OGDEN -- Two months ago, Celeste Davis gave birth to her second child, a 9-pound, 8-ounce boy named Abram. But instead of having an epidural, she decided to deliver naturally, with the help of hypnosis.
Hypnobirthing is a technique now being used at McKay-Dee Hospital in its new Natural Birthing Suite. The childbirth method teaches couples deep relaxation, visualization and self-hypnosis, said Marie Chase, certified hypnobirthing practitioner at McKay-Dee Hospital.
"All of these are designed to help you achieve a more comfortable birth," Chase said. "Hypnobirthing encourages a calm, peaceful and natural pregnancy, birth and bonding experience for families."
Anyone who is open to learning and practicing relaxation is qualified to use the technique, Chase said. The depth of relaxation varies from person to person, but everyone who chooses to learn and practice the techniques will benefit.
"I find the couples who choose to take these classes are very motivated and committed to practicing and are very successful at increasing their level of relaxation," Chase said. "Not only for the birth of their baby but in everyday life."
Davis and her husband, Matt, took the classes to prepare themselves for the experience.
"I had a dear friend, Laura, who had delivered her son with hypnobirthing, and was very intrigued by her experience," said Davis, 29, of Layton. "I've always thought that people who went sans epidural were crazy, but during the course of my pregnancy and the more I thought about what Laura said about hypnobirthing, something changed in my mind."
Davis said her daughter's birth seemed very mechanical because once she had the epidural she felt like her involvement was limited. Before Abram was born she and her husband enrolled in a six-week hypnobirthing course taught by Chase at the hospital, to learn several techniques that would help her through labor and delivery. They also practiced the relaxation techniques at home.
"As trite as it sounds, it was a beautiful, spiritual, amazing bonding experience," Davis said. "Toward the end of my pregnancy, I was just so excited to try the techniques I had been practicing to see if I could actually do it."
Davis said because she took the classes, she wasn't afraid to have the baby without medication.
"I'm certainly not the poster child for hypnobirthing. I was able to stay in that hypno-calm only until I started pushing. Then I kind of turned into Xena, Warrior Princess," she said. "But I wasn't surprised by that. I actually kind of expected it, just knowing myself and how I deal with tough situations."
Because the number of women who prefer to have their children naturally continues to rise, McKay-Dee Hospital recently completed the Natural Birthing Suite with help from several donations, said Marle Shelton, McKay-Dee Hospital labor and delivery manager.
"It's painted with soft, calming colors, has a labor tub, an essential-oil diffuser with a menu of essential oils to choose from, beautiful artwork, an iPod and dock where patients can choose from an assortment of music, natural sounds or coaching, and a more subtle way of housing medical equipment," Shelton said.
During the hypnobirthing class, each couple is introduced to a routing relaxation practice they are encouraged to repeat daily. A CD is included in the materials to be listened to each night. Along with specific visualizations, the mother practices breathing techniques that are used during the birth, Shelton said.
"There are also exercises, stretching and other physical preparations she will do in addition to eating a healthy diet to prepare her body for birth," Shelton said.
Couples are encouraged to allow the birth to start naturally on its own. When regular contractions begin, the mom begins to relax at home until she feels ready to settle in at the hospital. The father also is taught how to support his wife as she remains in a relaxed state.
Chase said hypnosis is somewhat misunderstood.
"It's a word that refers to a natural state we all pass through each day, such as the relaxed state before going to sleep and after waking or the relaxed state you feel when staring into a fire or sitting on the beach watching the waves roll in," Chase said. "Relaxation allows the body to function at its optimum efficiency and health."
Davis said she would definitely recommend that other women use the technique.
"Most births need much less medical intervention than you'd think. Our bodies are designed to give birth, and when they work properly it's such a beautiful thing," she said. "But when they don't, thank goodness for modern medicine. It was incredibly empowering to me as a woman and as a mom. This was right for us. I wouldn't do it any other way in the future."
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