the programme, women are far more likely to have a better birth experience."
Read More From Our Child Birth Section
More about Hypnotherapy here |
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