Hypno…babies?

By Megan Alexander RN, HCHI

Yes! These are babies whose parents prepare for childbirth using the Hypnobabies method of hypnotic childbirth. Hypnobabies teaches medical-grade hypnosis techniques, creating a peaceful and more comfortable pregnancy and birthing, along with a calm, confident birth partner. The Hypnobabies program is a complete childbirth education course covering nutrition, prenatal exercise, birth plans, new baby and family care, and much more.

Hypnobabies is a very successful 6 week, 3-hours per week childbirth curriculum. It employs techniques that go much further than using simple relaxation, breathing, or guided imagery, since the depth of hypnosis that hypno-moms reach is somnambulism, allowing them to create “hypno-anesthesia.” They also enjoy “eyes-open childbirth hypnosis,” remaining deeply in hypnosis while walking, talking, and changing positions, being as mobile as they would like to be during childbirth. Hypnobabies is well known for helping mothers create easier and more comfortable births, making childbirth the joyful experience they desire.

Until now the only option Alabama mothers had to use Hypnobabies was to complete the home-study course on their own. Hypnobabies Huntsville offers the option for couples to attend in-person, small-group classes hosted by an instructor who is knowledgeable about childbirth and trained in hypnosis. Group classes include demonstrations of all Hypnobabies hypnosis techniques followed by depth assessment of each student’s hypnosis levels, as well as hands-on training for the birth partners who receive their own materials and hypnosis tracks. A birth rehearsal in class #6 is invaluable for helping each student fully understand and experience their Hypnobabies techniques in a simulated birthing scenario – complete with birth balls, various birthing positions, walking and communicating while in hypnosis! The birth rehearsal also provides great practice for the birth partner to use their deepening-cues and other techniques that will help their pregnant partner build confidence.

By nature, birthing begins and proceeds unpredictably, so many parents harbor anxieties that the birth will not follow their ideal plan. Hypnobabies materials include a “Change of Plans” track for parents to listen to quickly in the event the birth is not proceeding the way they had imagined. Many area doulas and hospital staff are familiar with Hypnobabies and those who are not are excited to learn. Hypnobabies hypnosis is most successful if the hypno-mom begins using it early in her birthing time, instead of waiting “until things get more intense,” so she has resources on which to rely throughout the birth process.

Hypnobabies Huntsville will be hosting classes at the beautiful Women4Women OBGYN clinic, located conveniently in downtown Huntsville beginning in September 2022. Megan Alexander RN, Hypnobabies Huntsville’s instructor, offers free consultations to ensure Hypnobabies is the right fit for each expectant mother and her partner. For more information email info@hypnobabieshuntsville.com, visit hypnobabieshuntsville.com, or our Facebook page, Hypnobabies Huntsville.

Megan Alexander RN, HCHI, is the first and only certified Hypnobabies childbirth hypnosis instructor in Alabama. She has 5 years’ experience in labor and delivery, and now works with midwife patients at Women4Women OBGYN. She discovered Hypnobabies during her second pregnancy, and the birth was peaceful and truly pain free. She knew that she wanted to share what she had learned and experienced, which led to pursuing Hypnobabies instructor certification and ultimately the creation of Hypnobabies Huntsville.