TESTIMONIAL FOR HYPNOBIRTH THERAPY

Lynne Adams Stevenson and her husband wanted an opportunity to be in control, reduce anxiety and have as natural a birth as possible. They both attended the Hypnobirth course, and this is what Lynne had to say about her experience:

'I used the cd's that accompanied the hypnobirth course throughout my pregnancy for relaxation. They had a significant effect on reducing, if not eliminating my anxiety about my forthcoming labour. It also gave me the opportunity to become familiar with controlled breathing techniques.

Although my labour did not go as planned, (my waters broke and I had meconium in them, so the labour had to be induced) I found the cd's invaluable. They helped me focus and feel more in control. One of the hospital midwives commented to my husband that my pulse rate dropped once I commenced the cd. The midwife was impressed!

The aromatherapy oils and massage taught to my husband to use during labour really did help me to focus on the relaxing pressure of the massage which helped to reduce the discomfort and distract my thoughts from the contractions.

I would thoroughly recommend the hypnobirth course. The techniques taught were very useful during pregnancy and labour. It will also continue to be of use in other areas of my life for relaxation and pain control. If it works for me it will work for anyone!

Tracey one of my recent ‘hypnobirth’ clients has very kindly sent me her testimonial and is happy to share her experience with you about the effects hypnosis had on her pregnancy and labour.

‘The thought of childbirth has always terrified me, so when I eventually became pregnant it was a dream come true. I was so happy but also scared as I knew I would now have to give birth. When I found out about the courses Amanda offered, I booked up straight away. After the first session I thought ‘wow’ I have never felt so relaxed and from that day on my whole perception about pregnancy and birth changed from negative to positive. My husband enjoyed the sessions too especially after a stressful day at work!

I continued to enjoy my pregnancy and as my due date approached I looked forward to the birth and the chance to use my self hypnosis, and other techniques which Amanda had taught us. The due date came and went so I went to see Amanda for reflexology. Within a few hours I was in labour! After my waters broke we went into hospital and I felt so calm and in control, even the midwife commented on how calm I was. I progressed well in labour, eventually using some ‘gas and air’ towards the end. Giving birth, breast feeding and my postnatal recovery was all very normal and easy.

TESTIMONIAL FOR HYPNOSIS

Last Christmas my wife bought me an Indian Head Massage, but she had to fake a cancelled appointment to get me to take up the opportunity!  When I met Amanda for the massage she naturally began by asking me if I had any particular problems needing addressed.  Well, there were quite a few!  For many years I had slept badly, often spending two-three hours a night awake.  Other stress-related symptoms included regular headaches and digestive disturbances, and dermatitis.  In the past year, I had begun to experience anxiety attacks in relation to any kind of ‘out of the ordinary’ event—a holiday, a big meeting, or even just a day in Edinburgh!  These attacks ranged from a hacking cough, through headaches, to, most alarmingly, an all-over body rash (urticaria).  Visits to my GP had not produced any lasting relief.

Amanda proposed that hypnotherapy could address such problems, and we arranged a first session. I had not been hypnotised before, and was surprised at how simple, quick, and ‘non-mystical’ the process proved to be.  Amanda did not attempt to get at the reasons for my stress and anxiety problems, but instead concentrated on addressing the symptoms.  She did this by a combination of ‘positive reinforcement’—suggestions, statements and instructions—and a series of mental tools and exercises to help me to relax, feel positive, and address any negative feelings. She also showed me how to hypnotise myself, so as to be able to induce a relaxed state and do some ‘self-healing’.

The impact was remarkably immediate.  From that night onwards my sleep patterns improved radically.  Instead of suffering insomnia every second or third night, I had at least a week at a time of undisturbed and refreshing sleep, and I found myself waking in a positive state of mind, rather than depressed and low.  My general mood improved, I became more good humoured and interactive, and friends and colleagues remarked on the difference, even if they knew nothing about the hypnotherapy.  Amanda had supplied a relaxation disc which I used for the first few nights to get to sleep, but I soon found that it was easier and quicker to use self-hypnosis and, after a time, I didn’t even need that, but would fall asleep within minutes of switching off the bedside light.

The exercises which Amanda had given me were mostly easy and straightforward, and some could even be used unobtrusively in company. However, so far some have proved unnecessary as the symptoms they were intended to address have not recurred!

In a second session two weeks’ later, Amanda continued the reinforcing messages, gave me more techniques to use myself, and helped me to father practice self-hypnosis.  We could have stopped at that point, which I found remarkable—I could not have imagined that so much change could have been brought about in just two hypnotherapy sessions.  But I asked Amanda if she could help me with another matter.  As a teenager I had written prolifically—novels, stories, poems--but for the last thirty years, effectively since starting University, I had had, in effect, a permanent writer’s block.  Could hypnotherapy help me to get round this block?

This third session was different, as the aim was to go back into my memory to see if a reason for the block could be found, and a way of removing or getting round it.  I was a bit apprehensive about what this approach might uncover, psychologically, but again the result was very positive. I came to appreciate that, in my teens, as a solitary youngster, writing had been a kind of replacement for wider social engagement—an equivalent of the ‘imaginary friend’ that some lonely children invent. Going to University had fully engaged me emotionally and socially for the first time, and so the need for the writing had simply evaporated.  If I felt the lack of writing now, despite a satisfying job and a fulfilling relationship, then what I was perhaps feeling was really the need for some new form of engagement—not necessarily writing as such.  This gave me a very different perspective on the issue and opened up new ideas and prospects.  We then ended the session by practicing self-hypnosis again, and during that session I also discovered more about how I had used to function as a writer, thus opening up a practical way that I might get back into writing.

Of course, this has not been a miracle cure.  I still have some bad nights, can still get anxious before travelling, and the dermatitis has not wholly cleared up.  But the improvement has been astonishingly rapid and marked.  I really do feel a different person—and my wife agrees about the improvements! Moreover, self-hypnosis means that I can continue the process myself, using the exercises and visualisations which Amanda has given me to do my own healing.   So I am very happy to wholeheartedly endorse hypnotherapy as a very positive and effective means of addressing problems that seem resistant to the methods of conventional medicine.

TESTIMONIAL FOR ANTENATAL AND LABOUR PREPARATION CD's

Molly contacted me via the website to order the CD's for her daughter as she was feeling anxious about the labour, but especially the thought of going in to hospital to give birth. She also wanted a few tips to prepare herself physically as well as mentally. I suggested optimal fetal positioning to help the baby into the best possible position for labour and birth and perineal massage to help prevent tearing during delivery. I posted the CD's along with instruction sheets for the positioning and perineal massage.

I was thrilled to receive feedback from Molly about how effective the CD's had been for her daughter. Here are some excerpts from her account.

'Baby's head went down three weeks ago and it was interesting to watch her change from right side to middle to left side on Wednesday. On Thursday my daughter had a show and twinges all day becoming stronger in the evening. She and her husband decided the thought of hospital was stressing her so much that baby was to be born at home. She had been undecided all the way through but was prepared for a home birth.'

'Everything was going fine, still no pain. Her waters broke at 11.45 p.m. unfortunately they contained meconium, so that meant a dash to hospital. However, baby was not waiting. One big push and she was born at 12.24 a.m. An absolutely fantastic birth and a gorgeous baby girl. No gas and air, no pain killers. The only pain experienced were two very painful contractions after her waters broke, and obviously giving birth stung! She had two minor tears, so no stitches.'

'I can't thank you enough for your good work and I am heartily recommending your CD's to all pregnant mums.'

Fiona and her husband came to see me when Fiona was 35 weeks pregnant. She wanted a natural birth using a minimum of pain relief and intervention. She was very motivated and positive with much support from her husband. She used self hypnosis and the Cds every day until she went into labour. This is what she said
‘I did your Cd Sun early afternoon and then cleaned the bathroom. Late afternoon I had a ‘show’ followed by mild contractions. I listened to your Cd again but thought that labour wouldn’t start until a few days after the ‘show’. My husband persuaded me to contact the hospital and I went in for a wee examination, leaving my bag in the car, because I truly thought I would be going home. I had some discomfort but felt very calm and relaxed. The midwife was astounded that I was 7-8cm dilated, and going nowhere! Baby was born easily by a spontaneous normal vaginal delivery(svd) 5 hours later. I have to say that I found my labour like a walk in the park. Even the breast feeding went like a dream!