Hypnotherapy & menopause

Here's some interesting news hot off the press of the Nursing Times. "Hypnotic relaxation therapy can reduce the frequency and severity of hot flushes in menopausal women".

In the article, by Tim Downey, the results of a US study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology are revealed. In a study of 51 women, 26 received hypnotherapy. Compared to the group who did not receive hypnotherapy that was a 68% decrease in hot flushes. Not only that but the women who received hypnotherapy also experienced less of the other uncomfortable side effects such as loss of sleep and social interaction difficulties.

On the back of the success of this study there are plans to enlist 180 post-menopausal women for a five year study to further analyse the phsyiological response to hypnotherapy.

The following quote from the lead investgator, Gary Elkins, really strikes a chord with me, and I'm sure with many other people who believe in the philosophy of mind-body healing:

"There is a real need to study emerging mind-body interactions to treating these ailments because many times medications are not an option".

Hurrah for that!

Tracy x

Chiropractic Clinic Open Day

You are invited to attend an Open Day at The Chiropractic Clinic (160 Chester Road, Garden Village, Wrexham) on Saturday 27th September.

Come to the clinic between 9am and 1pm to disucss your aches and pains with qualified professionals and find out more about Chiropractic and other musculoskeletal clinics, acupuncture and remedial massage.

Brief consultations and spinal assessment are available, FREE OF CHARGE, for anyone worried about the state of their backs or other joints.

No appointment is necessary.

FYI this is the clinic where I do my consultations and HypnoBirthing Classes, so you are also welcome to come and have a look around to see what my premises are like.

Tracy x

HypnoBirthing articles

I thought it was time to put the spotlight on HypnoBirthing so I've dug up a couple of articles and a tv interview to do that job for me.

The first article I recommend is from the BBC and is called "Why I chose HypnoBirthing". It dates back to 2002 but is still as relevant today as it was then - although HypnoBirthing is not such a new technique anymore.

As a taster the first line of the article goes:

"Pia Goodman was terrified at the thought of giving birth, but she astonished midwives by having her first baby in just over three hours at home without any painkillers".

Click here to read the full article on the BBC's website.

The second is a quote from an American journal called Midwifery Today. I found this nice quote on the blog of a fellow HypnoBirthing Practitioner, Cindy Unger, who is based in Chicago.

"We must relearn to trust the feminine, to trust women and their bodies as authoritative regarding the children they carry and the way they must birth them. When women and their families make their own decisions during pregnancy, when they realize their own wisdom regarding birth and its place in their lives, they have a foundation of confidence and sensitivity that will not desert them as parents.

There is an inverse relationship between the amount of technology used in a woman's birth and her subsequent self-esteem: The greater the number of interventions, the less well she regards herself postpartum. On the other hand, women happy with themselves in birth eagerly go on to embrace the responsibilities of mothering. The triumph of birthing on their own terms leads to new depths of self-love and self-respect, emotions readily translated to their babies."

— Elizabeth DavisExcerpted from "Autonomy at Work: Woman-Centered Birth and Midwifery," Midwifery Today, Issue 42

Finally, a nice little interview of a HypnoBirthing mother on American TV in May this year.

Click here to view to interview on WCBSTV's website.

I hope you enjoyed these!

Tracy xx

Nappuccino 23rd Sept

I've just heard about a great little event that's taking place in Chester on 23rd September. It's called "Nappuccino" and is being billed as a cafe session for both families with babies and parents to be.

Between 1pm and 2.45pm at All Saints Church Centre, Hoole, Chester you will be able to find out more about natural and organic products including cloth nappies - for which there wil be demonstrations and personal advice for your family.

Not only that but you can meet other local parents and relax with a cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake.

If that's not enough to tempt you, the money raised from the sale of refreshments is going to CLIC Sargent's Yummy Mummy Week Campaign which is raising money to help children with cancer.

If you need any more incentive to come along then - entry is FREE.

Katie, the organiser just asks that you let her know that you are coming along so that she can make sure she has baked enough cakes. Please do give her a call on 07792 067628 or email her at katiemillard@aol.com

I'm a great fan of cloth nappies. I bought some second hand ones to use for my daughter (which were a great price but still in great condition) and am planning to use them again for my next baby. So, I shall be coming along to the event and while I'm there if anyone wants to chat about HypnoBirthing or any of my other services then I would be happy to oblige.

So please, do come along, support CLIC Sargent, learn about cloth nappies and have a cup of tea a piece of cake and a chat!

Tracy x

Because You're Worth It

In my spare time I am a volunteer business mentor for The Princes Trust and I wanted to let you know about a great new company that I am currently mentoring because it's a good news story - and also, as an unashamed plug for them!

The Beauty Lounge in Westminster Park, Chester was established just a few months ago by experienced beauty therapists Celena Davies and Claire Garner. The Princes Trust provided a small amount of financial assistance and ongoing business support (including me as their mentor).

Since opening they have gone from strength to strength due to lots of hard work and well thought through and targeted marketing. Their premises look great and by all accounts the service they provide is second to none.

You can go there for facial treatments, body treatments, sun beds, spray tan, waxing, make-up, nails and even to have your feet done (there's now a chiropodist working from their salon on Mondays).

For all you Mothers-To-Be out there they also offer a number of treatments which are suitable for pregnancy which include a "Foot and Leg Refresher", a "Deluxe Hand and Feet Therapy" and a "Full Body Scrub and Relaxing Massage". Yummy mummy (to be)!

A really good thing about this salon is that you can park right outside - so no scurrying back to the car park across town with your scarf pulled up to your nose and you hat pulled down to your chin after having pluckings and waxings done!

In case you are wondering, I have no vested interest in The Beauty Lounge apart from the fact that I like to see new, fresh, hard working companies do well.

So if you want to get in touch and try them out for yourselves you can call 01244 677687. Their website is currently undercontrsuction, but before long you should be able to access it at www.thebeautyloungechester.co.uk

Good luck Celena and Claire - keep up the good work!

Tracy xx

Hurray for chocolate!

At last ladies - something that we can indulge in during pregnancy that isn't deemed a risk to our or our baby's health - CHOCOLATE! In fact, it is claimed that it can actually reduce pregnancy complications. Bring on the chocolate now.

An article in Reuters recently caught my eye and I thought I'd better share it with you all. If you want to read the article in full you can click on this link - Reuters article.

In summary, the article explains the results of a recent study done by researchers in Yale University. The lovely results include the statement that "women who have five or more servings of chocolate each week in their third trimester of pregnancy were less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who ate chocolate less than once a week".

There was a similar, although weaker, relationship between eating chocolate and preeclampsia in the women's first trimester.

The reason for this is thought to be a chemical called theobromine, which is found in chocolate (especially dark chocolate - so not such a good news story for Dairy Milk lovers out there). Thobromine may be responsible for "improving circulation in the placenta while blocking oxidative stress".

Having read that, I am now going to sit down and really enjoy a bar of really good chocolate. And for those other pregnant chocoholics out there, I hope that this news has brightened your day!

Tracy xx

Happy Birthday Louise Brown!

I was 7 when Louise Brown was born on 25th July 1978 and I never could have imagined that 27 years later I would be giving birth to my own superbabe. At the time, I couldn’t fail to notice the news and realise that something special had happened, but it wasn’t until I began my own fertility journey that the significance of that special day really hit home.

Even now when I think about the miracle of IVF I am in complete awe of the scientists and health professionals who made the birth of my daughter possible. I find myself even more awed when I think about the teeny tiny embryo that was frozen in February 2005 and defrosted in April 2008 and is now a new baby growing inside me. My mind boggles when I realise that this new baby is my daughter’s twin! In fact, I feel humble and at the same time immensely grateful.

So Happy 30th Birthday Louise Brown. Your Mum described you as her “cherished little angel” and to all of us who have had to consider the possibility of IVF during our lives see you as a beacon of hope that one day we too can hold our own cherished little angels in our arms. Thank you for being.

Namaste,

Tracy