I found Class #2 was a little more challenging at some points, but like with Class #1, I enjoyed the learning and the listening I did with the Hypnobabies Home Study Course this week.

Class #2 Assignments

The assignments in Class #2 build upon Class #1. First, there's a lot to read. Then you start the recommended nutritional program and exercises (unless you're otherwise advised by your doctor or midwife). You re-read Reminder #1 from Class #1, continue listening to your Pregnancy Affirmations, and begin two new CD tracks.

You also learn a new technique — you read about it in the written materials first, then you hear it and deepen the experience through the CD tracks for the week. The technique is the “Finger-Drop Technique”, which focuses on teaching you to use your “Lightswitch”. It's a simple concept that's easy to visualize and really works well for me… more later in this summary 🙂

Most of the reading this week focuses on nutrition and exercise. Hypnobabies uses the excellent Brewer Pregnancy Diet, developed by the late Dr. Tom Brewer. It gets great results for moms and babies and I'm thrilled to see that Hypnobabies chose this as their recommendation. It's also great to see nutrition and exercise information, period.

Many childbirth courses skim over this or only give lip service. Hypnobabies gives you not just the information in your workbook, but you also get a nutrition tracking sheet and an easy reference sheet for protein counts. You find out how to use the sheet and why protein counts are important in your info for this week, so it's important not to skip it.

I've been basing my diet on the Brewer diet throughout this entire pregnancy, but I decided I wanted to track my nutrition on paper this week since it's an assignment. I was surprised to find I'm not getting as much protein as I thought I was, so I've been able to focus on making sure I get those protein-rich snacks in throughout the day.

There are also important sections on what you should avoid during pregnancy and I was glad to see that. Some common pregnancy complaints are also covered, along with what to do to handle those and stay comfortable.

Recommended exercises are covered in this week's materials, all good ones I need to remember to do. Kegels are explained and I really need to remember to do those every day!! There's also a couple of pages on using a birth ball — great information I haven't seen in any other childbirth class.

The final reading materials for this class cover what happens physiologically during your birthing time (all stages) and how to be gentle and respectful of both your baby's first moments and your own third stage when the placenta is born. All great information to include and get you thinking 😀

There's a lot to read this week, so I broke it up across the week. I read the information I'd need for my new CD tracks, then read the rest of the sections over a few days' time.

This Week's CD Tracks

It was the CD tracks from this week that I found more challenging. I do feel like I did very well with them… and will give more details here.

First, as I said above, a new technique was introduced, the “Finger-Drop” and your “Lightswitch”. You discover how to use these by first reading about it, then listening to it on the Learning Self-Hypnosis track. You'll get the gist of it by reading but definitely make sure you're awake and aware when listening to Learning Self-Hypnosis because the detailed explanation makes it very easy to put the Finger-Drop technique and your Lightswitch into practice!

I'll admit that I find having my switch completely “off” to be challenging. I seem to get itches, or twitches and my body wants to move and not relax. Remembering Reminder #1 from Class #1 helped me to relax and not take myself too seriously… this actually helped a lot because I was able to let the relaxations and hypno-anesthesia flow which would often quiet itches quickly.

The second CD track is Deepening, which takes you really deep into relaxation and hypnosis. You need to turn your switch to “off” for this (at least in Class #2) and again, itches and twitches for me! Again, Reminder #1 helped. It also helped to remember that my switch is my switch. If it's off, I need to be off… but I can turn it to “on” if I need to. Instead of fighting with myself if I had an itch or wanted to move, I just flipped my switch “on” and got comfy, then flipped it back to “off”.

I really meant to practice at least one of my Deepening sessions fully supported on my birth ball this week, but that didn't happen so I'm making that a goal for Class #3 (I'll be using deepening again next week). I love sitting on my birth ball at my desk and want to practice using it like I might during my birthing time.

I've also been practicing my Finger Drop technique five times a day, as instructed in the Class #2 assignments. I count my Hypnobabies session as one practice, and do one before I go to bed, so I only have to fit in three more each day. This morning I did one while in Child's Pose yoga position – that was very relaxing 😀 Usually I do it lying down or in my office chair, which fully supports my body. It only takes 30 seconds to 2 minutes, so not much time at all.

Fitting in Hypnobabies with Noisy Kids

Okay… I have a lot of kids. Hypnobabies advises that you remove all distractions before you do your sessions. Six days of the week I'm able to have my two littlest ones napping. On Fridays that's generally not possible because I need to fit my Hypnobabies session in mid-morning (we're at extracurricular activities for the kids Friday afternoons during nap time).

Even on the days the little ones nap, though, there are still distractions. The big kids will make noise from time to time… and sometimes they forgot to be quiet and I get up surprised to find the house is still standing around me… it sure sounded like the house was falling down!

On the Hypnobabies tracks you're told that any noise you hear simply makes you more relaxed… so I have taken that to heart. If I hear noises I just immediately push a wave of relaxation from the top of my head down to my toes. It works pretty well. I get through my session and practice relaxation… and I get done with Hypnobabies (or my nap if I fall asleep after) feeling rested despite the occasional thump or thud.

I share this because I know sometimes you think “I just can't do this” because you have noisy kids!! But you can do it. Even on Friday mornings I'm able to put my toddler and preschooler into a safe play area and lie down nearby and listen to my track. It may not be perfectly calm and quiet and serene, but it's my life and it works for me 🙂 I hope my birthing time will come deep in the night so it's calm… but hey, our Riceball could come in the middle of the day and my house is never quiet during the day… so practice helps 😉

I am really looking forward to next week, because in Class #3 I get to put my Lightswitch in the middle position and that will be really nice for the itches and the twitches!!

Hypnobabies

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Going Through Hypnobabies with “Riceball”

• Starting Hypnoabies!
• Class 1 Review
• Class 2 Review
• Class 3 Review
• Class 4 Review
• Class 5 Review
• Maintenance and Visualizing Your Perfect Birth

Photo by ellenm1