I am not going to go into all this again with you, as it has all been aired on my Diary entries and the comments.
I will just add that I have seen many women birth perfectly well and easily without using anything, including learned behaviours like hypnobirthing), so I know it is possible. These women feel very strong having achieved their goals completely without using any props.
From the comments placed on My Diary it is clear that the American hypnobirthers (who have registered the term as a Trade Mark) that they have a business to protect and to promote.
This approach to preparing women is another in a series that have been "invented" over many years.
It seems to me that all base their claimed successes on convincing women that they need to train/prepare/learn some specific technique to be successful in giving birth easily. Some women will buy this idea and use it - fine for them. What about the ones who have tried it and found it didn't work? We never hear from them, and no technique works perfectly. Do they ascribe their failure to the method or to themselves for not practising enough?
I agree that many hospital classes could do with an overhaul and that many educators are advocates for the hospital system not the parents. Many of us are trying to do something about this.
We can agree to disagree - that's fine with me.
Regards
Andrea
At 08:54 AM 12/03/2004, Diane Gardner wrote:
Wow Andrea, what a biased approach. Sorry but I can't agree with you. You obviously haven't grasped the concept of HypnoBirthing at all.
"The modern interpretation of his work (Grantly Dick Read) has evolved into "hypnobirthing" which attempts to use autosuggestion and relaxation techniques learned in the pregnancy as aids to a pain free labour."
The body automatically slows itself down creating more hormones in its approach to birth and we are finding more and more that women are working against the body's natural ability, working longer and pushing against this natural relaxation. Encouraging the body back into this relaxation puts it back at ease. At no time is it claimed with HypnoBirthing that birth WILL be painfree although many times it is but certainly women are much more comfortable during their labours.
"There is no evidence that a pain free labour is a normal labour, and indeed the essential and necessary feedback mechanism from the contractions (often experienced or described as pain) is important for a safe, natural birth."
There is no evidence either that pain is an absolute necessary for a safe natural birth and our women certainly know when to work with their contractions. They are not spaced out or unaware of what is going on around them.
It's such a shame that you couldn't talk with HypnoBirthing mothers to really find out THEIR truth rather than just writing it from an observers point of view. It's very sad that in our present environment Childbirth Education Classes run by many major hospitals (can only speak for Melbourne) are not preparing women well to give birth but doing their best with the liability restraints now out there. This is in no way bagging the people who teach them only the rules they have to follow. Sorry I am not meaning to tread on any toes here.
I know that so many women just do not know what giving birth is really about and a lot is due to our present society demands and not having the peer support around them any more. I attended a class where 2 hours were spent discussing complications. If the couples weren't programmed when they went in, they certainly were when they walked out. Their faces told a a very sad story.
I do not take what I do lightly and can only speak with what I HAVE observed. Women deserve to have the birthing they want to have and if that is working towards being more comfortable during labour then it IS their choice. I and many others have made wonderful observations of birth over the years and women learn HypnoBirthing because that's what THEY want to do not because we force them to do it.
I take pride in the fact that I DO have an open mind and I certainly am not naive about birth.
Diane Gardner
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrea Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 6:34 PM Subject: RE: Re: [ozmidwifery] Hypno birthing
> I've been having a long running discussion about hypnobirthing on my Diary. > If you want to read the responses from the US contingent of hypnobirthers > check out the entries and comments that were added in February. I also > wrote some follow up pieces on endorphins and midwifery care that related > to this issue. > > It is a hot issue for many people, but I still think that it is the type of > care that these women seek out (midwives and often home birth) and the > action of their own hormones (endorphins) that is enabling them to labour > well rather than any learned technique. IF they want to ascribe their > success to a technique rather than their own innate abilities (and pay for > someone to convince them of this during their pregnancy) then that is their > choice, of course. > > Regards, > > Andrea > > > > At 10:07 AM 11/03/2004, Judy Giesaitis wrote: > > > >This sounds interesting, is there a website for further information > >available please?? Judy Giesaitis. > >-- > >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.
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----- Andrea Robertson Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.birthinternational.com
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