Childbirth can be one of the most challenging times of the average woman’s life and may, after the baby is born, lead to feelings of inadequacy and even depression. While the prenatal period is designed to prepare the mother for pregnancy, labour, and taking care of the baby’s needs, there is usually little preparation on the psychology of the mother after childbirth. Hypnosis, which has been used to ease discomfort in childbirth as well as easing depression, has been identified by Guse, Wissing, & Hartman (2006) as a possible way to help improve the mother’s well-being after delivery.
Guse, Wissing, & Hartman (2006) designed a hypnotherapeutic program to be delivered prenatally to expectant mothers. Study participants were recruited from a childbirth class. Additional requirements were as follows: participants had to be first time mothers, had to be in their third trimester, must be between the ages of 20-40, and must be in a stable relationship. 46 women were selected and were randomly divided into two equal groups. The experimental group (n=23) were tested for hypnotic suggestibility using the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale, a standard way for psychologists to test suggestibility individually. After the Stanford Hypnotic Clinical Scale, eight women requested reassignment to the control group due to claims of work responsibilities. Other measuring instruments were provided to both groups and included but were not limited to the Maternal Self-Confidence Scale, the Edinburgh Postnatal depression Scale, a General Health Questionnaire, and several other measures of psychological well-being. These were collected pre-natally, two weeks post-partum, and ten weeks post-patrum. Those in the control group were after the data was collected were offered six sessions of hypnotherapy post-natally (Guse et al., 2006).
The experimental group was given six sessions of ego state therapy as well as hypnotherapy in the style of Milton Erickson. Each session was scripted and was given to all participants in the experimental group. Sessions included self-hypnosis, ego strengthening, labour and delivery, encouraging bonding and development, encouraging postpartum needs, and addressing individual needs (Guse et al., 2006).
These prenatal testing showed these groups were not identical. The experimental group may have been “significantly more vulnerable” prior to intervention in comparison to the control group. However, two weeks post-partum they scored significantly higher than they did pre-partum and higher than the control group. The control group did not change pre- versus two weeks post-partum. By ten weeks, the post-partum group continued to show signs of improvement in regards to their relationship with the baby, their self-confidence in being a mother, decreased pathology, decreased levels of depression, increased life satisfaction, increase in positive affect, and stronger coherence. By this time, the control group only showed increases in relationship with the baby, increased maternal self-confidence, reduced depression, and increased coherence.
The improvements were considered practically significant in maternal self-confidence, levels of depression, satisfaction with life, affect balance and sense of coherence were shown to have a medium effect size suggesting that hypnotherapy program may have a place to help improve maternal well-being in vulnerable first time mothers.
References
Guse, T., Wissing, M., & Hartman, W. (2006). The effect of a prenatal hypnotherapeutic programme on postnatal maternal psychological well‐being. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 24(2), 163-177. doi:10.1080/02646830600644070
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified hypnotherapist serving Atlanta GA, Aiken SC, Augusta GA, Blairsville GA, and Cary NC. He performs hypnotherapy appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
