What will I learn?

Unit 1: Building A Positive Expectancy

• Introduction to the remarkable HypnoBirthing® philosophy
• The history of women and birthing
• The source of the myth that pain must accompany normal birthing
• Why and how you can have an easier, more comfortable, and safer birthing
• How Nature perfectly designed women’s bodies for pregnancy and childbirth
• How to assist, rather than resist, your natural birthing instincts
• The vocabulary for a calm and gentle birth
• Calm breathing techniques, which help you deeply relax during labor, making birth shorter and more comfortable for you and for your baby
• Watch videos of babies being born gently so that you can design your own beautiful birth

Unit 2: Falling in Love with Your Baby -- Preparing Your Mind & Body

• The remarkable mind of your newborn baby — prenatal bonding techniques
• Rapid and instant self-relaxation techniques and deepening techniques
• Breathing techniques for labor and birthing
• Hypnotic relaxation and visualization methods
• The Birth Companion’s role
• Light Touch Massage for relaxation

Unit 3: Getting Ready to Welcome your Baby

• Nutrition for pregnancy: healthy moms birth healthy babies
• Preparing your birth preferences sheets
• Preparing your body -- exercises and stretches
• Your body working for and with you
• Avoiding artificial induction and achieving a natural start to labor
• Hypnoosis exercise: releasing negative emotions, fears and limiting thoughts

Unit 4: An Overview of Birthing – A Labor of Love

• Onset of labor – thinning and opening phase
• Birth explained simply
• Settling in at the hospital or birthing center
• Preparing for home birth – or baby’s choice of birth
• As labor moves along – passing time through labor
• Hallmarks of labor
• If labor rests or slows – companion’s prompts and activities
• As labor advances – bonding with your baby
• Protecting the natural birthing experience
• Group hypnosis exercise: birth rehearsal imagery

Unit 5: Birth – Breathing Love - Bringing Life

• Positions for descent and birth
• Breathing baby down to birth
• Baby moves to the breast and starts breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding tips and techniques
• The fourth trimester -- family bonding with your baby