Sex/uality Artifacts

Hello class, my name is Amanda Tanzer and I presented an artifact in class yesterday about HypnoBirthing. HypnoBirthing can be defined as a program that considers the psychological, as well as the physical, well-being of the mother, her birth partner, and the newborn, independent of context, whether that be in the quiet of a home, a hospital, or a birth center. This program includes practices such as special breathing, relaxation, visualization, meditative practice, attention to nutrition and positive body toning. Most importantly it fosters an air of mutual respect for the birthing family, as well as the health-care provider in a traditional health-care system or an alternative setting. On the HypnoBirth website (link below) you can learn more about HypnoBirthing classes that one can take as well as find an instructor near you. They also have a section of their website devoted to birth stories that are very interesting to read.

I related this website to the article we had to read for class titled “Pleasures of Childbirth”. When I read this article, it was hard for me to believe that any woman could experience pleasure when giving birth so I wanted to look more into it. That was when I remembered a video I had seen before about Kate Middleton considering having her baby via a HypnoBirth. I hadn’t ever heard of it before so I looked more into it and that was how I found this website. Reading more into this website and the research I mention later, I do now believe it is possible for a woman to have a “pleasurable” childbirth, even to the point of having an orgasm like the “Pleasures of Childbirth” article mentioned.

One student in class asked the question as to if there is back-up research related to this program. I didn’t know the answer to that in class so I looked further into that for this blog post. I found from http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/hypnobirthing-calmer-natural-childbirth and http://www.hypnobirthingutah.com/evidence-based-research-studies-supporting-the-use-of-hypnosis-for-childbirth-preparation/ that there is research backing the effectiveness and safety of HypnoBirth. It still is an up and coming program, but I believe that as the times continue to change, more and more women will use this method for a “calmer” birth.

http://www.hypnobirthing.com/