In this episode of Sofia Unfiltered, Lauren talks to Kerry Tuschhoff, an expert in childbirth education, doula, hypnotherapist, and speaker
Kerry's Quest for Empowering Births
Kerry, a childbirth educator, developed the Hypno Babies program to make childbirth more comfortable through medical-grade hypnosis techniques. Her journey began with teaching the Bradley Method® and shifted towards hypnosis after her own challenging birth experience. Kerry's focus on combining childbirth education with hypnosis techniques has positively impacted thousands of students, providing them with a more relaxed and empowered birthing process.
What is Hypnotherapy?
We delve into the concepts of hypnotherapy and hypno-anesthesia. Kerry distinguishes therapeutic hypnosis from stage-show entertainment, highlighting how people experience hypnotic states daily during activities like reading, watching screens, or daydreaming. Hypnotherapy involves achieving specific depths of hypnosis, such as the theta state, which enables the body to create desired sensations. Kerry introduces her Hypno Babies program, where self-hypnosis techniques are combined with childbirth education to empower individuals for more comfortable birthing experiences. The program entails listening to audio tracks that guide deep hypnosis, suggesting painless birthing sensations. Birth partners can provide cues for relaxation and hypno-anesthesia during labor, offering a comprehensive approach to childbirth.
Kerry emphasizes that while Hypno Babies doesn't promise pain-free births for everyone, it equips individuals with tools to approach birthing positively and comfortably. She underscores the broader applications of hypnosis in retraining the subconscious mind for various purposes, ultimately harnessing the mind's potential for positive transformations beyond childbirth.
9 Benefits of Using HypnoBabies hypnobirthing:
- Reduced Use of Drugs: Many moms use fewer or no drugs, minimizing the risk of side effects for both mother and baby. This is achieved by eliminating the Fear/Tension/Pain Syndrome and employing post-hypnotic suggestions.
- Shorter Labors: Hypno-mothers often experience shorter labors as the relaxation techniques reduce resistance in birthing muscles when fear and pain are minimized or eliminated.
- Increased Energy: Hypno-Moms tend to have more energy throughout both the first and second stages of labor due to achieving a state of total relaxation during the birthing process.
- Calm Birthing Environment: A comfortable, relaxed, and confident natural childbirth mother contributes to a more calm and peaceful birthing environment.
- Turning Breech and Posterior Babies: Hypnosis can be used to attempt turning breech and posterior babies, offering potential alternatives to traditional interventions.
- Reduced Discomfort: Hypnosis during pregnancy and labor can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature, while also helping to alleviate issues like nausea, back pain, and hip pain.
- Fewer Interventions: Hypnobabies can lead to fewer interventions for failure to progress during labor, resulting in fewer complications for both mothers and babies.
- Positive Mindset: Hypnobabies helps mothers overcome negativity associated with common childbirth stories and scenarios. This positive attitude is reinforced through classes and audio CDs containing positive messages and hypnotic suggestions.
- Enhanced Confidence: By engaging in Hypnobabies, mothers develop a heightened sense of confidence and positivity towards childbirth, making pregnancy more enjoyable and birth something to look forward to.
Fertility and Hypnotherapy
They highlight the transformative impact of hypnotherapy on the journey of conception, embracing a holistic approach that extends to partners as well. The Hypnobabies program recognizes the diverse paths people take in their fertility journeys, whether natural or involving medical assistance, and seeks to provide a personalized and empowering experience. It also extends support to partners, offering hypnosis tracks and affirmations to help them engage spiritually and emotionally in the process. Kerry's dedication to providing a healing, comprehensive approach to fertility and conception shines through her commitment to helping individuals and couples navigate this transformative phase.
A Personalized Pregnancy Path
Kerry emphasizes the significance of personalized empowerment throughout pregnancy, dismantling common fears and misconceptions. Hypnobabies' approach focuses on fostering a positive mindset, rejecting negative language, and championing autonomy. The program extends beyond hypnosis, providing comprehensive childbirth education that equips pregnant individuals and partners with essential information for informed decision-making. This approach counteracts disempowerment and encourages individuals to actively engage in their pregnancy journey, birthing choices, and postpartum care. The core message is that all decisions belong to the pregnant person, and they have the right to choose what aligns with their values and preferences. This empowerment enhances the overall birthing experience and supports families in creating a positive and fulfilling journey.
Choosing Positivity: Safeguarding Your Pregnancy Experience
In their talk, Kerry talks about how negative birth stories and fear-inducing information should be shared cautiously during a pregnant person's vulnerable phase. Kerry suggests redirecting conversations toward positive aspects of birth experiences, allowing individuals to associate their stories with joy and beauty.
After birth, Kerry's program continues to provide support through hypnosis tracks like "After Your Baby Comes" and "Breastfeeding Success." These tracks help parents stay relaxed, confident, and connected with their babies, fostering a positive parenting experience. The emphasis is on personal empowerment, building confidence, and nurturing a calm mindset throughout the challenges of parenting. Kerry's passion for her work shines through as she advocates for a mindful and positive approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.
Fostering Positive Parent-Child Interactions
Lauren and Kerry discuss the challenge of modern life's fast pace and the overwhelming presence of negativity, especially on social media. Kerry reflects on the importance of inviting children into a calm mindset instead of getting pulled into their emotional storms, drawing from her experience in education.
Kerry then shares how she teaches people to focus on what they want rather than what they don't want, emphasizing the power of positive language and affirmations. She highlights the impact of framing conversations with children positively by using phrases like "We're going to do this now" instead of negative commands like "No, you can't."
In closing, Kerry expresses her wish that she had known about the power of hypnosis earlier in life, especially during pregnancies and parenting. She discusses HypnoBabies' wide range of hypnosis tracks for various aspects of life and how hypnosis can bring positive changes.
More from Sofia Health
Check out the full episode of the Sofia Unfiltered podcast "What is hypnobirthing and how does it work?", available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Whether you prefer a subscription over live classes or want to shop for individual services, classes, or products, we have you covered. We're here to help you meet your wellness goals for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. You can also take advantage of the services offered by one of the providers at the Sofia Marketplace.
Better yet, make a daily dose of wellness part of your routine. Sofia Prime offers both live classes and an extensive on-demand video library. Choose from high-quality offerings in wellness, nutrition, fitness, and meditation.
Start your two-week trial today and discover the difference that dedication and expert help can make.
