The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Prenatal Hypnotherapy

Prenatal hypnotherapy can be anything that helps you to be more comfortable during your pregnancy or that helps you to prepare for labor, birth, nursing and postpartum recovery so that it's easier for you and your baby. It can also address some problems that may arise during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure or a breech presentation.

There are various formal approaches to preparing for labor that include covering a prescribed program. As a standard approach, I recommend three sessions - the first as early in pregnancy as possible to help connect with the baby and support a healthy pregnancy. The second around five or six months to look at any obstacles that might be presenting themselves. The third at eight months to start preparing for the labor, birth and recovery. Some women want just a single session to deal with a specific issue or just to help prepare for labor.

I have also worked with couples who have asked me to come with them into labor as a labor coach and hypnotherapist so that they could avoid drugs during the labor and birth.

Self-Directed Prenatal Hypnotherapy

There are several outstanding books available if you're the kind of person who prefers to work through things on your own. "Birthing Normally" by Gayle Peterson is excellent, as is her new book, "An Easier Childbirth".

Guided meditation or guided imagery tapes can be a real help in changing your internal voices from doubt to confidence. They can help you to relax in those last weeks of pregnancy so that you're likely to go into labor sooner rather than later, and they help fill your thoughts with positive affirmations about your birth.

This is probably your best bet for a quick, short-term approach to relaxation and confidence.

"Body-Centered Hypnosis: for Pregnancy, Birth and Bonding"

by Gayle Peterson

"Side 1 helps you relax and enjoy pregnancy and bonding with your

unborn child.  Side 2 is a fantastic aid in the last weeks of

pregnancy to prepare for childbirth.  It combines relaxation

with birth visualization and weaves in powerful suggestions

to help you adapt to labor.  A great tape by a nationally

recognized leader in perinatal psychology.  75 min.  $12.95"

For those of you who want to take a longer view of the whole thing, there's a program of slim book and workbook with accompanying audio tapes. The program is called "Creative Childbirth - How you can easily give birth in comfort and without fear through the Leclaire Method" by Michelle Leclaire O'Neill, PhD., R.N.

The two main tapes are

Tape I: Side A - Hypnosis and Pregnancy Side B - Relaxation Sounds - "Dawn at Coral Canyon Beach"

Tape II Side A - Hypnosis for Labour (to be played during 39th week and as soon as you go into 1st stage of labour and throughout labour as needed) Side B - Relaxation Sounds - "Sunset at Coral Beach"

Either of these tapes can be ordered by sending $11.95 (including S&H) to

Dr. Michelle Leclaire O'Neill P.O. # 1086 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 For telephone consultation or appointment please call: (310)454-0920 or (310)459-3227

You can also write for a more complete list of items or order the book directly from Cascade, although I don't think they carry the full set of stuff.

Personally, I think this program would do anybody a tremendous amount of good. But it does require that you get it, read it, work through the workbook and listen to the tapes.

Carl Jones' books, "Visualizations for an Easier Childbirth" and "Mind Over Labor" are also outstanding resources.