HypnoBirth | Returning Childbirth to Its Spiritual Roots

RedTracker| Former Beverly Hills 90210 Tiffani Thiessen is planning a HypnoBirth, using the Monogan method. When even iVillage is reporting on HypnoBirthing’, it’s a trend.

Simply stated, HypnoBirth is a method of natural childbirth that uses self-hypnosis to deal with the pain of childbirth. Frequently, the birth occurs at home, in the company of a midwife and family members.

Gisele Bundchen just gave birth to her baby at home; Demi Moore has delivered three children out of the hospital delivery room. Former talk-show host Ricki Lake produced a documentary about home vs hospital births.

As you might imagine, the medical establishment is crying foul, and we’re not clear about any national or state legislation requiring women to have their kids in hospitals. Presumably Republicans would have a big problem with such a law, and with health insurance companies previously making pregnancy a pre-existing condition, business has delivered mixed results helping women deliver babies.

The movement around HypnoBirth isn’t about saving money but rather creating a more Zen experience for expectant families.

We recently watched a PBS Newshour presentation on maternal health for women in Peru. The challenges in rural health care are to get women away from home deliveries — with no access to the hospital if something goes wrong — to birthing hospitals.

We connect the birthing dots here, because at Peru’s birthing centers, the family is in attendance, the mother stands — often held by her husband — and smells herbs that relax here. Although more advanced medical care is available, the traditional method is preferred.

Women must determine what method of childbirth is best for them. Not every woman can handle HypnoBirthing, because not everyone can reach a Zen state and condition of self-hypnosis. The interest in HypnoBirthing can’t become another competition to be the ‘perfect mommy’, making women feel guilty for wanting an epidural in a hospital maternity ward. 

Concerned moms have enough challenges around the breast-feeding debate, without adding home-birthing to their to do list. At the same time, we honor the earth goddess in every woman and support this growing interest in at self-hypnotic, home births.

Presumably, we’ll have birthing centers soon. Here’s another article about HypnoBirthing from Discovery Health.

Gisele Bundchen | Vogue ‘Earth Mother’| Anne’s Fertility Goddess