Hypnosis is now being used in collaboration with many medical procedures and treatments, such as relieving pre-surgery anxiety, post-surgery pain and discomfort, relief from the effects of chemotherapy, irritable bowel syndrome, infertility, etc.
Marie Mongan’s HypnoBirthing® is a Childbirth Education Programme; it is both a philosophy and an education, with lots of positive benefits all round.  You will learn all the basic physiology behind the birth process, as well as what to expect during your labour.  The skills you learn become tools for life, and feeling empowered and in control are some of the most reported benefits expressed by HypnoBirthing® couples.

HypnoBirthing® acknowledges the power of the mind-body link and facilitates the natural response of the body, allowing the mother to trust and go with her instincts – the way nature intended.  If you have ever seen a cat or dog give birth, it is a calm and relaxed process free from observable discomfort.  Once HypnoBirthing® is accepted as a concept, everything else falls into place towards 'natural childbirth'.

HypnoBirthing® has been a successful childbirth education programme for 18 years (the first HypnoBirthed baby, Marie Mongan’s grandson, Kyle, is about to go to University in the USA) and came to the UK in about 2000.  Whilst it does not promise a birth absolutely free from discomfort, the beauty of the programme is that it enables you to be in control and be confident in the natural process of birth by understanding the process and how the body works – through education, repetition and by regular practising of all the techniques.
HypnoBirthing® seeks to break the ‘cycle of fear’.  Many women are conditioned to expect pain because of hearing others’ ‘horror stories of birth’.  With HypnoBirthing® there is no need for the ‘Fear-Tension-Pain Syndrome’, which can so easily disrupt the natural process of birth.  This was identified by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, who first wrote about the concept of natural birthing in the 1920s.  When fear exists, tension is created, muscles constrict and pain is experienced.  HypnoBirthing® teaches you that in the absence of fear and tension, severe pain does not have to be an accompaniment of labour.  You will gain an understanding of how the birthing muscles work in perfect harmony, as they are designed to do when your body is sufficiently relaxed.  You will learn how to achieve this kind of relaxation, free of the resistance that fear creates, and you will learn to use your natural birthing instincts.  When you have your baby with HypnoBirthing®, what you will experience is similar to the daydreaming or intense focusing that occurs when you are engrossed in a book or a movie, or are staring into a fire.  If you choose, you will be able to converse and yet remain totally relaxed, fully in control and awake throughout, and yet able to move ‘within yourself’ when you so choose.  You will be aware of your body's surges (contractions) and because you will have trained yourself to reach complete relaxation, you will be able to influence the degree to which you will feel the surges, enabling birthing in an atmosphere of calm relaxation, free of the fear and tension that prevent the muscles of your body from functioning as nature intended them to.  In this calm state, your body's natural relaxants, endorphins, replace the stress hormones that constrict and cause pain.
Your birthing partner is taught how to observe, and is confident and able to connect and help you relax deeply by supporting and guiding you in what works best for you.  Believing in the concepts and practising the techniques are keys to success, so babies can be born in a calm and serene manner.  The programme also enables birthing preferences to be clearly defined, which helps you work in partnership with midwives and other carers towards the same aim: a healthy mother and baby with the best possible experience for all the family.
The programme consists of a series of five classes, each of about three hours duration, or four sessions of about four hours.  It can be run either as a group or for individual couples.  There is a break during the sessions when you can have a drink, and if in a group this enables you to get to know other members better.  Group classes are kept small (up to six couples and usually no more than four).
Individual couples can be supported at Luck’s Yard Clinic on Monday or Friday afternoons.  Group sessions are run from Helen’s own home usually on Saturday mornings or Thursday evenings.  If you have friends who are pregnant, you can always get a group together and run it from your own home.  Other daytime slots may also be available.
As a highly qualified and experienced practitioner, Helen offers a free 1:1 session (of up to 1.5 hours) where needed if you have any specific issues.  Perhaps as a result of a previous birth experience there are issues that need to be overcome before joining a group, or that might arise during a group session.  Helen uses appropriate techniques of Hypnotherapy and The Journey.

What have couples said of their experiences?

“Thank you kindly for all of your help.  You have affected our lives and babies in the most positive way and we will definitely recommend you to all.”

And after their son’s birth:

“I did get the perfect birth I planned, went into labour around 5 and baby born just after 11.  Received by Doula.  Midwives and paramedics arrived later.  It was as I planned, in the pool at home.  Thanks for empowering us, especially Thomas.”
Leila and Thomas, April 08

“Words cannot express how thankful we are for all your wisdom, advice and support during our pregnancy.  We had an amazing birth and our baby had a beautiful, calm introduction to the world.  We know that HypnoBirthing was the key to all that, and you the facilitator.  We will never forget you, or our experience.  So, until next time...”
Jo and Phil, Feb 08

“The course has changed our lives.”
Nicola and Daniel, Dec 07

About Helen

Helen is a qualified nurse of many years and mother of two teenage children.  Until recently, she worked as a clinical nurse specialist in complementary therapies in the NHS.  She has an MSc in Complementary Therapy Studies, a BSc(Hons) in Nursing Studies and a PgDMS.  She is both RGN and RSCN and a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Journey Accredited® Practitioner and HypnoBirthing® Practitioner. She is also qualified to offer some 'hands on' therapies.

Helen has also undertaken some training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) within the NHS and uses these techniques along with those of neurolinguistic programming (NLP), eyes movement desensitization reprocessing (EDMR), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and mindfulness meditation and relaxation when these can be helpful to individuals. She also offers counselling/psychotherapy as part of a Masters degree, which she is currently studying at Roehampton University.

In the past, Helen has created and facilitated relaxation, stress management and 'Living Well' workshops for the NHS – the latter being based on mindfulness meditation and aimed at supporting psycho-spiritual health for cancer and palliative care patients.  It arose out of Helen’s Master of Science research.  All of the above programmes have received excellent feedback from patients, carers and NHS staff.

Helen has had her own company for five years.  It was started as a result of a commission from the NHS to meet the needs of staff, which was outside the scope of her then part-time role.  She has worked at Luck’s Yard Clinic since September 2007.

HypnoBirthing® has added another dimension to her portfolio, which she loves facilitating.

For further information and to get in touch:

If you would like to have further information or to discuss your individual needs, then please feel welcome to contact Helen at Luck’s Yard Clinic, by email to:

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by telephone on 07810 792929

Helen looks forward to welcoming you and to the opportunity of supporting you at this exciting and joyous time.

For further information on HypnoBirthing®:
www.HypnoBirthing.co.uk
www.theJourney.com
www.general-hypnotherapy-register.com