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Birthing New Realities
In 1994 a group of Hypnotherapists in the Pacific Northwest gathered for a regional conference. I was invited to give a three hour presentation in front of these professionals less than two months after completing training in HypnoBirthing® and receiving permission to teach and certify others. My Topic: Birthing—A New Reality. I began presenting a brief history of childbirth figures showing a 50% rise in Caesarian Sections, moved on to the marvels of modern day birth through the ages, and then into the new program of HypnoBirthing®. We took a break about half way through and from the back of the room a woman approached with a sheet of names. She handed it to me and said the ten people on the list all lived further north and wondered if I would come to them to teach the program. I was somewhat amazed. These 9 women and one man were practicing Hypnotherapists with a variety of backgrounds in fields such as chiropractic, midwifery, nursing and related specialties. I told them I would love to teach them – and would be able to do so as soon as the college approved the course for its curriculum.
I sat with the College Dean and Roy Hunter, the distinguished head of its Hypnosis Professional Training Program and got the approvals needed. They asked what they could do to support me. I told them I needed a flyer for these 10 to sign up. The dean introduced me to a staff member who proceeded to listen to me discussing my life work and this new course entitled Birth, Death, and Transitions into Higher Consciousness. She created a logo design and layout and we were ready to go. The group of 10 chose one of their offices, arranged a motel for me and were ready to venture in. Each one had a history—a reason they felt called to participate in the sacred work of birthing our young. We spent many hours together each day, learning, writing and sharing our stories of birth, viewing videos, practicing techniques and finally testing and proving skills. We were all inspired, excited, and elated at the prospects of our future influence in the fields of birth, death, and beyond. These courageous practitioners united efforts and headed out into their communities to begin working with expectant families and ultimately bring change into an established system of healthcare. Each of their stories is uniquely transformative and also representative of life in the mid-1990’s North America. Here is one of those stories that rippled outward through the waterways of Puget Sound. It was told to me by the HypnoBirthing® practitioner with feedback from countless others who had heard from others. This practitioner had offered her program to an expectant couple with children. They were seeing a midwife and hoped and planned for a home birth. Even though the mother was sure she could not be hypnotized, she and her husband agreed. They attended four 2 hr. classes and listened to the relaxation tapes and felt ready for whatever this baby’s birth would bring. On the day of this birthing, the couple’s primary midwife was out of town. The back-up midwife was called in. Upon the discovery of a breech presentation, all plans shifted to a hospital setting as required by state law. This mother who was sure she could not be hypnotized, was now highly motivated to do whatever she could. She had given birth in hospitals before and remembered. She did not want this baby to be born through Caesarian section. She relaxed and connected with her baby within. Supported by her husband’s calm presence, together they applied the relaxation techniques while being driven the long distance to awaiting doctors and surgical team. The mother remembers pushing to bring her baby through before they can take him from her. Upon arrival midwife, doctor and nurses confer; news of this baby’s arrival spreads. Coming in one foot first is normally a very difficult and dangerous situation. In this case, the mother and father and baby are all calm and doing well. In fact, the baby is so far along that a C-Section is now out of the question. All in agreement, they observe in amazement as the mother gets into her own positions and brings her baby on through the birth canal and into the arms of the awaiting father. Midwife and doctor work together with nurses to assist the parents in attaining the birth they had planned. The elated bonding was the culmination of more than anyone imagined.
This birth created a huge ripple effect. The practitioners were buzzing. They could not wait to see the results of their new found art of gentle birthing. One calm birth led to another. Midwives and Medical Doctors, Nurses, and Staff were all talking. Soon, an afternoon talk show invited us to be guests. The initial 22 HypnoBirthing® Practitioners I trained were spread throughout the various birthing facilities of the whole Puget Sound region and included hospitals, both civilian and military, family homes, and birthing centers. Some expectant couples lived on islands dependent on ferries. This program works in every situation. For those planning water births there was often a surprise. One young couple was having their first baby. They had arranged for a hot tub delivery with midwife by their side. When the day arrived and the onset of active labor, the water was warmed and midwife called. The midwife hardly had time to settle in as the father put another log on the fire! In less than 2 hours this first time mother delivered their son. Joy is the one main constant through these smooth easy births. No matter what the complications, the techniques of this program help every mother, baby, and birthing companion to relax and enjoy the ride. Health concerns are able to be addressed as they emerge and the overall benefits of relaxation lead to ecstatic joy and union over the history of the past. The mother is incredibly empowered, the father is supportive in loving awe, and the baby comes in being very present, alert, aware, peaceful, calm, and ready…able to more fully bond. Can you imagine having such love and support in your life situations? The gentle birth experience leads to children who can go through other life transitions with confidence and ease as well. They do not fear when change comes, they do not look for drugs to numb pain; these children stay present and express themselves openly in family and community life. All stories in this book are success stories.
Like the birthing mother who was sure she could not do…we each have a place deep within from which to come. It is the inner chamber of our heart. This is the place we feel most safe and secure, all knowing and powerful, vulnerable, tender, warm and kind. When we live from our heart center—all is in balance. We are able to remain present. There is nothing to do but listen and feel the rhythm of our very own heartbeat. Attuning to this rhythm sets the pace for peace and harmony in the world around us, too. From this place of balance we are able to know what we need to do. We have each been born into and most likely will transition out of this world someday. No matter the method or the way, we will each be presented with simple little moments along the way that let us know if we feel ready, prepared for the coming adventures of each new day. If you are someone who is suffering through this life of yours, going from one trauma drama to the next, constantly dodging opportunities for change or growth, I may say to you, “Well Done!” You have survived the trauma and can now graduate and move on. There is another way to live that brings love and light-hearted laughter to you as you surrender to the process of change as if you are giving birth to you. Men, women, and children of all ages, all backgrounds, all levels of intelligence, all walks of life, can benefit from the life lessons demonstrated in these tales of simple little moments to change your life. If you are one of the fortunate ones who have a kind and loving life without the trauma of fear, you may celebrate these individuals as I do now with a phrase like “Well Done!” and go on to the next Simple Little Moments story. ©2007 Suzanne Grandon
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