Preparing for childbirth with hypnosis

Hello Manon! Who are you and how did you discover hypnosis?

I am the mother of a 2 year old girl, Nine. I discovered hypnotherapy following a trapeze accident. My surgery and all my rehabilitation were done under hypnosis. The power of the unconscious over pain is incredible! I retrained during an 18-month training and opened my practice in the south of France.

How do you become a hypnotherapist for future parents?

Once my practice was launched, I wanted to follow my true passion: perinatal care. I trained with Lise Bartoli. She created HypnoNatal, a specific method for preparing for pregnancy and childbirth. This method is different from its American sister, hypnobirthing, which puts pain aside. I created my method taking the best of both and drawing inspiration from my own birth.

Who is perinatal hypnosis for?

Parents come looking for serenity, most of them are very afraid and want to be reassured. Some mothers want a method of preparing for a physiological birth, without anesthesia. In fact, hypnosis is suitable for all births, whether natural, with an epidural, or a cesarean section... My mission is to tell mothers “Yes, childbirth hurts, but you will get there. It's a useful pain, the most useful pain of your life, and it's temporary.”

What can hypnosis do?

Hypnosis provides mental support, effective tools to survive contractions and keys to better understand your body. Knowledge is power! For example, if I am stressed, I will secrete adrenaline. My uterus will be less oxygenated and therefore, I have difficulty contracting and I have pain... On the contrary, if I bring calm or tenderness, then my body will produce oxytocin, which will help me. When you know that and know how to apply it, you are reassured.

How do your perinatal hypnosis sessions take place?

I offer packs to future parents with videos to train in hypnosis and physiology, audios and support. The audio sessions to prepare for birth last 30 minutes. For motherhood, there are two types of sounds: 5-minute audios, to be listened to between two contractions to plunge back into your bubble, then 1-minute audios focused on the contraction. Pain has three components: what I have already experienced as pain, what I am planning, and what is really going on. If you remove a third of projection and a third of the past tense, the contraction from before, then there is only a third of real pain left! I even have feedback from a midwife, who listened to the audios in the birth room and recommended them. Finally, I suggest a What's App group called Village where moms get together to support each other.

Is hypnosis dangerous?

This myth is very disservice to us. Under hypnosis, you don't coerce anyone. We are far from magic shows that ask us to imitate a chicken! In fact, hypnosis is a condition that we all experience every day. It seems like a daydream. Do you know this condition just before going to sleep? A session that is very popular is when dad guides mom through a beach visualization exercise. He takes her on a sensory journey. Where are we going, what do you feel, what do you hear... We move forward thanks to the senses.

What advice do you give to future parents to better prepare for childbirth?

You have to be prepared not to have an epidural. Then, close your ears to the terrible stories of girlfriends' births. These stories pose terrible stories in our subconscious. I advise parents to train and include the co-parent!

What is the role of the dad/co-parent in childbirth?

The dad or co-parent is an actor in his own right. He can prepare the mother by knowing the different steps. He is no longer confined to the person who waits in the corner or falls asleep in the birth room! I teach the co-parent how to hypnosis their spouse. Thus, another dimension is created between the two of them. We are naked in a state of hypnosis. The other makes us feel good, we trust him. The benefits are also felt in the postpartum period. Communication is more fluid and the role of the dad/co-parent strengthened.

Do you also offer a postpartum pack?

Postpartum is a very difficult time, families need support! I propose a pack around the following themes: baby signs, carrying, baby sleep, dietary diversification, our identity (life as a couple, new identity as parents), better managing fatigue. Always with explanatory videos and hypnosis audios.

We love following your advice and videos on Instagram!

Thanks! Covid, my pregnancy and then my postpartum period pushed me to launch an Instagram account and my online method to reach the most people online. On Instagram, I have a lot of fun and I have a real community that asks questions and needs answers.

Want to know more? Discover Manon Magical Birth.