Extended effects of anxiety in children
Mental development at 18 months old was shown to be significantly slower, and the children showed more fear and anxiety when born to mothers who reported stress in later pregnancy (Glover 2006)
Pregnant women who were more anxious or stressed had significantly abnormal patterns of blood flow through the uterine arteries. The findings suggested that "the psychological state of the mother may affect foetal development and therefore birth weight". 27% of the most anxious group had a resistance index high enough to be of "clinical concern". Only 4% in the less anxious group had similarly impaired uterine artery blood flow. (Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital 2006)
A Bristol University team found anxiety in late pregnancy was linked to higher cortisol levels in children aged 10. (O'Connor 2005)
Babies born to calm mothers have higher APGAR scores, and tend to be calmer and more laid back. Increased wellbeing of neonatal: Fuchs et al (1987) evaluated the influence of maternal hypnosis, and noted a significant increase in foetal activity as a result. They believed this was due to a reduction in maternal anxiety and improvement in placental blood perfusion.
Reduction of anxiety using hypnosis.
Mothers who used hypnosis for anxiety and stress management had foetuses who moved in a much more active manner tha a control group (Zimmer, Peretz, Eyal & Fuchs, 1988)
Reduction in length of labour using hypnosis
Jenkins & Pritchard (1993) found a reduction of 3 hours for first pregnancy women from 9.3 hours down to 6.4 hours, and 1 hour for more than one pregnancy women, from 6.2 down to 5.3 hours for active labour. (262 subjects from 600 control subjects) Pushing was also statistically shorter for first time mothers, from 50 minutes down to 37 minutes. These women also reported other benefits such as reduced anxiety and help with getting to sleep.
Abramson & Heron (1950) and Gallagher (2001) found a shorter first stage of labour for 100 women trained in hypnosis - by 3.23 hours - compared with a control group of 88 women. 45 of the Hypnosis for Childbirth clients (first time mothers) had an average of 4.5 hours for active labour, a significant reduction compared to the usual 9 hours.
Medication use
In a British study, 55% of 45 patients (first and second time mothers) required no medication for pain relief. In the other non-hypnosis groups, only 22% of 90 women required no medication. Two further research pieces reported on 1000 consecutive births: 850 women used hypnotic analgesia resulting in a 58% rate of no medication. Five other research pieces reported an incidence of 60 to 79% non-medicated births.
An analysis compiling data from 14 studies that included more than 1400 women, showed that hypnosis reduces the need for drug pain relief in labour, lessens the need for medications that augment labour, and increases the number of spontaneous vaginal births. (Smith et al 2006)
Rates of Intervention
38 out of 45 Hypnosis for Childbirth mums delivered spontaneously, without the use of caesarian, forceps or venteuse. This rate of 84% is higher than the average rate of normal birth for the general population (Harmon, Hynan & Tyre 1990)
Postpartum depression
McCarthy (1998) provided five 30-minute sessions of hypnosis to 600 women, and found a virtual absence of postpartum depression, compared to typical rates of 10 to 15%. Women with a history of postpartum depression did not develop the condition, even though an estimated 50% would normally be expected to do so. Harmon et al (see above) also reported lower depression scores in the hypnoticall treated group.
There's lots of other research and statistics available, but I'm sure you can draw good conclusions from the few I've quoted above.
Basically, the combination of anxiety, pregnancy and childbirth is not a good one.
Hypnotherapy for Childbirth, with its emphasis on enabling the mother especially, to feel cool, calm and in control during labour, must come high on the list of desirable techniques to assist in what should be a natural normal part of a woman's life.
Our course is aimed at helping you to successfully achieve just that.
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Some Interesting Facts
