Hypnobabies Childbirth Classes

Hypnobabies is a 6 week *complete childbirth education course* using Gerald Kein's Painless Childbirth techniques instead of simple relaxation, breathing or guided imagery. We use our Hypnobabies Workbook, CDs and hypnosis scripts to train the inner mind that contractions in labor will be felt only as pressure and tightening sensations. Hypnobabies uses the same kind of hypnosis techniques that people employ when preparing for surgery without any medication, which is called hypno-anesthesia.

Hypnobabies classes include information on nutrition and exercise, staying healthy and low risk, stages of labor, positions, how to avoid and alleviate “back labor”, birth plans and much more!

Our classes also teach the Hypnobabies Birth Partners how to fully support our Hypno-moms, although Hypnobabies can also be used very successfully by single mothers. Although not every woman will have a completely pain-free unmedicated birthing experience, that is exactly what we aim for and our success rate is about 70%, far above any other childbirth method, which is very gratifying.

The Hypnobabies Course Materials you will receive in class are:

  • Your Hypnobabies workbook
  • 7 CDs for the Hypno-mom
  • 1 CD for the Birth Partner
  • The Hypnobabies Quick Reference Guide for Labor
  • The Birth Partner's Guide
  • A special booklet based on, "Back Labor No More" developed for Hypnobabies students
  • 5 Hypnobabies scripts on paper
  • 6 Handouts
  • A Perineal Massage Booklet

Hypnobabies, has the most rigorous standards for instructors, and takes pride in our ability to offer you a successful and caring experience. All Certified Hypnobabies Instructors have been trained in *both* Hypnosis and Childbirth Education and have a passion for working with expectant couples like you who want to give their precious babies the best start in life with a gentle and easy birthing.

The Hypnobabies Difference

How is our Hypnobabies Childbirth Class different from other Childbirth Hypnosis programs?
By Kerry Tuschhoff, HCHI, CHt, CI
Founder/Director of Hypnobabies

We are asked many times what is the difference between Hypnobabies and other natural childbirth or hypno-birthing programs, and on this page we answer that question by telling you what we do well without disparaging any other particular group. Other natural childbirth courses have excellent programs and benefits that have helped many women have better, more relaxed births. We recognize that and celebrate them and what they do every day for birthing women! Below the following article are unsolicited quotes from some of our Hypnobabies Hypno-Moms who have taken another kind of childbirth course first, and then gone on to enjoy their Hypnobabies program and birth experience. They were happy to share their experiences with you, to encourage and support you on your hypno-journey!

In Hypnobabies, our objectives are to help our pregnant couples bond with their baby in utero, teach you how to stay healthy and low-risk and be an excellent consumer, trust in your body, mind and baby, as well as become self-reliant and confident about birthing your own way; unmedicated, safely and in comfort. We overcome negative belief systems and programming, get you in touch with your own beautiful pregnant body, guide you through your own excellent birth experience and give you skills that you will use for the rest of your life. Birth Partners are brought into the preparation process and have their own hypnotic relaxation cues, as well as a special role to play as they await the birth of the precious newborn with our Hypno-mom. Since we use real medical hypnosis techniques, addressing the mind, body, and spirit of both Mother and Baby, our success rate is wonderful and very gratifying!

We are not a regular birth hypnosis class. Hypnobabies is very detailed and successful, uses medical hypnotic anesthesia techniques, from Gerald Kein's amazing Painless Childbirth program, as opposed to simple visualization and imagery, and contains the same kinds of hypnotic scripts used by people who undergo surgery with hypnosis as their only anesthetic.

We also *fully* train our Birth Partners by giving them their own Birth Partner’s hypnosis CD for a calm and confident attitude towards pregnancy and childbirth, and their own detailed Birth Partner's Guide booklet for labor, which allows them to fully grasp their role in the preparation for baby’s birth as well as easily helping the Hypno-Mom during birthing. This is unique to Hypnobabies and we are very proud of this feature.

Hypnobabies can also be very successfully used by Single Mothers or those whose partners will not be participating in their birth preparation process. All of our hypno-anesthesia techniques can be easily learned, practiced and used alone, or with a Birth Partner or doula.

Hypnobabies classes also provide excellent and Complete Childbirth Education, lacking in most birth hypnosis programs. Providing this *Complete Childbirth Education* ensures that our wonderful students will not have to take other natural childbirth classes whose philosophy is so different that it negates what they have learned in our birth hypnosis class. "Pain management and coping skills" are actually opposite of what is learned in Hypnobabies; we teach Pain Elimination by using real hypno-anesthesia.

Long before they ever step foot in their first Hypnobabies class, our Hypno-moms get to meet their baby and bond with him/her in a CD called Your Special Place, and the second track is Painless Childbirth, which helps teach you how childbirth can easily be so comfortable. (de-programming them from the usual childbirth horror stories, and written by Gerald Kein.) Each Hypno-Mom is able to learn deep relaxation and hypnosis skills for several weeks (or months!) before Hypnobabies Class even starts. This makes it much easier to learn her Hypnobabies Hypno-anesthesia Techniques in each class, bringing the Birth Partner into the preparation, (if they have one) and also how to use hypnosis for many other things: nausea elimination, back and hip pain, insomnia, pre-term labor, pre-term bleeding, perineal massage, internal exams, turning a breech, etc.

One main difference is that our students participate in a hypnosis script each week in class and then have that *same script to work with* for reinforcement during the next week, which makes a huge difference when programming the inner mind for success. It is called "compounding" in the world of hypnosis, is necessary for hypnotic suggestions to be retained by the woman's subconscious, and many other birth hypnosis programs do not have it.

Hypnobabies also has "Eyes Open Childbirth Hypnosis", which allows each wonderful Hypno-mom to walk and talk and move around freely yet remain very relaxed, fully present, aware and in touch with her body and baby and *completely comfortable while doing so*. Other programs rely on complete immobility for focus and concentration, which can severely impede the progress of labor and the descent and positioning of the baby. An upright, "Eyes Open Childbirth Hypnosis mommy means a faster and easier birthing!

We also do Birthing Rehearsals in class #6 so that our Hypno-moms can experience using their actual Hypnobabies techniques and many different labor positions *while in hypnosis in class* which is invaluable, and also shows the Birth Partner hands-on exactly how to use his/her cues and assistance. What a confidence builder, and is unique to Hypnobabies!

Also unique to Hypnobabies is our very successful Hypnobabies Birth Visualization, in which you can mentally and emotionally practice entering labor, experience your comfortable birthing techniques and give birth easily and in a very detailed and personal way. This “mental birthing rehearsal” is very important to the process of easy and comfortable birthing and is done many times until your Hypno-baby is born, helping program the subconscious mind to produce exactly the kind of birthing you want. Athletes like Tiger Woods and public speakers of all kinds do this to prepare with great success, and so do our Hypno-moms!

Our students also never have to guess how to make a cohesive *plan for birthing* using their Hypnobabies techniques; our program is very clear and concise and includes a Quick Reference Guide for each birthing couple to use during their labor. We also include our wonderful Birth Guide CD which keeps our Hypno-mom deeply in hypnosis with constant hypnotic relaxation and anesthesia suggestions for both the first stage of labor, and the pushing phase (NO “Ring of Fire”) as well as “positive birth team” hypnosis throughout. Birth Professionals are shocked at how completely relaxed and physically comfortable our Hypno-moms are, how easily they are able to move around and communicate and still be deeply hypnotized, and how “in control” they are of their bodies, minds and emotions. Our Hypnobabies students tell us that our Birth Guide CD is "Pure Gold!"

At Hypnobabies we require that our Certified Hypnobabies Instructors have a trained background in Childbirth and 50 hours of Hypnosis training before becoming trained as a Hypnobabies Instructor, so that *all* childbirth questions and concerns from each Hypno-couple can be addressed, hypnotic depth can be assessed, and problems such as resistance and abreaction can easily be dealt with. Not so with other programs.

Our Hypnobabies Instructors are always available for help before, during and after your Hypno-baby is born, and we also have a free Hypnobabies Yahoo e-mail group for our Hypno-moms to join for support and encouragement after your Hypnobabies class has ended, so that you can enjoy a community where others are using Hypnosis for Childbirth as well. We have daily tips and suggestions, childbirth hypnosis birth stories and a great deal of camaraderie.

Other programs have shorter and simpler childbirth hypnosis classes (8 - 10 hours of instruction as opposed to our 18) and may contain some excellent hypno-tools for birthing, but none contain the amount of information, in depth hypno-anesthesia, training, practice and support of Hypnobabies. All elements have been carefully designed to work together and the results are amazing even to ME. Not all of our Hypno-moms will have a completely pain-free birthing, yet for most it will be very close to it, and this makes all the difference in the world to so many women. Very gratifying!

Hypnobabies is an excellent choice for any woman wanting Hypnosis for Childbirth that REALLY Works!

Hypnobabies Birth Stories

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q) Should I take a Hypnobabies class or do the home study course?

A) Our Hypnobabies Home Study Course for Expectant Mothers is being used with great success by mothers all over the world right now, and it contains the same basic curriculum, hypnosis scripts and cues, but we suggest that anyone who is near a Hypnobabies Instructor take our Hypnobabies Class with a Certified Hypnobabies Instructor (HCHI certified). The benefits of attending a Hypnobabies Class include:

  • More detailed information on every subject
  • Additional handouts
  • 5 Hypnobabies scripts in a booklet, including our very important Visualize Your Birth script (which is not in the home study course)
  • Hypnosis demonstrations of all Hypnobabies techniques
  • Depth assessment of each student’s hypnosis levels by the Hypnobabies instructor
  • Phone and email consultations with your Hypnobabies Instructor
  • Prenatal exercise demonstration and practice
  • Full hands-on training for the Birth Partner, including the Birth Partner’s Guide Booklet and the Birth Partner’s hypnosis CD
  • A specially designed handout developed from the book “Back Labor No More”, and in-depth explanations, demonstrations and practice of the Belly Lift from this book (so important)!
  • Optimal Fetal Positioning explanations and demonstrations to prevent posterior presentation

Our Birthing Rehearsal in Class # 6, which is invaluable for helping each Hypno-Mom fully understand and experience their Hypnobabies techniques in a birthing scenario, complete with Birth Balls, changing positions, walking etc. It is also great practice for the Birth Partner to use his deepening cues and techniques that help the mom so wonderfully during labor. This helps build the confidence level of Mom and the Birth Partner tremendously.

And……from our VP Carole Thorpe:

“I would add FUN!!! A lot of kidding and just plain silliness happens in my Hypnobabies classes. Camaraderie is not to be underestimated. Generally, I have noticed that some of the birth partners show up to Class One and exhibit the body language/attitude of "OHMIGOSH!...what has my wife gotten me into now?!" The classroom setting with other couples helps them to see that they are not alone in this "different" way to help their wife have their baby. It is helpful to hypno-dads/birth partners to see that Hypnobabies can be beautiful and effective, and also enjoyable.”

Q) What is the difference between Hypnobabies and a regular hypno-birthing class?

A) Please see our Hypnobabies Difference (on this page) for information on this very important question.

Q) When should I start Hypnobabies Classes?

A) Anytime! Some women take classes early in their pregnancy, and practicing Hypnobabies helps them to be relaxed, comfortable and confident for the rest of their pregnancies. Others start later, at 6 or 7 months, when they know they can devote 30-40 minutes daily to practicing.

Q) Can my Birth Partner come to Hypnobabies Class with me?

A) Yes! We teach the Birth Partner right along with our Hypno-Moms - what hypnosis is, (they experience it in class and get their own Birth Partner’s hypnosis CD, to keep them calm and relaxed about pregnancy and childbirth!) and how to support and help our Hypno-moms during pregnancy the birthing itself and after the baby comes. They participate fully in each class, and with each hypnosis script.

Q) Will I be able to move around and be awake, and aware of my body and my baby during my labor, using hypnosis?

A) Absolutely! Being in Hypnobabies’ “Eyes Open Childbirth Hypnosis" is not like being asleep or detached from the sensations of your baby’s birth. You are awake and aware of everything going on around you, and you experience baby’s every movement. You remain deeply in hypnosis, confident and calm, even while moving and changing positions. Your Hypnobabies hypno-anesthesia allows you to experience all the power of childbirth without the discomfort.

Q) How does hypnosis for childbirth work?

A) Short version: Like computer data entry. If you want to create a document to use later, you open one, enter the text and save the contents in a “file”, then give the file a name. Later, when you want to edit that document, you find the file name and open it, add to the document text and save it again. When you are completely finished with your document, you find the file by its name, complete and ready, and print it out for your use.

In Hypnobabies, our “files” are our medical hypno-anesthesia “scripts” in the form of CD tracks and paper scripts, and all you have to do is *listen* to them. In doing so, you train your inner mind, just like entering text, what to accept. Each week, you add a little bit of training, just like the text in your document, and your inner mind creates a new belief system about childbirth. It accepts that the normal birthing sensations that you will have when you give birth; pushing, pulling, stretching, pressure sensations, will indeed be there, but without discomfort attached to them. You train it to accept cues and techniques to bring you deeper into relaxation and hypnosis, and when you use them on your birthing day, just like printing out your document, they are there for you automatically! Your mind is very powerful and is capable of creating the deepest physical relaxation possible as well as a very comfortable birthing experience. Use it!

A) Long version: Ask us for a FREE Introduction to Hypnobabies CD, with a 20 minute explanation of what hypnosis and Hypnobabies are, and a special gift – our “Relax Me” hypnosis session, which allows you to actually experience deep relaxation and a hypnotic state, as well as learn a special cue that trains you to become calm and relaxed in any situation, which you can use for the rest of your life!

More questions, call 1-877-365-MAMA or email Kate or Micky right away.

Hypnobabies Class Schedule

We are currently registering students for classes in 2008. For schedules and times, please call 1-877-MAMA (6262) or email micky@ninemonthsandbeyond.com or kate@ninemonthsandbeyond.com.

Classes are limited to 5 couples per class so we encourage you to register early. However, don’t hesitate to call and see if the next class is full, we might be able to squeeze you in!

All classes are held in the lobby of Maryland Farms Pediatrics in Brentwood, TN.

Classes are 3 hours long and last for 6 weeks. Classes cannot be accelerated. If you have any questions, please contact us.

You must have at least 6 weeks of pregnancy left to take the Hypnobabies course. However, you can slightly accelerate the Homestudy course if you have less than 6 weeks, with the direction and assistance of the Hypnobabies Network. Call (714) 952-BABY (2229) for more information. If you have even less than 5 weeks, ask for the Joyful Birthing set (3 CDs and instructions). It is NOT the Hypnobabies program but it can give you some valuable and powerful birthing visualization and hypnosis techniques.

Doulas and Midwives are welcome to observe a class series at any time. Please CALL first as we have a few things to discuss before you come to class.