Pregnancy and IVF

This is often known as Hypnobirthing in the UK.It is generally agreed that if a woman has a positive state of mind during pregnancy then there is a greater probability of a happier, more content baby. Using hypnosis, the course of pregnancy ending in the birth of your baby can be made much smoother and happier. The birth of a child is a cause for celebration and hypnosis allows the mother to be more relaxed and allow the birth process to proceed more comfortably making it a gentler, more satisfying experience for both the mother and baby. You can be assured that the use of hypnosis in the birthing process in no way devalues your experience of it; on the contrary, a deep sense of relaxation removes the fear element, leaving the mother to feel and experience the birth in a more comfortable, satisfying and focused way where she can make her wishes and her preferences for her and her baby known throughout the birthing process.

The usefulness of hypnosis starts well before the birth and it is recommended that it is started in early pregnancy. You will learn the techniques of deep relaxation and be given regular practice, you will be encouraged to start to communicate with your baby. Also you will be taught how to enter a trance rapidly so that you can control your comfort level without losing awareness of what is happening. The teaching of the hypnotic approach to giving birth takes the mother and their chosen birth partner, ideally the father of the baby, along the path to a birth where the baby is born, not 'delivered'.

My training in hypnotherapy included its use in obstetrics. In addition to being a hypnotherapist I am a zoology graduate with a considerable understanding of human physiology and, as an undergraduate, I took an optional module in human reproduction, making me qualified on more than one front. If you are expecting a child, no matter how far the pregnancy has progressed, hypnosis will be of great benefit to you. If you would like to get together with a few pregnant friends or acquaintances for a group session then talk to me, or suggest it to your GP or midwife.

Please feel free to call me to ask any questions you wish, you will be under no obligation to proceed further.

You may find this BBC News article on the use of Hypnotherapy in pregnancy interesting

BBC radio 4 is broadcast two programmes entitled "Battle for Birth" about how Britain's maternity system has and is changing. The broadcasts were on the 7th and 14th of February 2007, if you missed them they can be heard using the BBC's 'Listen Again' feature. Click here to go to the BBC page.

IVF Treatment

In vitro fertilisation is an option that many couples seek to take when it seems that pregnancy just won't happen and many couples have become parents following IVF treatment. The IVF process is stressful, and stress may affect the ability to become pregnant. Hypnosis, by its very nature, reduces stress and can make the whole process less emotionally draining for both parties.

Are you seeking help with IVF? Stress is also a factor in natural conception; if there is no discoverable medical reason for difficulty in conceiving, would you consider hypnosis for a couple of months, before entering an IVF programme?

Research has shown that stress level reduction can restore the fertility of women who have stopped ovulating as a result of stress. BBC News Report 22/6/06. Although the reported study deals with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the effect observed was due to the reduction of cortisol, a stress hormone. Hypnotherapy is very well suited to stress reduction and I recommend its use in this respect.

Research carried out in Europe has highlighted the effect smoking by either partner has on the success rate of IVF. This research strongly suggests that if you or your partner smoke then, to improve the chances of successful fertilisation and implantation of the embryo, then neither partner should smoke. BBC News Article - "Smoking 'may block embryo's path' Nov 2006
BBC News Article - "Smoking 'damages IVF chances' July 2002
BBC News Article -"Smoke exposure during pregnancy damages a baby's blood pressure control"

My Smoking Cessation Page

Jan 2010: BBC News Report about the effect of smoking on a baby's blood pressure