The Role of Hypnotherapy to Overcome Anxiety in Facing First

Child Delivery

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis

2023

Phyu Sin Yadanar Thein, S.Pd., Kons.

Introduction

One of the series of events in a person’s growth from birth to death is

getting pregnant. Every change in a person’s personality causes stress in their
lives (Field, 2017). Pregnancy and labor can be relatively stress-free and generally
joyful experiences for some women. Age, education, maturity, personality, prior
pregnancies and deliveries, and the emotional state of the economy all affect one's
capacity for handling situations (DeLee et al., 1939). Pregnancy is frequently
accompanied by feelings of anxiety, especially in mothers who are mentally
unstable. At delivery time, anxiety reaches its peak (Hepp P et al., 2016). Women
have talked about childbirth pain for a very long time. As a result, many aspiring
young mothers experience anxiety before giving birth (Ding et al., 2014).

Physical tension that manifests in the labor-related muscles might be

brought on by feelings of anxiety and fear in the face of childbirth (Werner et al.,
1982). The most prevalent mental condition is anxiety. Anxiety problems were
said to be 31 percent common. Unfortunately, there are very few diagnoses and
inadequate treatments for this anxiety illness (Alladin, 2016). According to Sahin
et al. (2016), anxiety is also linked to an electrolyte imbalance and elevated
plasma catecholamine levels.

Anxiety can be brought on by childbirth, cesarean section, and anesthesia

in women. According to Ding et al. (2014), maternal worry is positively
correlated with higher neonatal risks such early birth and low birth weight. The
absence of exclusive breastfeeding is one of the anxiety-related symptoms (Field,
2017). Anxiety and labor pain are positively correlated with one another (Lynn et
al., 2017).

There have been numerous initiatives to help expectant mothers who

struggle with anxiety starting with medical and psychological treatments (Alladin,
2016). Hypnotherapy is one approach that can be used. A method that is
frequently used to manage anxiety is hypnotherapy (Daitch, 2018). The method
used to deal with anxiety is a combination of physical relaxation and cognitive
restructuring, such as teaching pregnant women to ignore worry triggers and relax
in response to bodily symptoms by utilizing systematic desensitization or
progressive muscle relaxation (Baram, 1995). The WHO has also acknowledged
hypnotherapy as a secure kind of therapy, and it is based on scientific information
(World Health Organization, 2016).

The Source of the Problem

a) Women’s first-child delivery anxiety can lead to psychological issues.

b) Women frequently can’t let go of their fears and are terrified to confront
the delivery process.
c) Excessive worry and anxiety make the first-time mothers ill.
d) Feelings of fear, concern, tension, and difficulty concentrating are
psychological symptoms that appear in pregnant women who suffer
anxiety.

Research Objective

A method that is frequently used to manage anxiety is hypnotherapy. In

order to deal with anxiety, a mix of physical relaxation and cognitive restructuring
is utilized as a method. However, women’s first-child delivery anxiety can lead to
psychological issues, make surgery more painful, necessitate more analgesics, and
extend hospital stays. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of
hypnotherapy in treating pregnancy anxiety.

Research Methods

The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety is used to obtain quantitative data
utilizing quantitative data collection techniques before therapy is administered
three times and once after therapy is administered.

Conclusion

Concern over the impending birth of their first child can be alleviated with
hypnotherapy. The therapist's role has affected both the rise and fall of anxiety in
first-time mothers who are pregnant. It is hoped that first-time mothers who are
expecting their first child will use straightforward hypnotherapy techniques in
their daily lives to deal with problems and prevent ongoing anxiety by
continuously relaxing and suggesting things that are good for them. This will help
them to maintain their quality of life and have a positive impact on the
development of both mothers and babies. For families, it is important to give first-
time mothers who are pregnant with their first child physical and emotional
assistance in order to improve the quality of their lives in general and their ability
to give birth peacefully and easily in particular. Because it is thought that pregnant
women with their first child are more likely to experience psychological issues,
additional researchers are encouraged to utilize hypnotherapy on research subjects
with a larger number so they may compare and discover differences in changes in
each subject.
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