Vivian Keeler, DC and Lorie McCoy will be leading "HypnoBirthing®: Rediscovering Calm, Gentle Birthing with the Mongan Method" starting February 7. For more, visit the class page.
By Vivian Keeler
In our culture, we have been conditioned to believe that birth is something to be dreaded, feared and abhorred. So much so that we blindly turn our bodies and our babies over to who we are told is an expert, often a stranger. Someone who can rescue us from our biological destiny by performing procedures and interventions that render us helpless, submissive and, in the end, grateful for saving us and our babies from harm. I believe that there is much more to birth then merely getting the baby out. Birth is complex. There is a mental, emotional and spiritual aspect that far outweighs the physical birth experience. Yes, a healthy baby and mother are the ultimate goal of birth, but is what we do in our culture actually healthy for either?
Consider this:
Cesarean section rates are at an all time high.
The maternal mortality rate in our country is steadily increasing. The US does worse than 45 other countries all the while spending the most.
Our babies are dying more often than those in 50 other countries.
Infant mortality rate for babies of African American or indigenous heritage are 1.5-3 times higher than for white babies in our country.
So much is terribly wrong with our system. Where do we begin to fix it?
We must begin with education.
I have been lucky enough to learn about an incredible method of childbirth education that is making a huge difference in our birth culture. HypnoBirthing -The Mongan Method has proven to be the bridge in returning birth to the normal, natural event that nature intended. This very well thought out program teaches couples not only to understand the normal physiology of birth but how to avoid fear, tension and pain.
Relaxation, visualization, breathing, affirmations and self hypnosis techniques are taught to reconnect women with their birthing instincts, avoid unnecessary intervention and work with their bodies to create calm, peaceful birthings.
HypnoBirthing also considers the baby’s experience in birth to be important. We believe that babies should come into the world in a gentle, peaceful atmosphere. Expectant parents learn to connect with their babies before birth and facilitate optimum bonding after. Partners play an important role in this method and are taught to actively support and advocate for both mothers and babies.
If you are a birth professional or have a passion for birth, consider become a Certified HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator. You will become an incredible agent of change in your community by educating and empowering couples to create safer, easier and more comfortable births.
Dr. Vivian Keeler has devoted most of her adult life to the care and education of women and their families. She has been a Chiropractic Physician since 1986 with a special focus on the health of pregnant women. She is a natural birth expert who has attended more than 800 births as a doula and has taught HypnoBirthing- The Mongan Method for the last 13 years. She is also a Certified Hypnotist. She is a faculty member of the HypnoBirthing Institute and sits on their Board of Directors and has received the HypnoBirthing Institutes Diamond Award for her contributions to the advancement of HypnoBirthing. She has shared her expertise through many speaking engagements, articles and interviews and is responsible for co-creating several training programs that have inspired many birth professionals to become agents of change in their own communities. Dr. Keeler is the co-founder of Amazing Births & Beyond and Contemporary Doula International. She is also on the Board of Directors of Broward Healthy Start. She resides in Hollywood, Florida with her husband, Tim and their two amazing daughters, who were birthed naturally at home. Visit www.amazingbirthsandbeyond.com www.hypnobirthngflorida.com for more.