Through a friend I recently learned that there is someone else in Port Lincoln that uses the power of hypnosis, however Lesley Dempsey specialises in a rather different area to me; HYPNOBIRTHING. You might have heard of royalty, Kate Middleton using hypnobirthing as I definitely had, and my curiousity made me want to find out more about this specialised practice:-
Why did you choose to get into hypnobirthing?
I chose to become a hypnobirthing practitioner as I felt there is an absence of confidence among birthing women. I am very passionate about restoring faith in women and nature’s way to birth. Giving birth is an instinctive act, hardwired into a woman’s brain and body. Sadly, our society has lost the belief that women can birth calmly and with ease. A birthing woman has her own wisdom and an innate system. Hypnobirthing empowers birthing mothers and their partners with knowledge, tools and a mindset to have confidence to birth that is conductive to a positive outcome.
Agreed! So please tell us a bit about your background and how you got here?
I am a Registered Nurse / Midwife and have worked in a variety of clinical roles, including antenatal education classes, birth suite, postnatal, neonatal, community midwifery, breast feeding support and advice. I have worked in both metropolitan and rural Hospitals, private and public. I have noticed over the last few years as a Midwife, my time and focus is more and more taken up with monitoring and recording and am less able ‘to be with woman’; the original meaning of the word midwife – as the guardian of normal birth. A midwife’s intuitive skills and ways of knowing are increasingly sacrificed to technology, more invasive procedures for birthing woman to get information in other times, my heart and my hands would have illuminated me. When a woman misses out on the ecstasy of birth so does the midwife, which affects her job satisfaction.
I see a call for a more comprehensive approach that acknowledge the power of birth, and for women to have trust in their birthing body. Such amazing and humble experiences to witness a woman relax into her birthing body and work in harmony, body and baby.
What is one thing you learned about hypnobirthing that surprised you?
Minimal practitioners and classes are available in rural South Australia. This program should be accessible to every birthing mother. I have known for a long time some women go into a self trance-like state during their birth and now I know where they go!!
How do you see hypnobirthing helping people?
My aim is enable more parents to have access to this program and positive birth experiences. There is a negative ideology that surrounds birth!! Together we can change this one hypnobirth at a time.
I am assisting women and their partners as follows:
- To be more in control, confident, relaxed and less fearful of their birth
- Re-educating women about their body and its natural function to birth
- Discover the source of the myth that pain must accompany birthing
- Eliminate the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle that causes long birthing processes and unnecessary interventions
- Create and maintain a positive mindset for birthing
- Providing choices, knowledge and tools for empowered birthing
- Preparing mind and body for birth
- Teaching proven techniques such as deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, visualisation and special breathing techniques
- Discover and learn how to apply effective massage techniques that release the body’s natural birth hormones
- How to decrease length of labour
- Decrease use of pain medications
- Ultimately, greater emotional satisfaction
What are your thoughts on hypnotherapy and why it is such a successful tool for change?
The mind has always interested me and I know that the conscious mind is just the tip of the iceberg. As Albert Einstein said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We are living in a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.” It is time for change and hypnotherapy can help many people in so many different ways by reprogramming the subconscious.
How important are your thoughts in creating a healthy environment – both physically & mentally?
Very important!!!! Let us begin right at the beginning… Hypnobirthing is such a powerful childbirth course, and includes mentaland physical preparation! We all began our lives in a passionate act, and if we consider one of these hormones “oxytocins” (the love hormone) and endorphins (hormones of pleasure) – these are nature’s relaxants and natural pain relief. These same hormones orchestrate the physical process of birth in the right environment and are said to be between 20 – 40 times more effective than morphine… In addition, we now create the birth scene: a calm, positive and healthy birth environment where both parents are physically and mentally in tune. The aim of a healthy mother having a healthy baby must include the mother’s emotional health. Why? Because our emotional health affects how we parent, how we relate to our partners and how we feel about ourselves.
What is one valuable thing you have learned on your own personal journey?
My hospital based nursing and midwifery training. The ‘hands on’ experience was so valuable and has made me the multiskilled, flexible and stress-free kind of person I am today.
Hypnobirthing might be a relatively new concept to most. What advice would you give to those considering it?
Birth is the beginning of life, the beginning of mothering and parenting. We all deserve a good beginning….. It is your birth right!!
Hypnobirthing is as much about mindset as it is about techniques for childbirth. When a birthing woman and her partner are able to approach birth with knowledge, tools and support, birth can be a positive, calm and very empowering experience. Trust in your body … it knows what to do.
Thank you LESLEY DEMPSEY for sharing with me, and hopefully this helps educates people and add to their birthing options, as I believe it be a wonderful, safe and beneficial practice for parents & baby! To find out more about Lesley, contact her HERE.
