Aussies Turn to Hypnobirthing

The tide has turned against optional cesarians in Australia, according to Caroline Marcus of the Sydney Morning Herald. She writes that hypnobirthing -- using breathing, relaxation and visualization techniques to ease labor -- is becoming almost mainstream.

Canberra-based psychologist Shari Read, who led workshops in Sydney in February and May, said that while hypnosis was introduced in Australia as a birthing alternative in the late 1990s, it was only now becoming mainstream.

"Australia-wide, it is picking up," Dr Read said. "There is a little bit of a move - almost a backlash from people. There is the whole 'too posh to push' label attached to some people. Then there are some other people who say, 'No, our bodies are actually designed to do this. We're going to do the best job we can the natural way'."

The article points out that feeling relaxed promotes the release of oxytocin, while stress or fear inhibits it.

See also "Labor Like a Cat" and "Medical Meddling in Birth."

Comments

[Liveavatar]

Commenting here rather than emailing you -- you might find this LiveJournal page interesting (and scary):

http://fengi.livejournal.com/581105.html

[fyshmom]

I'm happy to hear that Hypno Birthing is becomming more accepted, at least in other countries. I used it during the birth of both of my children, and though both times were wonderful, the first time I experienced a truely euphoric birth. It was even amidst emergency conditions (my water broke ten weeks early) and labor that lasted for thrity-four hours, but it was *fabulous*. I was singing and dancing and actully laughed for most of the time that the baby was coming out. It rocked. I love giving birth. :<)

[Susan Kuchinskas]

What an amazing story. Thanks for sharing it. One thing I've learned recently is that far from being this awful thing you have to go through if you want to have a child, birth can be s tanscendental experience. You are brave and brilliant and lucky to have found your path to ecstatic birth.