Hypnobirthing for control freaks
One of the things I really enjoy about working with pregnant women, is their resilience. Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to do hypnobirthing, and it often doesn't become completely apparent (even to them), until we're a couple of sessions in. This week, though, I had the pleasure of hearing a woman unapologetically identify exactly why hypnobirthing is for her, and then crow it to her friends & colleagues! This Client is successful in her City Financial Services firm. She runs a second online retail business on the side. She has a 4 year old. She is pregnant with her second child. To do all of this she needs to be focused about her goals. She needs clear boundaries. She needs reliable support. She is planned, considered and rational. She is pretty much the living definition of a control freak. And - she told me yesterday - that's why she loves hypnobirthing. After a positive birth with her first, she's back for a refresher course - so she can focus on the things she can control, and develop coping strategies for managing the things she can't. And this, I think, is the definition of a successful control freak. Someone who likes to be in the driving seat. Who likes to be the master of their own destiny. Who knows what they want their future to look like. And someone who - maybe most importantly - understands that control isn't simply about making things happen, it's about responding to them too. This client is clear about which aspects of birth she can reasonably control - and that critically this includes controlling your emotions, and learning how to respond positively to any curve balls that come your way (she's not expecting any, but then, that's the nature of a curve ball, isn't it?!). So when her colleagues ask her why she's heading off early two evenings in June, she answers with confidence; I'm going hypnobirthing, my friends
