How To Have Joyful Labor

Those of you who are interested in a calm and peaceful birth listen up!

The new brain research and discoveries open up a whole new realm of what is possible. 

There is a definite correlation between peaceful labor, your brain production of oxytocin and your state of mind.

Your peaceful labor depends on your peaceful state of mind which is caused largely by the amount of the neural hormone calle oxytocin. Oxytocin is produced in the brain triggered by the pleasant sensations, thoughts, affirmations, meditation, relaxation, touch, visual or auditory stimulation and in most cases, just deep breathing, that causes our brain to acquire more oxygen streamlining pleasure trance. 

The production of oxytocin depends on the polarization of cells producing oxytocin.

The more oxy-gen we have in our body, the more oxy-tocin is produced.

Then the process goes like this: 

The positive stimulation through posture or touch, or deep breathing etc., causes the body cells to become more polarized in the cerebellum that causes them to fire action potential in bursts, signaling to hypothalamus, which signals the pitutiary gland to produce more oxytocin that delivers out the affects to the rest of the body through spinal cord and nervous system which stimulates more positive feedback and loops to producing more oxytocin. This creates a continuous production of oxytocin, that peripherally starts up the production of endorphines, which as we know, have numbing effect, and work in any area in your body. 

Production of oxytocin inhibits adrenocrticotropic hormone and cortisol (hormones of stress) constantly triggering relaxation.  

As a result women begin to feel better, more uplifted and look for more positive signs in the outside which creates positive feedback which loops back to producing more oxytocin, etc.

Now, knowing this you can decide you want this, so make it your conscious choice. Once you made this choice, it is easy to continue in the positive feedback loop. So enjoy your labor!

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Sign up for Morrin's HypnoBirthing classes here to learn more about how to have a peaceful birth.

Smiling and The Good Mood

According to ABC News a new study was done to prove that a smile of her own baby to the mother becomes a trigger of an amazing inflow of oxytocyn, equalling a strong doze of cocaine!

Oxytocyn, a neurotransmitter and a hormone, is released into the brain in large amounts after relaxing the muscles in the reproductive area. Oxytocyn is said to be the strongest natural good mood pill. An inflow of oxytocyn can result from a good workout, deep breathing, kissing, smiling, hugging, touching, bonding, love-making, doing something you love, and saying nice things to yourself or others.

The strongest doze of oxytocyn, a neurotransmitter creating wonderful mood, released in the brain while a woman is in labor, and then giving birth. Having a peaceful relaxing mood, coupled with deep breathing during labor, helps a woman place her attention onto a pleasurable side of labor, positive effects of breathing and relaxation, and divert discomfort. In many cases, the attention to pleasure creates orgasmic effect during birth!

Speaking of saying nice things to yourself, reciting positive affirmations, as part of her preparation to labor, is a really strong relaxing way to creating a pathway to bliss during labor.

When the baby is born, the other's body receives a strong doze of oxytocyn and endorphines (which have the numbing effect in addition to being a strong relaxant). Later during breastfeeding the same hormones are released into the blood stream, oxytocyn and endorphines, and making the milk "sweet" for the baby, create the effect of good mood for the both of them.

Alternatively, it has been discovered that smiling in itself is a compelling trigger of release of large dozes of oxytocyn.  That means if you are in a bad mood, tired or angry, sit down someplace quiet, take a deep breath and smile. Think of something very pleasant and positive, and say to yourself, " I am relaxed, I am in a good mood. I love my baby, I love my husband." Naturally, the smiling triggers positive physical changes in your body and creates a relaxing smoothing effect.

Next thing to do is to try it. Let me know, how it worked for you, write your comments in the space below or e-mail me.

Smiling During Labor?

People ask when I work with clients, how do i notice the changes that occur in a pregnant mom, when she is ready for the birth of her baby.

Most moms are unaware how important their thoughts are in every moment of their life, and particularly in labor.

Most of the time I notice this slight change in her attitude, her behavior, her demeanor. When she begins her thinking from fear position, and continues into the questions and doubts, her face reflects that pain. She says that she wants to avoid the pain, but in fact, she behaves on the opposite.

Fear is natural and healthy when it allows a natural effective mechanism for normal survival. In labor time to be in fear is opposite to being effective.

Educating herself to know what happens during labor is important because it eliminates fear. Knowing the facts is power. Being empowered by knowledge gives the woman strength needed to complete laboring.

Showing the posture, position, breathing of the woman who is in peace and ready for the birth, she begins her labor and moves and breathes in a way that is relaxed and peaceful.

When she begins with a question: What do I want for this birth? the answer begins to emerge to show her what is possible.

Immediately, the possibilities are endless. She can begin to create her own peaceful world and move in it with an attitude that reflects her belief, that is emerged from her value system:

I am mother
My body knows what to do
My baby knows what to do
I trust my body

Affirming what she wants (as opposed to affirming what she does not want, what moms usually do unknowingly) she begins to sort for the signs in the environment confirming what begins to happen toward the birth that she wants.

She recognizes those signs and acknowledges them with a smile.

The baby reflectively moved down the birthing path in her womb, out of her womb, and out into the world, being healthy and feeling loved. And all the while she continues to smile.

To learn more about how you can have the birth with a smile click on FREE www.Pregnancy Affirmations.com.

What's a Doula? Statistical research:

What's a Doula? Last year a met a woman who told me a story which starts a few years ago, when she was at a doctor's office, waiting for her appointment and was thumbing through magazines. In one of them she found an article about doula services. She said to herself: What's  a "doula"? Reading along she found out more about what doula does. She became interested. She came home and went on the internet. One thing led to another... So what's a doula? A doula is a labor support woman, a hand maiden. She aids a birthing laboring woman throughout the birth and stays with her the entire time of the birth (as many hours as the birth lasts). Doula understands physiology and gives emotional support to a woman in labor. Doula assists the woman and her partner in preparing the birth plan, and provides objective support.  Doula protects a woman's dignity, confidentiality and birth memories.

Doula in Greek means slave. Doula is a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth. Having a female support during labor has been proven to decrease discomfort, help prevent special circumstances and provide easy recovery, breast feeding and alleviate post partum depression. A HypnoBirthing doula is a great addition to the HypnoBirthing training you had, a person who keeps you on track with your scripts and practice of your birth breathing. So my heroine became a doula and quit her job of 20 years as an administrative officer in one of the universities in New York, and now passionate about assisting women in birthing their babies. She says, she finally found what she loves to do in life, after her own 3 children and 6 grandchildren, and never knowing about HypnoBirthing, she now has found new meaning to the words Take a Deep Breath and Relax. With Questions and for more information or for HypnoBirthing doulas contact information go to http://newyorkawareness.com/HypnobirthingNewYork.asp.

Ultra-Sound NOT for My Baby

Whereas there are positive aspects of using ultra-sound techniquie in pregnancy, sometimes we agree to a routine scan without questions.

Did you know that frequent ultra-sound scannings can cause harm for your baby?

According to studies described in the book by Sarah Buckley Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering, ultrasound causes many of the possible adverse effects like miscarriage, low birth weight, premature labor, perinatal death, dyslexia, and ever ambidexterity!

In fact, the research shows that some random controlled studies more and more show consistent brain damage in babies that is caused by ultra-sound during pregnancy.

The biological effects of the ultra scanning:  The sonar rays cause the tissue to heat up from 1 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit, where bone heats more than the soft tissue, and soft tissue heats more than liquid. With specific settings of each scanner and the time in such exposure. Recent studies research the heating of the baby's developing brain tissues to such degree and is no longer considered within the parameters of standards of safety.

The second effect is cavitation, which is collapsing of small pockets of gas between the tissues caused by heating of tissues and creating of gasses, potentially toxic, mostly in the lung and bowel areas, in turn causing significant changes in prenatal and postnatal development.

I was blown away learning about such "side-effects" and still mothers; going for a scan regularly.

Doctors possibly have not read the studies, or even if they read the studies, they don't have another procedure to find out, to make sure, to feel certain, to tell you what's going on inside of you, but so what?

In one case, I am not sure that it is not the ultra-sound scanning that killed the second embrio in one of the moms, after her fertility implantation with two healthy embrios, and suddenly after three weeks and three scans one embrio dies.

A recent hypnotherapy client regressed to a womb experience, clearly described a high pitch sound bouncing off his brain, that he experienced over and over, until fast forwarded to a more pleasant experience. In hypnosis he was experiencing himself being in the womb, and upon returning to the waking state recognized that this must have been what ultra-sound was to him as a fetus.

Babies do remember.

So what's your choice now? What scans for your baby?

Watch Video What Happens During Ultra-Sound

Twins natural birth

Twin pregnancies are very happy and very tricky.

Happy because like some mothers say, "You get two for one, and be done. " Others, who like their pregnancies wish they could spread them in time so there would be more time spent being pregnant and giving birth. (I know such mother, who wishes she could somehow persuade her husband to have a fifth child.)

Tricky because as with one mom, you can't have all you want on your timing, they have their own timing. Her daughter was positioned head up on top of her brother. On her 36th week, the mom was told by the doctor that she need to have BOTH babies turned head down, otherwise it's a c-section.

Who wants a c-section??? NOBODY!

The woman has been preparing to give natural vaginal birth to her twins, took HypnoBirthing classes, practiced with her husband, loved the idea of birthing center, but opted for the hospital. So the medically manipulated birth was off the table for her.

She made a firm decision to birth naturally, as she somehow knew that she could. So she did. 

Using breathing techniques, aided by her husband and a doula,  she focused on her first baby and then second. The babies came 20 minutes apart, and she was allowed her time. 

She told about how at a time of her losing her focus a thought about the epidural came to her mind, and she kept brushing it away, and in the end she said "I really didn't need it, it would have been a weakness and a waste". She was happy and elated that her birth was natural. And she wrote to me as the whole hospital cheered for her as she finished the birth. The doctors in that hospital had NEVER SEEN A NATURAL TWIN DELIVERY.

So make up your mind before going to the hospital, so you are immovable on the idea of your birthing, then you can have real fun with it.

View the video of twin natural water birth here.

Avoid Induction

To avoid induction we do hypnosis inviting the baby to peacefully come out NOW!

A mom-to-be on her 40 weeks, called after a conversation with the doctor, who told her that next Monday she "needs" to be induced. 

I asked her what if she did not show up for the induction?

She was adamant about being compliant to her doctor. When you choose your doctor you like your doctor. It is an authority. Some people can't not comply. 

However, we are talking about YOUR experience, YOUR baby, and YOUR experience in birthing your baby. The happier the birth the happier the baby, leave alone healthier, etc. 

To create a happy, smooth, comfortable, and safe birth, the birth needs to be initiated by the baby, not the doctor.

This is why we resorted the a conversation with the baby.

Actually it was more like a conditioned invitation, because I am not messing with the Universe, who has everything on her own divine timing. Conditioning the invitation with something like "if it si for the benevolent outcome of all concerned", will get you very far.

So it did with our mom here, her baby initiated labor the same night and the day after he was born. I got a text from the father: "Mother and Baby are doing great. Thank you."

That was my thank you from the Universe. 

How to Do research About Important Information for Your Baby Birth

A really easy way to start thinking about the way you want to give birth to your baby is to research lots of stuff on the internet. One of my HypnoBirthing couples (from the HypnoBirthing class in March 2009) allocated 2 hours each evening when the both of them were totally consumed by the amount of information. To research the birthing information correctly you must create a list of things that interest you in birthing your baby.

For example, you want to give birth painlessly, and naturally. You might come up with a series of trainings, books, and techniques for painless natural childbirth. One of my student moms actually mentioned that she wants a bit of discomfort, so she could feel her body, baby moving down the path and the chance to use the techniques that she learned in her hypnosis class.

Secondly, you might want to research about various birthing practitioners. Doulas, midwives, doctors, nurses. To find out what they do, so you can choose being informed. There is nothing worse than making a decision about something important like.... birthing your baby, and not knowing what the options are.

Many mothers come to my class uninformed about child birth, about what hospital procedures are, what doulas do why they need them and what midwives are for. They believe that their doctor will stay with them through the hours of labor and then wave a magic wand and the baby is born.

It is not so. Your own participation is important.

A good start is to read a good HypnoBirthing book, by Marie Mongan. Mongan is the creator of the HypnoBirthing theory and the series of curriculum standard classes that moms and dads take in order to prepare for the birth.

If you chose a hospital birth you must decide if you want medicated birth or normal birth and from this point direct your research further.

A student mom asked me what she needs to do, on her 29th week of pregnancy, if after reading the hypnobirhting book she found out that her doctor is not a natural birth friendly. I can't advise on that! She decided to stay in line with the hypnosis techniques for birth she was learning and she decided to ditch the doctor and find another hospital to birth her baby in. I went out to communicate on the chat-line for midwives and doulas to help her locate an available midwife and doula. We'll update on this next week.

So you don't find yourself in a position where you are unsure on how you doctor feels about your wish to birth, research early.