A recent BBC report revealed that regular checks for mothers six weeks after giving birth may be too rushed to pick up cases of postnatal depression, despite guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence saying that six-week checks should look for signs of postnatal depression (PND) and that health professionals should ‘ensure that the woman’s physical, emotional and social well-being is reviewed’. 
The Royal College of GPs admitted to the BBC this might always happen and said there was long checklist to get through so it might not always be possible to do it all within the standard 10-minute appointment.
Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, honorary treasurer of the RCGP, said: “GPs throughout the UK are under increasing pressure. We’re in the midst of a funding crisis and when people are working in a system that’s under pressure, clearly doctors are going to feel pressurised.”
But the National Council for Hypnotherapy’s therapists can effectively lower the incidences of postnatal depression and, in the UK, hypnosis is increasingly being used to reduce the risk of postnatal depression and this is just one of the benefits of hypnotherapy in the pregnancy and postnatal arenas.
Referred to as ‘hypnobirthing’, it can help overcome fear and anxiety around conception, parenting, the birth and other postnatal events.
Hypnosis has been used as a technique to support labour for many years, with the written records dating back to the mid 1800s.
Over the past 15 years, more and more people have realised the link between body and mind during labour may have a bearing on the outcome of the birth. Following this, a number of antenatal courses emerged that offer hypnosis as part of the course. The use of hypnosis during labour has been shown to reduce the length of labour, reduce the use of pain relief, reduce the risk of intervention and reduce the risk of postnatal depression.
Another benefit is that babies born to mums that have practiced hypnosis and deep relaxation techniques during labour may also be calmer, sleep better and feed better.
Meanwhile, Dr Liz McDonald, chair of the Perinatal Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for parity between mental and physical health when doctors examine new mothers. She believes around 15 per cent of mothers are affected by postnatal depression at some stage.
And Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the NCT, told the BBC: “The six-week postnatal check-up is a key opportunity to spot potential problems for new mums, such as postnatal depression, as well as other physical and psychological disorders. It is worrying that almost a third of women were not even asked about how they felt. Identification early on is crucial.”
But hypnotherapy treatment eliminates the negative messages about birth and these messages often come through stories in the media or on television. Women are conditioned to believe that birth is perilous and fraught with danger.
It is precisely this expectation of fear that creates the tension at a subconscious level. But hypnotherapy works at the subconscious level, changing instinctive perceptions of birth so that it is seen as a positive experience making mothers aware of how they can be in control and be free of fear for a different birthing experience.
