Probably true Andrea, but is this not the same effect that hypno-birthing type skills illicit within the body? Same thing I would have thought. I agree I like this kind of discussion too, it helps me to 'reframe' my experiences and learn from them. Tracey
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andrea Robertson Sent: Friday, 31 October 2003 6:25 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Hypnobirthing Hi Tracey, I like to get people to think... that is always my first aim! I wonder if what you were feeling in your third birth was actually the effect of endorphin release? As you know, the endorphins are directly affected by fear and anxiety and perhaps the wodnerful support you had in your pregnancy that enabled you to work through your concerns from earlier experiences meant that your andrenaline was lower, and your endorphins were thus at a higher level than before. Whilst you might think that this was due to "hypno-birthing" perhaps it was your body doing what it does naturally. As a natural opiate, endorphins will create just this kind of mental state that you describe and they will of course reduce the pain you are feeling as well. Let's remember that nature never intended women to suffer during birth and provides endorphins to get us through. If we ascribe their effects to some kind of learned behaviour instead of acknowledging their purpose and impact then we are selling ourselves and our wonderful innate capacity for birth short, once again. Love these kinds of debates.... Warm regards, Andrea At 02:50 PM 31/10/2003, Tracey Anderson Askew wrote: >Wow Andrea, >I was also a bit surprised by your response, and it certainly stirred me up >enough to respond. >My third birth was a hypno-birth state, and whilst I didn't experience pain >in the same way I did with my first two births, I was by no means >disassociated with the birthing process, in fact I found myself more attuned >to it because I wasn't focusing on the pain. It was a really interesting >experience for me, and surprised me that I wasn't feeling the pain in the >same way, the tightenings were real, I felt my baby descend, I felt my baby >kick, I felt and experienced more in that birth that I ever had, and it >wasn't through mindless or mindful distraction, rather a state of being. >During this particular pregnancy I had a wonderful midwife who really helped >me to work on myself emotionally and helped me to come to terms with many >stressful events that were happening at the time. Thank goodness she did, >because by the time I was ready to birth, I was able to totally surrender to >the process. Maybe that was why I experienced a pain free birth, or maybe it >wasn't? But the interesting point I wanted to make was that I naturally put >myself in a hypnotic state - with no guidance from anyone! So it made me ask >the question, if it is possible for a woman to do that, then what does it >take for her body to surrender and resppond in a way that does not involve >the use of pain. If I was to have a fourth child, it would be interesting to >see if I would have the same experience! Any other stories out there? >I personally see this as a very important role of the >carer/educator/supporter to be a friend and listen to these women, help >reframe things in their lives, and if there is a need for more specialised >psychological care, then at least they are aware neough to be able to refer >that woman on, otherwise no one would even know, had their 'minds,' not even >been acknowledged. >It is too easy to discount theories about pain and women in labour (because >a man came up with the idea!) without asking the question - 'how does that >happen?' >Lots to think about >Tracey > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andrea >Robertson >Sent: Friday, 31 October 2003 1:34 AM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [ozmidwifery] Hypnobirthing > > >I've been following the discussion about hypnobirthing with interest as >this is a topic I wrote about in one of my Diary entries back in September. >I won't go into my reservations here, but you can read what I have said >here: > >http://www.birthinternational.com/diary/index.html > >Look for the entry on September 17 (click on the calendar date) > >I expect that this will fuel the discussion a bit more.... > >Andrea > >----- >Andrea Robertson >Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education > >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.birthinternational.com > > >-- >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > >-- >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. ----- Andrea Robertson Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.birthinternational.com -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
