Category Archives: Blog

Happy New Year!

A new year has begun and we couldn't be more excited about the wonderful things we have planned for our members.

With more product trials, more membership perks and more events, this year is set to offer more for your yearly membership fee of £20.

To kick off the year, we would like to announce the lucky winner of our December competition:

Nicci Brown!

Congratulations to Nicci, who wins an hour with the wonderful Jo Tantum - author of Baby Secrets.

Keep an eye out for the January competition which will be announced next week!

We will also be announcing the release date for places to see world renowned breastfeeding expert - Dr. Jack Newman.

Happy New Year, we hope it brings health, wealth and happiness to you all!

The ABBP Team

A Day with Dr. Jack Newman

The ABBP is delighted to be hosting world renowned breastfeeding expert - Dr. Jack Newman.

On Monday the 3rd of March 2014, Dr. Jack Newman will give a full days lecture on breastfeeding, and specific aspects of feeding babies at the breast. (which will be confirmed prior to ticket release - members should have received an email with the available topics, to be able to state preferences) The event will take place at the Wolfson Education Centre in West London, and places are limited to 120.

Participants will receive a certificate of attendance, and there will be time allocated to Q&A with Dr. Newman, although we would prefer questions to be submitted prior to the event where possible. Any handouts provided by Dr Newman will also be made available to all attendees.

Profits from this event will be donated to Bliss - our charity of the year

Tickets will soon be available, priced at £45 for members and £55 for non members. Places will be available to members for a week prior to general release.

For more about Dr. Jack Newman and his work in Canada and around the world click HERE

Become a Sleep Angel with Jo Tantum

Jo Tantum - Author of 'Baby Secrets' is one of the UK's leading sleep experts for babies and toddlers.

Widely published in leading baby magazines, and prominent newspapers all over the world, Jo has also been part of many TV shows, including being the Baby Expert on Live with Gabby, spending a week with Doctor Hilary as a presenter on GMTV for Twins week, as an expert on ITV’S 'Baby House' and also on 'Richard and Judy' talking about her spaced soothing technique.

Jo is also donating an hour of her time for our December competition!

In February this year, Jo launched her Sleep Angels and Sleep Workshop Training Programmes. Throughout the training Jo reveals all her secrets and techniques, so that course graduates can feel confident in helping Sleep deprived parents in their area.

If you would like to learn Jo's techniques and Secrets , and help sleep deprived parents everywhere, why not become one of Jo's Sleep Angels Team. Training can also lead to exciting work opportunities.

The next Training Programme starts January 31st, there will be a meet and greet with Jo in London on the 19th December 1-4pm in Merino Kids (151 Northcote Road, SW11 6QB) a short walk from Clapham Junction station.

For more details contact- HelenPA@JoTantum.com

GUEST BLOG!! How to tap into the ‘Mind-Body Connection’ to have a great birth. by Paola Bagnall

Giving birth should be a straightforward, wonderful and magical experience.

By using the mind-body connection it is possible to achieve this.

The dictionary definition of the ‘mind-body connection’ is the taking into account the physiological, psychic and spiritual connections between the state of the body and that of the mind.

The idea that our minds and emotions play a critical role in our health is far from new. Many ancient healing systems emphasise the interconnection between mind and body in healing, including Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, who taught that good health depends on a balance of mind, body, and environment. This is also true for a good birth.

We all have an innate power in our unconscious minds to change the way we think. By choosing to think differently then we actually change our brain chemistry so we release serotonins, the happy hormone, as I call it, as opposed to adrenalin. Serotonins make us feel good and help the body to heal and deal with pain. When one feels fear adrenalin is produced in large quantities and the more fear one feels then the more adrenalin is produced. Deepak Chopra states, “To think is to practise brain chemistry”. So thinking relaxing thoughts changes your brain chemistry and creates a good mind-body connection.

The late Dr Grantley Dick-Read (1890 – 1959) visited a woman giving birth at her home in Whitechapel in London. She declined his offer of chloroform, and gave birth without undue problem. After the delivery, he asked her why she did not want chloroform and she replied, “It didn’t hurt. It wasn’t meant to, was it?” Dr Dick-Reid actually said then that relaxation is the key to a good birth and in his book, Childbirth without Fear published in 1942; he returned to women their rightful gift of a truly natural birth.

There are several ways in which we can connect to our unconscious minds to change our thinking, thereby keeping us relaxed and so help the release of serotonins in order to have a good birth experience.

A very easy way to counteract the adrenalin production is to concentrate on your breathing as this automatically reduces its flow. This in turn causes the release of serotonins. There are two simple breathing techniques, which can be used -

Breathing technique one: -

Breathe in to a count of 4.

Breathe out to a count of 6.

Repeat this as many times as required, and at least fifteen times.

This sends a signal to the unconscious mind to reduce the adrenalin flow. In this way you are always in control in any situation and especially during the birth of your baby.

Breathing technique two: -

The programme for three deeper breaths

Breath 1 brings instant mental calmness.

As you breathe out SAY to yourself “I am calm”.

Breath 2 brings instant feelings of physical relaxation.

As you breathe out SAY to yourself “I am relaxed”.

Breath 3 brings instant feelings of confidence.

As you breathe out SAY to yourself “I am confident”

“I can do ………..”.

This technique can be used whenever you want instant feelings of calmness, relaxation and confidence. Using the breath reduces the adrenalin flow so creating the calmness and relaxation. I find it easier to say a few words after each breath as it keeps me focussed on what I am doing. The suggestions for the phrases are as above.

This breathing programme can be used in any situation where more calmness, relaxation and confidence are required so it is not just for being pregnant or for the birth of the baby. It can be used at work, rest or play!

At breath three your are using positive affirmations. An affirmation is anything you say or think and this affects your unconscious mind. Your thinking in fact, determines all things. Think negatively and you attract negative realities. Think positively and the benefits you desire in life will come true. When we say something over and over again, we create neural connections in the brain. The more we say it, the more connections we create and the stronger they become, bringing about the reality we desire. There are 3 things to remember about affirmations, 1. Repetition, 2. Repetition, 3. Repetition. The mind not only affects the brain it also affects our body at a cellular level by causing the production of different chemicals. This is so important in healing and pain control and to have a great birth.

State the affirmation in the present tense, as if it is happening now, and state what you want to happen. For pregnancy and birth the list of affirmations is endless:

“I enjoy my pregnancy”

“My digestive system works efficiently and effectively”

“My digestive system is more and more comfortable” (to overcome early morning sickness)

“I look forward to the birth with excitement”

“I have a wonderfully natural childbirth”

“I heal up easily after the birth”

“I breastfeed easily”

“I enjoy being a mum”

“I am a great mum”

“I trust my instincts and intuition”

Use your imagination and you can make up as many affirmations as you wish.

Emile Coué (1857-1926) put forward the 'Law of Concentrated Attention’, which states, “Whenever attention is concentrated on an idea over and over again, it spontaneously tends to realise it.”

Therefore keep on saying your affirmations and they will spontaneously happen for you. The more you say the affirmations, and with feeling, the faster the changes. Build them into your daily routine perhaps repeating them ten times morning and evening.

Use the programme for the three deeper breaths whenever you can to reinforce how you want to feel, and be, during your pregnancy and during the birth.

This programme, along with positive affirmations, can also be used to help you deal with a work situation effectively, or to improve your sport performance and to improve relationships with family, friends and work colleagues. Its uses are infinite!

Positive affirmations also link up with “The Law of Attraction” which states that what you put into the universe is reflected back to you. So radiate positivity and calmness and that is what you get back, especially during pregnancy and childbirth.

Another way to link into our unconscious minds in order to modify our thinking is by the use of Guided imagery or visualisation, which utilises the power of imagination to heal. This has been shown to reduce anxiety and pain in people with a wide range of medical conditions, including asthma, back pain, headache, to help patients better tolerate medical procedures and treatments and of course to create a wonderful birth experience.

Visualisation, or imagery, utilises the natural language of the unconscious mind to help you connect with the deeper resources, the inner power we all have, to make the changes you desire. When you visualise what you want to have happen then the unconscious mind actualises this. As Bo Bennett aptly states “Visualisation is daydreaming with purpose”. Visualising and positive affirmations are also forms of self-hypnosis, which I teach as part of my Inner Power Hypnobirthing.

My relaxation allows you to choose a place where you can truly, deeply relax and unwind. It also allows you to choose a colour of relaxation that is right for you. This relaxation, which is self-hypnosis, is to be practised as often as possible before the baby’s due date, preferably daily. Then when you are having contractions you can take yourself to your special place and really be there. Or use your colour of relaxation flowing over you so you remain in control of your baby’s birth and can work with your body and intuitively know what to do. When you are daydreaming like this then you are able to dissociate from the ‘feelings’ of the contractions.

The reason why visualisation is so effective is because the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and unreal! So when you are imagining being in your favourite place then your unconscious mind really thinks you are there and responds by secreting lots of serotonins (the happy hormone) so you feel good about yourself. When you use this relaxation technique during the birth process then you are producing a natural epidural to cope with the contractions.

As well as being in a special place you can also visualise your perfect birth happening in just the way you want it to. Do this on a daily basis up until the birth.

Visualisation can be used in any situation and not just for the pregnancy and birth. It can be used to ‘see’ you giving the perfect presentation or improving your piano playing or succeeding at performing well at an interview and getting the job you really want.

David R Hamilton states that “Our thoughts and attitudes inspire our actions, and our actions create our world”. In conclusion the mind-body connection is achieved by our thinking, which modifies our brain chemistry. When we have relaxed thoughts we cannot feel fear. So to create the perfect mind-body connection in order to have a wonderfully natural birth as nature intended we simply have to practise special breathing techniques, positive affirmations and use visualisation, all of which are part of self-hypnosis and hypnobirthing.

Please see more details about Paola in her members profile, or in the writers profile below, including her website, where there are downloads available, and a link for her book.

GUEST BLOG!! How hypnobirthing makes the contractions easier. By Paola Bagnall

Hypnobirthing is the use of hypnosis to have a magical birth experience as nature intended.

Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation with altered awareness.

Being in a relaxed state reduces the ‘panic’ hormone adrenalin and increases the ‘happy’ hormone serotonin, which makes us feel good about ourselves. In this way we are better able to cope with the fear of the unknown, and any pain as a result of the contractions.

Adrenalin produces dramatic changes in the body in response to fear, shock or stress. It causes the rapid preparation of the body for swift action and so is also called the ‘fright, fight and flight’ hormone. Adrenalin causes an increase in the rate of the heart beat and heart output, the ventilation rate, constriction of small blood vessels in the skin and abdomen, so more blood circulates to the skeletal muscles, taking more oxygen and sugars. The general effect is that the whole body is ready for vigorous action, which might be necessary in an emergency.

As the blood is taken away from the digestive system so more goes to the muscles creating the ‘butterflies in the tummy’ effect. In extreme cases this can cause the voiding of the bladder and bowels.

This state of tension cannot be tolerated for long periods and usually other hormones destroy the adrenalin. When one feels fear adrenalin is produced in large quantities and the more fear one feels then the more adrenalin is produced.

Everyone deals with pain differently. When one experiences pain you have the actual organic pain itself, but you also have your psychological awareness of that pain, which is your pain threshold, and you have your own personality reaction to the pain, which is how much you think it will hurt.

Women are constantly bombarded with negative stories about childbirth. As soon as they tell people they are pregnant they are told that it is the most painful thing they will ever do in their lives. This is in fact negative hypnosis and so people believe that childbirth is painful and expect it to be so. TV programmes like ‘One Born Every Minute’ in the UK, emphasise the ‘pain’ and fear of birth, as the producers have to show births that are dramatic to increase viewing numbers.

However, in my opinion the birth contractions are not painful. They are a strong pressure. If you think ‘pain’ then ‘pain’ is what you will get. By thinking of contractions, rather than ‘pains’, this straight away alters your perception of the birth process.

There are four levels of pain control. The first one is to remove the biggest obstacle, FEAR, that is letting your intellect start imagining all sorts of things that could happen. Fear inhibits two important abilities we have, of concentration and relaxation. So fear becomes pain. The fears usually associated with pain are the fear of making it worse, fear of the unknown and what is going to happen.

The second level of pain control is achieved by generating trust and belief in the hypnotic process and in the ability of your body to deal with the pain. Know that your body makes its own pain killing drugs, by the release of serotonins which are released in a very site-specific way in the brain so that all the other vital systems and functions of the body continue. This is how nature intended pain control. Have you ever noticed a bruise on yourself and cannot remember how it happened?

Once your brain has been freed from fear then you can focus your intellect and concentration on the present moment. So the third level of pain control is to engage in the use of progressive relaxation. Relaxation is the most important key to successful pain control and healing.

This then leads to the fourth level of pain control, which is the process of dissociation through self-hypnosis. In hypnosis one is in the alpha-theta brain wave pattern with an altered sense of awareness. In this state the unconscious mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and unreal. So when in hypnosis you are relaxed and in control, and the levels of adrenalin produced by fear and pain is maintained at low levels. In this way relaxation and self-hypnosis make the contractions much easier to cope with.

Relaxation produces effects at a cellular level. It produces the hormone oxytocin, which not only protects the body from heart disease but it also plays a significant role in the regeneration of wounds. Relaxation also produces anti-oxidants, which soak up the free radicals, which can also cause heart disease. Thus all relaxation techniques, and self-hypnosis, are beneficial to the body, whether pregnant or not.

Oxytocin is the hormone involved in birth, bonding with your baby and also in breastfeeding. By learning the hypnobirthing techniques you learn how to relax at a deep level, so you work with your body and intuition, and are able to dissociate from the feeling of the contractions. For many women this does mean that they may have a pain free childbirth. We all have different pain thresholds and so hypnobirthing cannot guarantee a completely pain free birth for everyone. However, what hypnobirthing does is to give you the best birth possible for you so having your baby is an empowering, magical experience, as nature intended.

There are several methods of hypnobirthing. I am a biologist and a hypnotherapist. The Inner Power Hypnobirthing starts with a biology lesson so you know what is happening in the body and understand that the female body is in fact beautifully designed to give birth. You learn special breathing techniques to maintain calmness, positive affirmations, visualisation, the use of colour for relaxation and healing and of course self-hypnosis which is created by using all these techniques. In this way you are able to flood your body with serotonins, a morphine based hormone during the birth process, which is your body’s natural epidural. Thus the adrenalin levels stay low. When you are relaxed you cannot feel fear, and the ‘pain’ of the contractions is considerably lessened.

Therefore giving birth becomes a truly memorable, exciting experience.

Please see more details about Paola in her members profile, or in the writers profile below, including her website, where there are downloads available, and a link for her book.