Stefanie Kraft: Hi! I am Stefanie Kraft and I am a HypnoBirthing Practitioner. I am talking about having a baby using the HypnoBirthing method. Right now, I am talking about HypnoBirthing classes. HypnoBirthing classes are taught in 5 classes which are 21/2 long each. They are taught by certified HypnoBirthing practitioners, who are certified by the HypnoBirthing Institute. To find a practitioner in your area, you can visit www.

hypnobirthing.

com and click on Practitioner Directory.

The HypnoBirthing classes are meant for the pregnant woman and her birth companion. The birth companion is a labor support person. Usually it's the husband or partner, but it can really be anyone the woman chooses, like her sister, mother or a doula. If the woman doesn't have a birth companion, she can attend classes by herself and still have a great birth. All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. So it is ultimately up to the woman to be able to bring herself into that relaxed state.

Marie Mongan wrote the book HypnoBirthing, The Mongan Method which is the text book for the classes. The book isn't meant to standalone. So if you are considering using the HypnoBirthing method, there is so much more to gain by being in the classes than just by reading the book alone. You are also given a hypnosis CD in class for practicing at home and to use for the birth. In class, parents watch actual hypnobirths on video, so that they can learn what to expect and see actual births. So that's a little bit about HypnoBirthing classes. Next, I am going to talk more specifically about what you learn in the classes.