Hypnosis is a knowledge applicable in various professional fields and still lacks regulation on how it should occur in Brazil. However, the Federal Councils of Medicine, Psychology, Physiotherapy, and Dentistry recommend the use of hypnosis as an alternative solution to traditional treatments.

According to the report from the newspaper O Tempo, France and Belgium, like other countries, already offer clinical care known as hypnosedation – which combines hypnosis with local anesthesia – as an alternative to general anesthesia in surgeries.

The most common association is with psychology and psychiatry. However, hypnosis can also provide significant benefits in the field of medicine, including obstetrics. Therefore, in this content, we will show the main benefits of clinical hypnosis in obstetrics, check it out!

What is clinical hypnosis?

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), with small considerations from the Brazilian Society of Hypnosis (SBH), hypnosis can be defined as a state of consciousness [intentionally induced] involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion. In this state, the subject is led to experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior [goal-oriented].

In the case of clinical hypnosis, it is the use of hypnosis in conjunction with traditional treatments for situations of anxiety, depression, physical pain, and emotional problems. It may be possible to make the use of medications unnecessary. Understand in more detail below.

Care for the patient’s pain

A study published in the National Library of Medicine reveals that studies on the use of hypnosis as an alternative means of dealing with labor pain have been ongoing since the 20th century, and their history shows effective results. These results prove that hypnosis can help reduce pain and also promote pain-free childbirth for women.

According to the Digital Encyclopedia of European History, these studies began in the USSR when medications were very expensive for anesthetizing pregnant women during childbirth, leading to state incentives for research in this area so that hypnosis could emerge as an alternative. The success of this application led these methodologies to reach France and be refined. 

Other studies indicate that the use of hypnosis can also help provide a more successful childbirth, reducing the chances of the child facing some irreversible or traumatic negative experiences.

In addition, women experience other “pains” that are symptoms that may arise during their pregnancy. Nausea is one of the most common symptoms in the first three months of pregnancy, potentially leading to vomiting and discomfort for the woman. However, hypnosis can help her become less sensitive to the factors that trigger her nausea.

One of these factors is the smell of strong foods, and in these cases, the woman can undergo training through hypnosis to control her sensitivity to movements and other factors that cause nausea. 

According to a study from Britain University of Warwick, some people who experienced simulated situations that provoke motion sickness had a reduction in nausea levels when they were visually trained to deal with these situations.

Benefits for psychological support during pregnancy

Regarding psychological factors, it is known that women experience 7 psychological phases during pregnancy. All of them can promote variations in thoughts and personality due to hormonal changes in the woman’s body during this period, but also due to structural changes in her work and social routine.

Hypnosis enters at this point as a strategy to guide the pregnant woman to a mental state of tranquility so that she becomes more receptive to advice for better facing her fears, family traumas, and even relationship problems.

Much is said about caring for women in these matters, but partners can also go through a period of great stress.

In this case, hypnosis can also help them better understand this phase and prepare to face each new stage that arises, thus being able to better support their partner when needed.

Benefits of hypnosis for postpartum depression (PPD)

Postpartum depression is something that can affect one in four women, according to a study by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. Generally, its symptoms occur a few weeks after childbirth, preventing them from relating to family members, partners, and even the child. They include:

• severe mood swings;
• excessive crying;
• difficulty bonding with the child;
• withdrawal from friends and family;
• loss of appetite or eating more than usual;
• inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much;
• exhaustion or loss of energy;
• reduced interest and pleasure in activities they enjoy;
• easily irritated and angry;
• feeling hopeless;
• fear of not being a good mother;
• feeling worthless, ashamed, guilty, and inadequate;
• inability to think clearly, concentrate, or make decisions;
• severe anxiety and panic attacks;
• thoughts of harming oneself or the baby;
• suicidal ideation.

But if you look at this case published by the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, hypnosis was used to treat a case of PPD in a patient, and from the first session, it showed good results. It is worth noting that the patient in this case was resistant to the use of antidepressant medications, and hypnosis was an alternative solution.

In other cases, clinical hypnosis can also induce women to a state of tranquility and relaxation enough to deal with high levels of anxiety. In the case of depression, hypnosis can also: 

• reframe traumatic events; 
• work on self-knowledge; 
• reduce stress and anxiety (which can be a comorbidity of depression);
• work on self-acceptance, whether of the mental disorder or another personal characteristic that bothers the patient. 

Thus, we can see that hypnosis is an alternative solution for various problems in the field of obstetrics, and its scientific evidence has been found for over a century.

However, it should be emphasized that any type of treatment for pregnant women should be performed by a qualified professional and with the recommendation of a trusted obstetrician.

Did you like the content? Then you will enjoy reading our free e-book on HypnoPregancy & ChildBirth!

Originally posted 2021-03-26 15:54:23.