What Is the Fight-or-Flight Response?

The fight-or-flight response, also known as the acute stress response, refers to a physiological
reaction that occurs in the presence of something that is terrifying, either mentally or physically.
The response is triggered by the release of hormones that prepare your body to either stay and deal
with a threat or to run away to safety.
The fight-or-flight response was first described in the 1920s by American physiologist Walter
Cannon.
Cannon realized that a chain of rapidly occurring reactions inside the body helped to mobilize the
body's resources to deal with threatening circumstances.Today the fight-or-flight response is
recognized as part of the first stage of Hans Selye's general adaptation syndrome, a theory
describing the stress response.

What Happens During the Fight-or-Flight Response?

In response to acute stress, the body's sympathetic nervous system is activated due to the sudden
release of hormones. The sympathetic nervous systems stimulate the adrenal glands triggering the
release of catecholamines, which include adrenaline and noradrenaline. This results in an increase
in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. After the threat is gone, it takes between 20 to 60
minutes for the body to return to its pre-arousal levels.
You can probably think of a time when you experienced the fight-or-flight response.
In the face of something frightening, your heart beat quickened, you begin breathing faster, and
your entire body become tense and ready to take action. This response can happen in the face of an
imminent physical danger (such as encountering a growling dog during your morning jog) or as a
result of a more psychological threat (such as preparing to give a big presentation at school or
work).

The Importance of the Fight-or-Flight Response

The fight-or-flight response is also known as the acute stress response. Essentially, the response
prepares the body to either fight or flee the threat. It is also important to note that the response can
be triggered due to both real and imaginary threats.
By priming your body for action, you are better prepared to perform under pressure. The stress
created by the situation can actually be helpful, making it more likely that you will cope effectively
with the threat. This type of stress can help you perform better in situations where you are under
pressure to do well, such as at work or school. In cases where the threat is life threatening, the fight-
or-flight response can actually play a critical role in your survival. By gearing you up to fight or
flee, the fight-or-flight response makes it more likely that you will survive the danger.
One thing to remember is that while the fight-or-flight response happens automatically, that does
not mean that it is always accurate.
Sometimes we respond in this way even when there is no real threat. Phobias are good examples of
how the fight-or-flight response might be triggered in the face of a perceived threat. A person who
is terrified of heights might begin to experience the acute stress response when he has to go the top
floor of a skyscraper to attend a meeting. His body might go on high alert as his heart beat and
respiration rate increase. When this response becomes severe, it may even lead to a panic attack.
Understanding the body's natural fight-or-flight response is one way to help cope with such
situations. When you notice that you are becoming tense, you can start looking for ways to calm
down and relax your body.
The stress response is one of the major topics studied in the rapidly-growing field of health
psychology. Health psychologists are interested in helping people find ways to combat stress and
live healthier, more productive lives. By learning more about the fight-or-flight response,
psychologists can help people explore new ways to deal with their natural reaction to stress.
More Psychology Definitions: The Psychology Dictionary
References

Cannon, W.B (1915). Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear and Rage: An Account of Recent Researches into the Function of
Emotional Excitement. Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Harari, P., & Legge, K. (2001). Psychology and Health. London: Heinemann Educational Publishers.

Teatero, M.L., & Penney, A.M. (2015). Fight-or-flight response. In I. Milosevic & R.E. McCabe, (Eds.), Phobias: The
Psychology of Irrational Fear. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood.

What is hypnosis for labor?

Hypnosis is a state of deep mental and physical relaxation that enables the hypnotized person to
focus intensely on a thought or feeling, blocking outside distractions. In this state, proponents say,
the mind is more open to suggestions that change our beliefs and behavior. When a woman prepares
for childbirth with hypnosis, these suggestions aim to replace fear and expectations of pain with
confident expectations of a safe, gentle even comfortable birth.
Getting hypnotized doesn't involve a sinister man swinging his pocket watch in front of your eyes,
telling you you're getting sleepy. In the most popular hypnosis for childbirth programs, women
learn to hypnotize themselves, using techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and
affirmations or hypnosis scripts. For example, a woman using this technique may concentrate on the
sound of her deep breathing, taking her further into a hypnotic state, and visualize her baby easing
downward with each breath.
In childbirth hypnosis programs, women and their partners are also taught a new vocabulary to
describe labor and birth, to break the traditional association of birth with pain. For instance, women
may call a contraction a surge or refer to dilation as blossoming.
While the idea of entering an altered mental state gives some people goose bumps, hypnotherapists
say we all experience this state in our everyday lives. Daydreaming, being deeply engrossed in a
book or movie, or driving someplace and having no memory of the journey when you arrive are
described as examples of the hypnotic state.
Hypnotherapists also stress that you can't be made to do something that is against your will or ethics
while in hypnosis, that you can choose to come back to your normal state whenever you wish, and
that you are fully awake, aware, and in control during the experience.
How does hypnosis for labor work?
Hypnosis advocates give several explanations of how the process works. One theory holds that
when a woman feels fear during childbirth, her body releases stress hormones that trigger the body's
"fight or flight" response. This causes muscles to tighten and interferes with the birthing process.
By training the subconscious mind to expect a safe, gentle birth, they say, women can avoid going
into the fight-or-flight state, allowing for a smoother birth.
"The subconscious mind is responsible for many of our bodily functions, and it's also the house of
our belief systems," says Rachel Yellin, a HypnoBirthing instructor in San Francisco, California.
"In this state of relaxation we fill the mother's mind with positive images and associations of birth,
so she can call on these while she's giving birth. It's combining the positive powers of the mind with
the natural animal body."
Proponents say women can respond to hypnotic suggestions so well that they release "feel-good"
hormones, such as endorphins and serotonin, while giving birth. This, they say, relaxes the mother's
muscles and nervous system to the point that she feels less pain or even no pain at all.
The idea that hypnosis might ease labor by helping women avoid the fight-or-flight state hasn't been
verified in studies. However, it makes sense based on experts' understanding of how the body
works, says William Camann, director of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital in
Boston, Massachusetts, and author of Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain
and More Joy During Childbirth.
"For example, relaxation can lower maternal levels of circulating catecholamines [stress hormones],
and lower levels of catecholamines can facilitate uterine contractions. The converse is also true
heightened stress and fear can elevate catecholamines, which can slow or stop labor," says Camann.
Camann says there's also validity to the practice of using a gentler vocabulary to describe birth. He
points to a 2010 study he published, which found that when doctors used intimidating language to
describe the injection of local anesthetic before placing an epidural for instance, "This will feel
like a big bee sting; it will be the most painful part of the experience" women rated the injection
as more painful than when doctors used gentler language, describing the sensation as a small pinch.
"The words we use are very powerful," he says.

How effective is hypnosis for labor?

Unlike a pill or procedure, therapies such as hypnosis are difficult to evaluate scientifically, says
Camann. A 2004 review of previous research concluded that better-quality studies are needed, but
noted several studies finding women who used hypnosis needed less pain relief medication and
rated their pain as less severe. With outcomes such as c-section rates and length of labor, the results
were more mixed.
Hypnosis proponents don't promise a pain-free birth but say many of their students feel only
discomfort or a sensation of pressure well into labor, or all the way through delivery. They cite
other benefits as well. The HypnoBirthing program reports that surveys of its clients found that 23
percent of women who used the technique for a vaginal birth got an epidural, compared with a
national average of greater than 50 percent, and that 17 percent delivered via c-section, compared
with the national rate of 32 percent.
"We've now had thousands of birth stories from women who had completely pain-free births," says
Kerry Tuschhoff, founder of the HypnoBabies program. "But it's dependent on whether they've
learned, practiced, and used the techniques as directed. If they do that, they will have a better birth."
Camann notes that anecdotally, he does see benefits. "I've seen many patients who've used epidurals
and hypnosis. This is just a generalization, but it usually goes better than with the average woman
having an epidural," he says. "In my experience, the patients are quieter and more relaxed, even if it
got to the point where they're asking for an epidural. It's a nice environment I like being present
for these births."
As Camann notes, part of this may be due to these moms' extensive preparation for the birth.
Compared with women who take a short childbirth preparation class or no class at all, women who
try this technique have often attended a class series, listened to hypnosis CDs daily, and practiced
for hours at home.

What are the advantages of using hypnosis for labor?

Although better research is needed, some studies have shown that mothers using hypnosis in
childbirth use less pain medication and rate their pain as less severe. Anecdotally, some mothers
who used hypnosis report feeling little or even no pain. Others report less success. Hypnosis may be
a good choice for moms who want a pain relief option other than medication. And unlike
medication, hypnosis has no side effects or risks.
Hypnosis programs for childbirth present birth as gentle, perhaps even comfortable, and teach
women that they can rely on their body and mind to get through the process. For some women, this
is in keeping with their beliefs about birth, and they may find a hypnosis program the best childbirth
preparation class for them.

What are the disadvantages?

Learning self-hypnosis takes time and money. Both HypnoBabies and HypnoBirthing teach their
techniques through a class series although HypnoBabies also offers a home study course and
both want you to practice at home. The programs run about $200 to $500, depending on where you
live.
Because many women who study self-hypnosis for childbirth hope to avoid pain medications or
medical interventions, it's possible you'll feel disappointed if you wind up asking for an epidural or
needing interventions.

Who can't use hypnosis during labor?

If you can afford the time and money to learn it, virtually anyone can use self-hypnosis, say
proponents. Tuschoff says the only real requirement is the willingness to hear the suggestions and
believe them.
"If you're following the program and accepting what you're hearing as your new belief system, it's
going to work as best as it possibly can," she says. "People who may not have as good results may
think it's neat, but their belief system is that it won't work for them or that they don't deserve for it
to work. In these cases, they can block any message that comes through."
Although many moms who study self-hypnosis for childbirth hope to avoid medications,
interventions, and c-section delivery, self-hypnosis can help women in any type of delivery,
proponents say.

Where can I learn hypnosis for childbirth?

In the United States, there are two major programs for teaching hypnosis for childbirth:
HypnoBirthing
What it is: HypnoBirthing instructors describe the program as a philosophy of gentle birth as much
as a technique. HypnoBirthing relies upon body positioning and relaxation, breathing exercises,
affirmations, and visualization to put the mother into a deeply relaxed state, along with "hypnotic
anesthesia" techniques.
How it's taught: A series of five two-and-a-half hour classes. You can also buy the HypnoBirthing
book and Rainbow CD set the same materials used in class on the HypnoBirthing website and
study them on your own. Homework isn't required, but instructors suggest listening to the CDs
daily.
How much it costs: About $275 to $550 for a class series, depending on the instructor and location,
or $33 for the HypnoBirthing book and the Rainbow CD set.
HypnoBabies
What it is: HypnoBabies aims to put women into the deepest state of hypnosis, called
somnambulistic hypnosis, which they say provides the most comfortable birth.
How it's taught: Your choice of a six-week class series or a home study program. Be prepared to
practice a lot the program requires 45 minutes of practice a night, which instructors say helps
"compound" the suggestions in the mom's subconscious.
How much it costs: $200 to $400 for a class series, depending on the instructor and location, or
$144 for a home-study course.

Research & Statistics

Hypnosis in labour and childbirth - scientific research and studies

This is where you'll find links to articles about scientific

research into the use of hypnosis for labour and childbirth.
Journal of Family Practice - "Effects of Hypnosis on the Labor Processes and Birth Outcomes of
Pregnant Adolescents" states in its conclusion that:
Our study provides support for the use of hypnosis to aid in preparation of obstetric patients for
labour and delivery. The reduction of complications, surgery, and hospital stay show direct medical
benefit to mother and child and suggest the potential for a corresponding cost-saving benefit.
Effect of hypnosis on length of labour
Hao et al in China measured the effect of nursing suggestions to labouring women and
recommends that the conversation of the nurses be "controlled carefully for the purpose of
advancing the birth process". This randomized control trial examined 60 first time mothers with a
matched control group of 60 first time mothers and found a statistically significant reduction in the
lengths of the first and second stages of labour.
Jenkins and Pritchard found a reduction of 3 hours for prim gravid women (from 9.3 hours to 6.4
hours) and 1 hour for multi gravid women (from 6.2 hours to 5.3 hours) for active labour (262
subjects and 600 controls). Pushing was statistically shorter for first time mothers (from 50 min to
37 min).
In a study that compared hypnosis and Lamaze training, 96 women chose between hypnosis (n=45)
and Lamaze (n=51). The first stage of labour was shortened in the hypnosis group by 98 minutes for
first time mothers and by 40 minutes for second time mothers. These women were more satisfied
with labour and reported other benefits of hypnosis such as reduced anxiety and help with getting to
sleep.
A British study found a statistically significant reduction in the length of labour of first and second
time mothers: 70 hypnosis patients (6 h 21 min) compared to 70 relaxation patients (9 h 28 min)
and 70 control group (9 h 45 min).
Mellegren noted a reduction of two to three hours of labour.
Abramson and Heron found a shorter first stage of labour for 100 women trained with hypnosis (by
3.23 hours) compared to a control group of 88 women. Forty-five Hypnosis for Childbirth clients
(first time mothers) had an average of 4.5 hours for the active labour, a significant reduction
compared to the usual 12 hours.

Medication use
In a British study, 55% of 45 patients (first and second time mothers) required no medication for
pain relief. In the other non-hypnosis groups, only 22% of 90 women required no medication. Two
research pieces reported on 1,000 consecutive births: 850 women used hypnotic analgesia resulting
in 58 percent rate of no medication. Five other research pieces reported an incidence of 60 to 79
percent non-medicated births.
A retrospective survey notes an epidural rate of 18 percent in Southern Ontario, where the epidural
rate in most hospitals is 40 to 95 percent (depending on the setting) for first time mothers.

Rates of Intervention
In a randomized control trial of 42 teenagers in Florida, none of the 22 patients in the hypnosis
group experienced surgical intervention compared with 12 of the 20 patients in the control group
(p=.000). Twelve patients in the hypnosis group experienced complications compared with 17 in the
control group (p=.047).
Harmon, Hynan and Tyre reported more spontaneous deliveries, higher Agpar scores and reduced
medication use in their study of 60 women. Of the 45 Hypnosis for Childbirth clients, 38 delivered
without the use of caesarean, forceps or vacuum, a rate of spontaneous birth of 84%. This is a
higher than average rate of normal birth for the general population of first time mothers.

Postpartum
In a randomized control trial of 42 teenagers in Florida, only 1 patient in the hypnosis group had a
hospital stay of more than two days compared with 8 patients in the control group (p=.008).

Postnatal Depression
McCarthy provided five 30-minute sessions to 600 women and found a virtual absence of
postpartum depression, compared to the typical rates of 10 to 15 percent. Women with a history of
postpartum depression did not develop this condition, even though an estimated 50 percent
eventually do. Harmon et al also reported lower depression scores in the hypnotically treated group.

Research on the Internet

Medline: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Hypnosis Research: http://www.hypnosis-research.org
It appears that a simple intervention, hypnotherapy, has far-reaching effects both medically and
socially. Some, but not all, of the above studies are randomized, have large numbers, include
control groups and demonstrate statistical significance. There remains, therefore, a clear need for
more research, in the use of hypnosis for childbirth preparation.

Research on the Internet

Medline: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
Hypnosis Research: http://www.hypnosis-research.org

HOW Does it works?

Publicized by celebrity moms like Jessica Alba and Tiffani Thiessen, self-hypnosis in childbirth has
been around for centuries, according to experts. However, only in the last three decades have
classes begun to develop under different programs such as "HypnoBirthing - The Mongan Method,"
"Hypnobabies," "The Leclaire Hypnobirthing Method," and "Hypbirth."
Despite the variety of programs, the philosophy remains the same: nature intended for women to
give birth relatively easily, but the fear of childbirth incites physical pain.
"We have convinced ourselves that labor is risky," says Marie Mongan, MEd, MHy, founder of
HypnoBirthing - The Mongan Method.
Fear during labor activates our primal fight-or-flight mechanism, causing stress hormones called
catecholamines to slow down digestion, make the heart speed up, force blood to the arms and legs,
and ultimately deplete blood flow to the uterus, creating uterine pain and hindering the labor
process.
According to Mongan, who is a hypnotherapist and hypnoanesthesiologist, it is physically
impossible for the body to be relaxed and in fight-or-flight mode. By replacing fear with relaxation,
a different set of chemicals come into play: oxytocin, labor hormones called prostaglandins, and
endorphins combine to relax the muscles and create a sense of comfort.
What Hypnobirthing Teaches
"At my very first pregnancy appointment, I said I want to do this without drugs,'" Wall recalls. But
when she brought up the popular Bradley method, which focuses heavily on the support of a
childbirth partner to help cope with pain, her doctor suggested hypnobirthing as an easier
alternative.
Wall and her husband took Mongan's HypnoBirthing course, consisting of five classes, 2 1/2 hours
each. Courses cost between $275 to $350, depending on location and provider.
With the help of a course book and hypnosis CDs, Wall and her husband learned breathing and
visualization techniques. She was taught to envision an easy birth, with her cervix opening wide,
allowing the baby to come out effortlessly.
Every day, they practiced affirmations like, "I relax and my baby relaxes," and "My baby is the
perfect size for my body." Her husband later repeated those key phrases to her as he coached her
during labor.
Wall says daily practice helped her eliminate distractions and reach a state of deep relaxation earlier
each time.
She also learned to reject references to difficulty during childbirth, replacing the words
"contraction" and "pain," with terms such as "surge" and "sensation" instead.
Other hypnobirthing courses teach similar techniques with some variations.
"Hypnobabies" trains mothers to self-hypnotize with their eyes completely open during the process,
says Carol Thorpe, one of its hypnotherapist doulas. Thorpe says the course also provides
comprehensive childbirth training beyond self-hypnosis.
Still other hypnobirthing methods allow for parents to take a whole course in one day, or entirely at
home.

Calm Approach
Diana Weihs, MD, Wall's delivering ob-gyn, estimates about 5% of her patients have used
hypnobirthing.
"There's something that's gentler that is not there with the Bradley method," she says. "It's harder to
watch Bradley patients, knowing that their pain management is not as effective," says Weihs, a
fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
She attributes the growing popularity of hypnobirthing partly to the method's openness to medical
intervention when necessary, an attitude that she says is often lacking among Bradley patients.

Calm Approach continued...

Nurse-midwife Megan Sapp, CNM, FNP, says her Maryland-based practice sees about 40% of
patients using hypnobirthing, another 40% using the Bradley method, and the rest using other
methods including Lamaze, meditative calm birthing, Birthing from Within, and more.
Sapp tells WebMD that moms who use hypnobirthing tend to have shorter labors compared to other
methods.
A 2006 review of five existing studies showed that women who used hypnobirthing techniques
were about half as likely to use painkiller drugs, and about one-third as likely to use an epidural.

Safety First
Regardless of the specific hypnobirthing program, there is always the possibility that things don't go
as planned during labor, says David Keefe, MD, professor and chairman of obstetrics and
gynecology at New York University's Langone Medical Center.
"It's very safe," he says. "However, the key to a successful natural childbirth is having the attitude
that you're doing this for yourself, not to please anyone else, and if you can't continue with it for
whatever reason, there is nothing wrong with quitting," says Keefe, who is a fellow of the American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Keefe says that expectant moms using hypnobirthing should choose a doctor who fully supports the
method, and he recommends the delivery take place in a hospital with rapid access to emergency C-
section facilities and a neonatal care unit in case of complications.
"This was by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," says Wall, who admits she did feel
intense pain during childbirth, though it was not sharp. "But my experience was perfect. People see
my son at the grocery store and say what a peaceful baby he is, and I feel hypnobirthing contributed
that to him."

What is HypnoBirthing?
What is HypnoBirthing you ask? HypnoBirthing is a tried and proven method that guides and
prepares a woman in giving birth in a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful manner. It is a program
a that considers the psychological, as well as the physical, well-being of the mother, her birth
partner, and the newborn, independent of context, whether that be in the quiet of a home, a hospital,
or a birth center.
The HypnoBirthing program is built around an educational process that includes special
breathing, relaxation, visualization, meditative practice, attention to nutrition and positive body
toning. Most importantly it fosters an air of mutual respect for the birthing family, as well as the
health-care provider in a traditional health-care system or an alternative setting.
We know you have many choices and many decisions to make for your birthing experience. You
have choices in selecting your care provider; you have choices in selecting the environment in
which you will bring your baby into the world. Another important choice is that of the childbirth
education classes you will choose to prepare for the birth of your baby. We know you will be happy
with your choice of HypnoBirthing.

The HypnoBirthing Premise

For most of their lives, women have been inundated with the negative stories of other womens
birth experiences. Everyone, from their mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, and even strangers,
wants to tell them the horrors of giving birth. They have been conditioned to believe that
excruciating pain is associated with labor; and because of this, women today hold an unprecedented
fear of giving birth. This extreme fear causes their bodies to become tense, and that tension
prohibits their bodies from easily performing a normal physiological function. The result is exactly
what they feared mostlong, painful birthing or unnecessary intervention.
People who are drawn to HypnoBirthing have long been searching for a way to give birth
confidently and as calmly, safely, and gently as possible, whether they have chosen to birth in a
hospital, a birthing center, or at home. Until HypnoBirthing, this kind of birthing almost seemed
unattainable for the general population.
Through a very simple program of self-hypnosis and education, healthy, low-risk women, as well as
women who need medical assistance because of special circumstances, learn to dismiss fear-based
stories, misinformation, and birthing myths; and they are helped to see birth as normal. They learn
to trust that their bodies know how to bring their babies into the world in the calm and gentle way
that Nature intended.
Ive been a Labor & Birthing nurse for 17 years; and after attending HypnoBirthings,
Ill never look at birth in the same light. Its incredible.
Judy Richardson, RN
Traveling Nurse

What is a HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator?

HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educators are highly qualified birthing professionals who have
distinguished themselves through education, experience, motivation, and dedication to the
principles and philosophy of HypnoBirthing and mother-directed birthing. Additionally, each
must meet the requirements as set down by the Executive Board of the HypnoBirthing Institute.
Your close attention to the course evaluation will ensure that this remains so. To locate a
HypnoBirthing childbirth educator near you, click on our HypnoBirthing Educator Directory.
HypnoBirthing Classes are taught in a format of five, 2 1/2-hour classes. If you are very near to
your birthing time, occasionally your Practitioner can make special arrangements for individual
classes with you.
What will I learn?
This course will teach you:
An understanding of the workings of the bodys own natural epidural
Relaxation techniques that eliminate the Fear-Tension Syndrome
An understanding of why women in other cultures have easier, more comfortable birthings
How the mothers body is designed to work in neuromuscular harmony with nature
Proven hypnotic techniques to bring about easier, more comfortable labour and birthing
How to eliminate fear and replace it with confidence and understanding
The source of the myth that pain is a necessary accompaniment in normal birthing
How to teach the birthing companion hypnotic rapport
Specific techniques of hypnotic anesthesia
The three stages of labour
Relaxation skills for each Prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal periods.
And much more!

Course Content Introduction to Hypnosis for Birthing

You will learn:
 Applications of hypnosis
Attitudes about hypnosis
Basics of brainwave activity
Laws of the mind
Rationale for hypnosis in birthing
Understanding clients learning styles
Direct and permissive hypnosis approaches
Dangers of unqualified therapy
Steps to achieve hypnosis
Mind/Body associations and applications
Judging trance depth
Guidelines for achieving change
Eye fixation/closure
Elman Ericksonian & Shanti leads
Eyelift conversion lead
Deepening techniques
Post-hypnotic suggestions
Awakening and alerting

Course Content Introduction to Birthing Basics

You will learn about:

The beautiful female birthing body
Anatomy of the female reproductive system
Internal & external structures
Conception and early foetal development
Characteristics of the uterus - Fundus, Body & Cervix
The babys support system - Amniotic sac, Placenta & Umbilical cord
Three trimesters of pregnancy
Physical changes during pregnancy
Foetal positioning during pregnancy
Turning breech presented babies
Labour signals - Normal & Unanticipated
Characteristics of managed labour
Characteristics of HypnoBirthing labour
Onset of labour - Spontaneous & Induction techniques
Foetal positioning during birth
Labour stages as defined in typical birthing
Labour phases as defined in HypnoBirthing
Mother directed birthing

Course Content HypnoBirthing Practitioner Workshop

You will learn about:

The philosophy and beginnings of HypnoBirthing
How the uterus works in birthing
Whats wrong with labour
 How fear affects labour
The origin of fear and pain in labour
Prenatal bonding and fetology
Preparing the mind for birth
Hypnosis deepening and visualization
Releasing fear
Preparing the body for birthing
Building a partnership with care providers
Turning breech-presented babies
Looking at the due date
Avoiding artificial induction
Preparing the birth plan
How the body prepares for birth
Preparing medical care providers
The onset of labour
Perinatal bonding
Breathing through labour
Breathing with birth
Bonding with the baby

Certification

After your training, you will be asked to submit an assignment for marking, to assess your
understanding of the course. If you pass, you will then be accepted as a certified
HypnoBirthing Practitioner.

To maintain your certification status, you will also be required to undertake a certain amount of
continuing professional development full details will be provided if you decide to train.

Your program fee covers the entire series for mother and birthing partner:
All sessions/classes [approximately 12 hours of live instruction]
(3) videos online to view at your leisure at home {instead of during class, by special
permission of HypnoBirthings founder} including HypnoBirthing labor and birth along
with other related birthing topics {about 3 hours}
Birth Preference Plan
Birthing Partner Files including the Cheat Sheet
(2) MP3 tracks, (1) of relaxation + (1) of affirmations
All mothers and birthing partners receive almost 100 educational documents
Support via email/text/phone up to, during and even after your birth experience
BONUS
[not a part of the official HypnoBirthing syllabus]:
Happy Birthing Stories and other parent related information via Facebook
Birthing Story shared by a couple that studied with me
The Fourth Trimester & Beyond keys for successful parenting & a strong relationship with
your childs parent
Yoga Birthing Method tips and techniques to help your baby makes its journey down the
 birth path including a 26 page PDF
Facebook page where you can share with other classmates and couples that have taken the
series before you
Private sessions and intensives are available for those short on time or those who have rigorous
schedules, please contact One Birth At A Time for availability and pricing.
PLEASE NOTE:
Some insurance companies reimburse fees under Childbirth Education. I provide you with
CPT codes [the same ones we use at the hospital] and claim forms. Also, for couples with flexible
spending accounts benefits through their jobs, classes are tax-deductible.

What You Will Learn in HypnoBirthing Classes

Unit 1: Building A Positive Expectancy
Introduction to the remarkable HypnoBirthing philosophy
The History of Women and Birthing
Why and how you can have an easier, more comfortable, and safer birthing
How Nature perfectly designed womens bodies to birth
How to assist, rather than resist, your natural birthing instincts
The vocabulary for calm and gentle birthing.
Visualizing gentle births by viewing beautiful birthing videos
Unit 2: Falling in Love with Your Baby/Preparing Mind & Body
The remarkable mind of your newborn babyPrenatal bonding techniques
Rapid and instant self-relaxation techniques and deepening techniques
Breathing techniques for labor and birthing
Hypnotic relaxation and visualization
Selecting the right care provider
The Birth companions role in birthing
Preparing your body for birthing with massage and toning
Unit 3: Getting Ready to Welcome your Baby
Preparing Birth Preference Sheets
Preparing the Body for Birthing
Light Touch Labor Massage
Your body working for and with you
Avoiding artificial induction and achieving a natural start to labor
Releasing negative emotions, fears and limiting thoughts.
Unit 4: An overview of Birthing A Labor of Love
Onset of Labor Thinning and Opening Phase
Birth explained simply
Settling in at the hospital or birthing center
Preparing for home birth or babys choice of birth
As labor moves along passing time through labor
Hallmarks of labor
 If labor rests or slows Companions prompts and activities
As labor advances birthing with your baby
Protecting the natural birthing experience
Birth rehearsal imagery
Unit 5: Birth Breathing Love Bringing Life
Moving into birthing
Positions for descent and birthing
Breathing baby down to birth
Baby moves to the breast
Family bonding with your baby

Course Content
Segment 1: Prerequisite Courses
Introduction to Birth Basicsfor all persons who do not have a professional
background in birthing
Anatomy of The Female Reproductive System -Labor Signals
Conception and Early Fetal Development -Characteristics of Managed Labor
Characteristics of the Uterus -Characteristics of HypnoBirthing Labor
The Babys Support System -Labor Stages as Defned in Typical Birthing
Physical Changes during Pregnancy -Labor Phases as Defned in HypnoBirthing
Fetal Positioning during Pregnancy -Mother Directed Birthing
Turning Breech Presented Babies

Introduction to Hypnosis for Birthingfor all persons who do not have

certification in hypnosis
Understanding Hypnosis -Mind/Body Association and Application
Applications of Hypnosis -Judging Trance Depth
Attitudes about Hypnosis -Guidelines for Achieving Change
Basics of Brainwave Activity -ElmanEricksonianShanti Leads
Laws of the Mind -Eye-lift Conversion Lead
Rationale for Hypnosis in Birthing -Deepening Techniques
Understanding Clients Learning Styles -Posthypnotic Suggestions
Steps to Achieving Hypnosis -Alerting Techniques
Dangers of Unqualifed Therapy -Practice Exercises

Segment 2: HypnoBirthing Practitioner Essentials

HypnoBirthing Philosophy and Beginning -Looking at the Due Date
How the Uterus Works in Birthing -Avoiding Artifcial Induction
Whats Wrong with Labor -Preparing the Birth Preferences Sheets
How Fear Affects Labor -How the Body and Baby Work Together
Origin of Fear and Pain in Labor -The Onset of Labor
 Pre-Birth Parenting and Fetology -Breathing Through Labor
Selecting the Care Provider -The Hallmarks of Labor
Preparing The Mind and Body for Birth -Perinatal Bonding
Relaxation Techniques -Bonding with Baby
Releasing Fear and Limiting Thoughts -Labor Management Styles
Building a Partnership with Care Providers

Course Cost
Tuition for the 4 day training is $1395.00.
Please note:
*Introduction to Birth Basics: this is a pre-requisite for those attendees with no birthing
background.
**Introduction to Hypnosis for Birthing: this is pre- requisite for those attendees with no
hypnosis background.
Those candidates who need both pre-requisites will need to arrange to take the Introduction to
Birth Basics as an at home study, prior to the workshop. There is an additional charge of $120 for
the study package.

Do Not Disturb: The Importance of Privacy in

Labor
Judith A. Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE
Author information Copyright and License information
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

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Abstract
In nature, when a laboring animal feels threatened or disturbed, the stress hormone catecholamine
shuts down labor. Similarly, when a laboring woman does not feel safe or protected or when the
progress of her normal labor is altered, catecholamine levels rise and labor slows down or stops.
This column discusses the importance of providing labor support that respects the woman's privacy,
protects her from unnecessary interventions, insures her safety, and allows her to trust her inherent
ability to give birth normally.
Keywords: labor, normal birth, privacy, catecholamine

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Question
Animals, both those in the wild and domesticated animals, search out quiet, secluded spots in which
to give birth. And yet, across time and cultures, women giving birth have been attended by other
women. Research supports the value of continuous emotional and physical support, but I wonder if
there is something to be learned from animals' apparent need for seclusion in labor.

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Answer
You have identified an important, and often overlooked, need of women in labor. Michel Odent
notes that parturition is an involuntary process and an involuntary process cannot be helped. The
point is not to disturb it. (Odent, 1987, p. 105) The exquisite workings of normal, natural,
physiologic labor do not need to be improved. The more we learn about normal, physiologic birth,
the more respectful we become. We are just beginning to understand the hormonal orchestration of
labor and birth, and this provides a foundation for understanding the importance of not disturbing
the physiologic process of labor and birth.
In early labor, catecholamines (the stress hormones) have the potential to stop labor. When a
woman is very frightenedof pain, of the hospital, of the unknownlabor fails to progress.
Contractions can become very strong and difficult to handle or, more typically, they become
weaker. In both instances, the contractions become ineffective. Why should this be so? For animals
giving birth in the wild, fear of predators in early labor triggers catecholamine release and labor
stops, giving the animal time to move out of danger before labor begins again. Catecholamine
release and the temporary shutdown of labor protect the animal and her young. When birth is very
close, a surge of catecholamine takes place and, now, the result is quite different. A fetal-ejection
reflex appears to occur. In the wild, when birth is very close, getting the baby animal out quickly
allows the mother to move to safety.
Niles Newton studied the effect of the environment on the process of labor and birth in laboratory
mice. Her research documents the response of laboring mice to fear and stress. When the mice were
disturbed, especially by a lack of privacy, catecholamine surges shut down early labor. Later in
labor, hormone release was inhibited and the fetal-ejection reflex did not occur (Newton, 1987;
Newton, N., Foshee, & Newton, M., 1966). In both instances, nature responded to threats, potential
or real, in the birth environment and protected the mother and her young. Newton went on to
describe the similarities in the hormonal orchestration of making love, giving birth, and
breastfeeding. In each, hormones facilitate the processindeed, are integral to itand all are easily
disturbed.
When the mice were disturbed, especially by a lack of privacy, catecholamine surges
shut down early labor.

We, like other mammals, need to feel both safe and protected to give birth easily. If we do not feel
safe and protected in early labor, catecholamine levels rise and labor shuts down. Odent describes
the fetal-ejection reflex in women (Odent, 1987, 1992). During the second stage of labor, if the
hormone orchestration of normal labor has been altered (e.g., by the use of pitocin or epidural
analgesia), the fetal-ejection reflex does not occur.
Women choose to give birth in hospitals because they believe it is safer than birth outside the
hospital. In fact, laboring and giving birth in most hospitals create a set of physiologic responses
that actually occur when we feel unsafe and unprotected. In the typical hospital environment,
women are disturbed at every turnwith machines, intrusions, strangers, and a pervasive lack of
privacy. The shadow of things going terribly wrong at any moment follows women from one
contraction to another. Together, these fears contribute in powerful ways to the release of stress
hormones, moving women into an attitude of physiologic fight or flight. On an intellectual level, a
woman may believe that the hospital is a safe, protected environment, but her body reacts quite
differently. No matter what her head says, her body gets the message loud and clear. Her body
responds on a primal, intuitive level, kicking automatically into fight-or-flight mode and
dramatically altering the process of labor and birth. In choosing modern medical safety, women
are stressed physiologically, which makes labor and birth more difficult. The lack of attention to
women's inherent need to not be disturbed in the typical hospital environment has set the stage for
an almost 27% cesarean rate, the routine use of epidurals in labor, the high rates of augmentation of
labor, and the high incidence of instrument deliveries in the United States.
In the typical hospital environment, women are disturbed at every turnwith machines,
intrusions, strangers, and a pervasive lack of privacy.

How does labor support fit into this picture? Can labor support create a bubble, a cocoon, around
the laboring woman? Within the bubble, privacy is protected: Strangers are kept away (as much as
possible), information is filtered, and questions, interruptions, and intrusions are kept to a
minimum. Continuously supported, protected, and cared for, but not disturbed, the laboring woman
can let go of fear even in a busy maternity hospital. However, she will be disturbed if she feels she
is in a fish bowl being observed and evaluated. She will also be disturbed if she feels pressured to
progress quickly because the clock is ticking. Ideally, she is surrounded by family and professionals
who listen, watch, and quietly and patiently encourage her, making sure that she is not disturbed
and has the privacy she needs to do the work of labor.
After rereading Newton and Odent, I encourage expectant women to develop birth plans that
specifically address the need for privacy and the need to not be disturbed. In class, childbirth
educators need to address the importance of feeling safe and protected and the role that privacy
plays in both. Women need to know that privacy does not mean being alone. Privacy means not
being disturbed, being protected, and feeling safe as labor progresses. The best labor support will
protect a woman's privacy and insure that she is not disturbed so that she can tap into her inner
wisdom and dig deep to find the strength she needs to give birth. The strategies for insuring privacy
will be quite different depending on where the women in your classes plan to give birth (home,
birthing center, or hospital). Women need to know that labor and birth outside the hospital often
progresses more easily, at least in part because labor is less likely to be disturbed. Is a Do Not
Disturb policy possible in a hospital? Yes, but it will require more careful planning and excellent
labor support.
The best labor support will protect a woman's privacy and insure that she is not
disturbed so that she can tap into her inner wisdom and dig deep to find the strength she
needs to give birth.

When the trappings of medical birthmonitors, intravenous needles, hospital beds, and epidurals
fade away, when women are quietly and patiently encouraged and supported in exquisite privacy by
friends, family, and professionals who trust birth and trust each woman's inherent ability to give
birth, when women stop being disturbed in labor, many more women will give birth normally and
ecstatically.

Erratum
A figure was incorrectly reported in Carol Sakala's commentary on labor support in the volume 13,
number 2 issue of The Journal of Perinatal Education. The text should have indicated that, relative
to women who did not have continuous labor support, those who received continuous support from
someone who came into the hospital exclusively to provide this care were 33% less likely to be
dissatisfied with or negatively rate their birth experience (page 20). A discrepancy in the source is
also being corrected.

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References
Newton N. The fetus ejection reflex revisited. Birth. 1987;14(2):106108. [PubMed]
Newton N, Foshee D, Newton M. Experimental inhibition of labor through environmental
disturbance. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 1966;27(3):371377. [PubMed]
Odent M. The fetus ejection reflex. Birth. 1987;14(2):104105. [PubMed]
Odent M. 1992. The nature of birth and breastfeeding. Westport, CT: Greenwood
Publishing.

Articles from The Journal of Perinatal Education are provided here courtesy of Lamaze
International