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HypnoBirthing discussion on LBC next week.......more details to follow.

Hypnosis and Breech Birth

Hypnotherapy to correct breech births

A study conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington , USA evaluated the efficacy of hypnotherapy in converting a breech presentation to a vertex presentation. One hundred pregnant women whose fetuses were in breech position at 37 to 40 weeks' gestation were analyzed and a matched comparison group of women with similar obstetrical and sociodemographic parameters derived from databases for other studies from the same time period and geographical areas.

Hypnotherapy was given in the form of suggestions for general relaxation with release of fears and provided whenever it was convenient and possible for the women until they were delivered of the baby or the baby converted to the vertex position. A successful conversion for the intervention group was scored when the baby spontaneously converted to the vertex position before delivery or if there was a successful external cephalic version. The conversion rate of the women receiving hypnotherapy was compared with a control group who received standard obstetrical care without the opportunity for hypnosis. 

The results revealed that eighty-one per cent (81%) of the fetuses in the intervention group converted to vertex presentation compared with forty eight per cent (48%) of those in the control group, demonstrating a considerable and statistically significant therapeutic effect of the hypnotherapy treatment.

The report concluded that motivated women can be influenced by a skilled hypnotherapist in such a manner that their fetuses have an increased frequency of conversion to vertex presentation.

Mehl LE. Hypnosis and conversion of the breech to the vertex presentation. Arch Fam Med (UNITED STATES) Oct 1994, 3 (10) p881-7

Link to find you nearest HypnoBirthing practitioner in the UK

WWW.Hypnobirthing.co.uk

This is an excellent article by Dr Mercola on how to prevent premature birth.

Go to http://www.mercola.com/2003/nov/22/premature_delivery.htm

This is news that Home birth may well be best and comes from the British Medial Journal

Expectant women who can't decide between a home delivery and a hospital birth will be helped by a study that has reviewed the practices at seven maternity units in the UK.

The study, carried out by the University of Salford, makes for depressing reading.   Researchers found that all the units - which were not identified - were seriously understaffed, and the skill level among the midwives was very mixed.   In the short time spent at each unit, the researchers noted many 'near-misses', or accidents that almost happened, that could have proved disastrous for the mother or baby.   In short, the units are a danger to mothers until they start receiving more government funding.

Most of the problems stemmed from inadequate staffing levels.   The largest units relied on a bank or pool of midwives who were called on when needed.   In practice two midwives would attend a birth - but this could leave the unit seriously exposed if too many women went into labour around the same time.

This actually happened at one unit where six midwives were based.   Three women went into labour, so there was nobody on hand to deal with an emergency caesarean to deliver twins.   In the end, the woman waited for two hours before two midwives were freed up.   The infant survived, but in 'poor condition', the researchers said.

The researchers also witnessed 15 'near misses' - including one where a woman waited an hour for a caesarean section to deliver twins - although they estimate that there were 153 near misses each three months directly due to staff shortages.   Extrapolated across a year, this suggests that the seven units would experience over 600 near misses.   Then extrapolate that across all the maternity units in the UK, and you have a national disaster.

Staff did not report any of the near misses, so the true picture at maternity units across the UK is never revealed; probably just as well as expectant mothers would never step foot in them if they did.

(Source: British Medical Journal, 2003; 327: 584-6)