Hypnobirth

The cannons choose hypnosis for childbirth preparation
Published in “Vim & Vigor” , the magazine of Pendleton Memorial Methodist Hospital, New Orleans, L, Spring 2002
Published in “Access. Journal of ABH and ABNLP” spring 2002
Written by Chaplain Paul Durbin

Summary:
How the cannons experienced the birth of Kaylee using hypnobirthing.
Long before Cindy and Scott Cannon were ready to start a family, they made the decision to choose hypnobirthing as a way to bring their children into the world. In this article, Cindy Cannon, a nurse at Methodist Hospital, talks about her decision and experience with the alternative labor and delivery.
Our childbirth story began in 1999, long before we were pregnant. My husband, Scott, and I were watching a Dateline special about a Florida doctor’s use of hypnosis to relax expectant mothers during labor and delivery. The report featured two families ? one delivering their first child, and another, whose first delivery had been a difficult and painful one, who had turned to hypnosis for their second. We were amazed to see both women walking and talking during labor in no apparent distress and drug free!
Long before Cindy and Scott Cannon were ready to start a family, they made the decision to choose hypnobirthing as a way to bring their children into the world. In this article, Cindy Cannon, a nurse at Methodist Hospital, talks about her decision and experience with the alternative labor and delivery.

The Cannon Story

Our childbirth story began in 1999, long before we were pregnant. My husband, Scott, and I were watching a Dateline special about a Florida doctor’s use of hypnosis to relax expectant mothers during labor and delivery. The report featured two families ? one delivering their first child, and another, whose first delivery had been a difficult and painful one, who had turned to hypnosis for their second. We were amazed to see both women walking and talking during labor in no apparent distress and drug free!

Scott and I had never heard of hypnobirthing and we were naturally skeptical. But we were also intrigued at how calm and relaxed the two women were throughout the labor and delivery of their babies. It was quite a contrast from the dramatic depiction of women screaming, sweating and swearing that we had been shown on television and in the movies. I turned to Scott and said. “When we get pregnant, that’s what we’re going to do.”

I had always feared epidurals, but I also feared the pain that I had come to believe was inevitable with childbirth. Everyone I talked to who had children told me horror stories about how excruciatingly painful labor and delivery was. Interestingly, many of the stories of pain and difficulty came from women who had the benefit of medication. I found that frightening.

Exploring Options

When Scott and I became pregnant in April 2000, we sought the services of certified hypnotherapist and director of Methodist Hospitals clinical hypnotherapy department, Paul Durbin, Ph.D. Fortunately, he was familiar with the particular techniques of hypnobirthing and was eager to help us.

Our first visit with Durbin came when I was just eight weeks pregnant. We did not know what to expect, but thought it would be a good idea to get an early start. Durbin first explained to us what hypnosis was, and more importantly, what it was not. We needed to hear that because despite the Dateline special, we were still skeptical. All we knew about hypnosis was what we had seen on talk shows. And though we were entertained watching hypnotized people doing silly tricks, we still did not know anything about hypnosis or whether it could have any real benefit for us.

Expected Skeptics

Durbin explained that under hypnosis one is more susceptible to suggestion, but only within the bounds of one’s morals. The people we had seen on talk shows performed because they were there with the intent to be entertained and the circumstances made their silly behavior appropriate. Even after being persuaded that hypnosis was real, I still did not believe that I could be hypnotized. About two minutes after we began our first session, Durbin helped me achieve a very relaxed state of hypnosis. Scott was amazed. Durbin had me outstretch my arms. He suggested that one arm was light and floating upward because there were helium balloons tied to it. He suggested that the other arm was heavy and sinking downward because I was holding a very heavy book. Amazingly, one arm began to rise while the other lowered!

We could not contain our enthusiasm and told our friends and family about our first session. But most people we told about our plan to use hypnobirthing were incredibly skeptical, especially women who had delivered children. They raised eyebrows as if to say, “Yeah, we’ll see…”

Rehearsal Relaxation
Over the next few sessions, Durbin taught us how to relax and reach a deep state of hypnosis. Scott attended all the sessions so he could learn the techniques and be my coach. Our first practice session without Durbin, in June 2000, was comical! Every time Scott spoke the words of the hypnosis script we had been using for me to relax, I began to giggle. In the beginning, it all seemed so unnatural and amusing to us, but within no time we were achieving deep hypnosis and practicing regularly. Soon our sessions seemed perfectly normal.
Durbin then introduced us to a technique called “glove anesthesia” in which he persuaded me to believe that my left hand was numb. I was then able to use that hand to transfer the numbness to other body parts as needed during labor and delivery. When he convinced me that my hand was numb, he pinched it hard enough to leave a red mark but I didn’t feel anything.
By July we had been to four sessions with Durbin. He allowed Scott to lead me and he then offered recommendations to improve our techniques. Scott and I continued to practice about once a week. Each time we practiced it became easier.
I listened to tapes from Durbin or those by Marie Mongan, the founder of Hypnobirthing Everyday. And Scott and I continued to practice weekly. We met with Durbin for the last time on November 24. He told us boldly that we were going to do great and that our technique was good.

Show Time
On December 20, 2000, my contractions started sometime during the day but I didn’t know that I was having them until our last scheduled doctor’s visit that day. I listened one last time to an affirmation tape. It encouraged me, assuring me that I could do labor and delivery normally and naturally. The rest of the night I watched television and paced the floor, not wrested with, but filled with excitement.
By 6 a.m. the next day, contractions were five minutes apart and about 45 seconds. Scott helped me relax with hypnosis in the hospital parking lot because we feared the hustle and bustle of the hospital would make focusing on relaxing difficult. Soon contractions were four minutes apart and lasting one to two minutes ? labor progressed quickly and pain?free.
A few hours later, my contractions were almost on top of one another. Although I was dilated eight centimeters, our baby was not dropping. Scott and I kept our attention focused on relaxing. But when our doctor told us it would be at least two more hours before the baby came, I became discouraged. I was getting tired and I began for the first time to worry that I might not be able stay relaxed through two more hours of contractions. Scott changed gears from coach to cheerleader. His pep talks made the next two hours fly by.
When contractions came, I quietly put my head down, closed my eyes, breathed deeply and relaxed as Scott applied counter?pressure to my back. Our nurse entered our room during a two?minute?long contraction; she shook her head in disbelief that I was so quiet and composed during the contractions. No moans, no tears, not even a raised voice. Other nurses commented that the expectant lady in Room 1 (that was me!) was too quiet and that I must have had an epidural. At noon, the doctor examined me and again I was told it would be a while longer. My husband, knowing my earlier discouragement, convinced our doctor to move me to the delivery room. He told the doctor that it would encourage me to believe I was making progress and getting close to delivery. We were putting into practice “mind over body”.

An Unexpected Scare
After pushing drug?free for two hours, our baby’s heart rate dropped. It had dropped with every push, but this time it wasn’t returning to normal. Our doctor attempted to use suction, but my fear about the health of our baby and the distraction of the doctor working made concentrating on relaxation difficult. Our doctor, seriously concerned about the baby’s distress, urged us to consider an emergency saddle block so he could take the baby immediately.

Within minutes, the anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist and several nurses entered the room to perform the saddle block But just as they arrived, I began another contraction and I began to push through it. Everyone in the room began chanting, “Go, Cindy! Go, Cindy!”

On the fourth push of that contraction, our healthy baby girl was born! Scott and I had succeeded in giving birth to our beautiful little miracle using hypnobirthing. Our baby girl, Kaylee Deann, roomed with us the first night. Kaylee was alert and energetic and, most importantly to us, she had absolutely no drugs in her system.

Encore?
Scott asked me several weeks after we delivered Kaylee whether I would use hypnobirthing again? My immediate answer was, “Yes!” We did not choose to use hypnobirthing because we thought it was novel or different. We had a goal in mind to deliver naturally. It was a means to an end and worth the effort to learn and practice to be fully aware and in control of my body during the entire labor and delivery process. I controlled every aspect of my delivery ? it did not control me. And interacting with our alert baby convinced me that I had chosen the best method of delivery.

For additional information on hypnosis for childbirth preparation, contact the Methodist Women’s Center at 504-244-2999 or visit the Website, www.durbinhypnosis.com.

Chaplain Paul Durbin has written articles on hypnosis and hypnotherapy for many professional journals and publications. He has also written two books on hypnosis. His book “Kissing frogs: The practical uses of hypnotherapy” has won awards from two hypnotherapy associations. Chaplain Durbin was induced intro the International Hypnosis Hall of Fame in 1992 and is a Diplomat of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association. He is also a retired Army Brigadier General. For more information on hypnosis and Chaplain Durbin, visit the web site www.durbinhypnosis.com..