Penny Simkin Quote on Benefits of Continuous Support

 
"Many studies show that continuous support benefits laboring women, especially when the support begins in early labor and is given by someone whose only role is to provide it. Benefits include the following: • Shorter labors, with less need for medication to speed up labor • More spontaneous vaginal births (that is, births that don’t require forceps, vacuum extraction, or cesarean delivery.) • Fewer requests for pain medications • Less dissatisfaction with birth experiences. "
Penny Simkin

Frequently Asked Questions: Is it better to tear or be cut?

Is it better to tear or be cut? 60Sec Doulas give some great responses to if it's better to tear or be cut. I like to use the analogy of tearing a piece of fabric. If you hold a piece of fabric in your hands, and choose to tear it by pulling it, it's very difficult. It can be done, but it's hard. How would you tear that fabric then? You would take scissors and snip a bit, then it would be easy to tear! Although your perineum isn't exactly fabric, the analogy works pretty well.

Hypnosis for childbirth

Although the word hypnosis sends images of stage hypnotists through your mind, real self-hypnosis is very very different. Self-hypnosis is simply a form of meditation and relaxation in which you tell yourself positive affirmations. By going into a state of deep relaxation, you can more easily accept these positive affirmations and suggestions.

There are a number of different programs teaching hypnosis for childbirth. I have the most experience with Hypnobabies. I studied hypnobabies for the birth of my daughter Ivy.

The Hypnobabies Home Study program is a full childbirth education course and you don't need to buy anything else. It comes with every thing an expectant mother needs and no additional courses are required.

My favorite part about hypnosis for child birth was the knowledge and power in knowing that birth didn't have to hurt, it could be a wonderful, joyous occasion that I could look forward to, and remember with glee. I hope to impart that knowledge to my clients, no matter the kind of birth preparations they choose.


In Hypnobabies, one of the aspects of the program is imagining your ideal, pain-free birth experience, just like a football player plans out his next game play.  During deep relaxation, I imagined the date, time of day, feelings, when I would leave my home, how I would feel during that time, how dilated I would be when I arrived at my birthing place, etc. When it came to my actual birthing time, I had an almost identical experience to the one I had imagined, including feeling, date and time frame and being comfortable and pain-free. 

When I meet with my clients as their doula, I practice relaxation techniques and deep breathing exercises to help you learn how to relax and embrace each contraction during labor as it brings you closer to holding your baby!

  

"Hypnosis has proven to be one of the most effective means of bringing about the changes you desire in your life. While in hypnosis your conscious, or critical mind (the part that's analyzing this now), is temporarily turned down and you work directly with the hidden, feeling mind where real change takes place quickly. Hypnosis is a SAFE, natural response which allows you greater control over all aspects of your life. Your conscious mind is powerful. Your subconscious mind is infinitely more powerful! "

By Jack Sparks, Certified Hypnotherapist
hypnodynamics.com