What I've Learned So Far

Thursday was our second week taking our Hypnobirthing class. I know that there are a lot of skeptics out there when it comes to this type of delivery, and that's okay. I'm still a bit skeptical myself. But I have learned a lot of interesting things. Not just about hypnosis but recent discoveries they have made about unborn babies too.

So, what have I learned about hypnosis so far:

* Hypnosis is deep, focused concentration. It is a very relaxed state. (Daydreaming is a form of hypnosis.)
* Hypnosis is a natural state that we all put our selves into often without knowing it. (Evidently commercials do this very often.)
* Hypnosis can not make you do anything you don't want to do. (If you have ever been to a hypnotist show you might think that this statement is not true. But remember, those people on stage doing weird and funny things volunteered and were willing to be put under hypnosis knowing they would do those weird and funny things.)
*A person who is under hypnosis during labor is aware of her surrondings and can even have a covnersation.
*There are about 25 levels of hypnosis. 25 is where you can have surgery and feel no pain. Hypnobirthing is about level 5.
*A person in hypnosis can take themselves in out of hypnosis quickly and all by themselves.
*I'm not very good at it so far. I have a hard time relaxing!

What I have learned about fetal development (so far) that I didn't know before:

*The amniotic cord is 18- 24 inches long.
* The back of your brain near your spine is the first to develop. Your frontal lobes don't fully develop until age 24 (not months, years!)
*Babies cry in utero. They don't make the noise, but they experience the emotion. Studies show that when the fetus is crying that mom without knowing it, will start rubbing her tummy. The mother is subconciously soothing her child.
*By 6 months gestation they have sleep/wake cycles.
*Babies develop and become accustomed to language in the womb.
*They don't need to hear music and voices loudly in order to hear them through the womb. They can hear them at normal levels.
* They don't like heavy metal music, the sound of hair dryers or ultrasounds. (Too loud.)
*Babies like Bach and Mozart because of their different melodies.
*Babies like to hear Dr. Suess. They really like the rythm.
*Babies recognize dad's voice more than mothers. (New data shows that the sound of a mother's voice while in utero is like an echo. Similar to how a mother hears her own voice. So, when the baby is born, the mothers voice sounds different. Kind of like how we hear ourselves on the answering machine or tape and think we sound weird.)
*When a baby stops moving because dad is there to feel him ("Come here honey, the baby is moving. Oh, well he was.") it is because the baby can feel the hormone levels in the mom tell them that this person (dad) is important, and they are concentrating on dad, and that is why they aren't moving.
*They develop food preferences in utero. The taste of amniotic fluid actually changes with what you eat.
*When a baby has the hiccups it is usually because they have drank twice the amount of amniotic fluid they usually do because they like whatever you have just ate.
*The last month of gestation, a baby develops 1/3 of their brain.

Other stuff I have learned:

*The number one cause of premature labor of a healthy pregnancy is dehydration. The second cause is a kidney infection (or something similar) that is caused by dehydration.
*A woman makes 50% more blood during her pregnancy.
*A pregnant woman needs 64 oz of water a day. Minimum is 32 oz. A woman needs 32 oz to help with cleaning and maintaing healthy amounts of amniotic fluid. It also helps with your kidneys.
*Regular water is better than flavored water or beverages because flavored beverages are digested in the body as food before they are digested as water.
* The hormones that a woman has during pregnancy are like being on 100 birth control pills a day. (Ever wonder why you can cry at the drop of a hat?)
*A book by an OB who specializes in morning sickness called "No More Morning Sickness" believes that most morning sickness is caused by lack of water and dehydration. The cravings a woman experiences during pregnancy are usually 4 things. Protein, sweet, sour and salty. And when you eat these things, you then need....WATER! (I know I feel crappy and pukey when I am dehydrated.)
*Cholosterum is the closest thing to human blood. Babies live off of human blood via the placenta during pregnancy. And then when they are born and are nursed, they get cholosterum. Makes sense to me!

So, that is what I have learned so far. I think it's interesting. I'm sure that some people may disagree with some of the stuff. But I enjoyed learning it. I am looking forward to more classes. I hope I can get this relaxing thing down so that I can look forward to an easier birthing experience where I can enjoy my delivery instead of being in pain and confinded to my bed.