In this episode, Melinda Hudnall discusses hypnobabies, prenatal yoga, and microcurrent neurofeedback. She explains that hypnobabies is a childbirth class that helps women prepare for birth by bringing their minds into a state of calm and relaxation. Melinda shares her personal experience with a failed epidural and how it led her to explore alternative pain management techniques. She also discusses the benefits of prenatal yoga, including breath control, pelvic floor exercises, and core strengthening. Finally, Melinda introduces microcurrent neurofeedback as a tool for promoting relaxation and healing in postpartum women.
CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:49 Prenatal Yoga Benefits 09:32 Melinda's Journey into Yoga 12:25 Using Yoga in Pregnancy 15:49 Introduction to Microcurrent Neurofeedback 22:13 Recommended Resources
RESOURCES Only Love Today Rachel Macy Stafford "Only love today is clarity when you’re conflicted. Only love today is unity when you’re divided. Only love today is faith when you’re uncertain. Only love today is a reset button directing you back to what matters most."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
It's the Best Birth Podcast, wherewe interview experts that elevate
you as you prepare your heartand mind to have the best birth.
Each episode will interviewprofessionals so you are prepared
for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Our experts will build your confidenceand empower you to trust your
intuition throughout your pregnancy.
This audio is takenfrom videos on YouTube.
(00:27):
Watch the entire episodes onYouTube at Birth Made Mindful.
The Best Birth [00:02]
You are listening tothe Best Birth Podcast.
Our guest today is Melinda Hudnalland we'll be talking all about
hypnobabies, prenatal yoga and beyond.
Melinda Hudnall is married with threeboys and lives in South Jordan, Utah.
Her education started in radiology and sheworked for seven years in the hospital.
(00:51):
After having her first baby in thehospital that she worked at, she knew
she had to figure something out ifshe was going to have another baby
because the epidural didn't work.
She is a certified birth doulayoga teacher certified in prenatal
yoga and recently certifiedin microcurrent neurofeedback.
Welcome Melinda.
Hi, thanks for having me ladies.
Happy to be here.
(01:12):
So we'll start with hypno babies.
What is hypno babies and is iteffective for pain management in birth?
Yeah.
So hypno babies is a type of childbirthclass that someone can choose to take.
to prepare to have their baby.
There's lots of differentchildbirth classes available
(01:35):
and there are great options.
I ended up choosing the hypnotherapy routefor my second because I felt that it was
good for me to get out of my head andjust let my body do what it needed to do.
where when I had my first baby,it was, I just walked in there
(01:58):
like, hey, I'm here to have a baby.
Didn't do much research or education.
And so, yeah, so the hypno babiesor like the hypnosis idea around
childbirth is to bring your mind intoa state where you are so internal
that you're just letting your body dowhat it needs to do, calming the mind.
(02:23):
relaxation, so they havelike relaxation techniques.
They talk a lot about like the,my gosh, it's the fear, pain,
fear, attention, pain cycle.
And so really just trying to trainthe brain, the body, the mind, how
to come into this calming stateand just let, basically just let
(02:45):
the body do what it's made to do.
So you said you came to the topic becauseafter your first birth, you didn't feel
like the epidural was working very well.
Yeah.
So it's a common thingthat can happen in labor.
And I think a lot of moms, especiallyright your first time, it's, you just
don't know what you don't know, but it'svery common where anesthesiologists will
(03:08):
call it, but they're called hotspots.
And so everybody's body is different.
when they, when they insert theepidural, it goes into the spinal cavity.
And it just, some people canhave like a certain spot where
it won't, it just doesn't get to.
So you can do different thingsof like trying to rotate.
(03:29):
And we did a bunch of different things.
We rotated and he's like, I'll tookit, took it out, put it back in.
And it just, whatever, for whateverreason, my body was just like, it's
just not going to work right there.
So it was really hard to be ina space where I couldn't move.
But I was still feeling all this.
(03:51):
I was still feeling everything, butthere was just no options for me to
be moving around and helping out.
So it was, I would say itwas pretty traumatic for me
to go through.
But then,
yeah, and then just being able to moveinto that space of like, okay, educating
(04:11):
myself and figuring out what the bestoptions for me would be for the next baby.
I took a hypnobirthing class frombefore my first baby was born.
Okay.
And there was only one other person inthe class who wasn't their first time.
And she was there because she said, yeah,I had a failed epidural and for my next
birth, I just want to be more prepared.
(04:32):
Yeah.
So it's very curious.
I wonder how many people will experiencea fair amount of pain receiving that
epidural or if it's just a select few.
I think there's a misconception withthe epidural where it's like, you just,
it's going to take everything away.
And it really doesn't, right?
Like it's an awesome tool, totally neededin whatever such different situations, but
(04:53):
it's not going to take everything away.
And we still need to have tools andthings in our pockets to, to move through.
Well, and most people don't getthe epidural right when their
first contraction starts either.
Right.
So you might need some toolsbefore you're able to get the pain.
A hundred percent.
Medicine.
What are some of those tools ortechniques that you could use or
(05:16):
the elements from Hypno Babies thatare the concepts to help you relax?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there's a lot of breathingtechniques, which is huge.
It's like running a marathon, right?
So being very aware oflike physical things.
So there's breathing techniques,mindfulness, positive
affirmations, like visualization.
(05:39):
It's really important to visualizelike our minds are so powerful and
like what we tell ourselves, right?
And ultimately at the end of the day,like we don't know what's going to
happen at our birth, but we can havethese tools and we can be prepared and
have these things in our pockets to giveus the best, give us the best chance.
Are there scripts that are recorded orthat you can read throughout the labor?
(06:01):
Yep, so if you take a hypno babiesclass, you'll have an instructor and you
go, it's a six week course and there'sawesome instructors all over the world
I think now that will, you will read,they'll read the scripts and so you
practice them and then you listen tothese scripts just like you can even have
(06:22):
them in your, in earbuds during labor.
And a lot of moms when Iwould be out of birth and
Whatever, whatever class they weredoing, they would put either like this
playlist or these relaxation scriptson, their scripts, different, different
scripts for different times of labor.
So like maybe a pushing script or,different things like that, that
(06:44):
mom's really, yeah, they reallylike, and it seems to be helpful.
Yeah.
One that's an opening script.
So you start to think about, you know,an open cabinet door, you think about the
sun rising, you're just trying to helpvisualize so that your cervix will open.
Easier if your mind and your bodyis in that state of openness.
Yeah.
And there's a physicalaspect to it too, right?
(07:05):
Like that you learn the cardinalmovements of a baby as a baby is
coming down and what's happening,like what's actually happening in
your body at each stage of the labor.
When we're educated about that, it'sfor a lot of people, it can make that
process just easier as we understandwhat's happening in our body.
Okay.
we're in active labor now or okay, it'spushing stage now or, and different
(07:29):
things that we can do to help with that.
It makes that a lot.
yeah, just helpful.
A lot easier.
Are there elements of hypnobabies, hypnotherapy that
can be used outside of birth?
yeah, a hundred percent.
I think that is how likehypnotherapy started.
It was not in a birth setting, right?
(07:50):
for addictions, for sleep, for,
healing trauma, like theyuse, there's hypnotherapy,
just in like regular therapy.
but yeah, there's a whole, a wholeton of things that you can use it for.
I had to get my toenails done whenyou have too many ingrown toenails
and they just keep coming back.
(08:10):
And I remember the doctorsaying, why are you so calm?
And I said, I'm doing myhypnobirthing practices.
I'm doing the breathing and I'm recitingin my mind that I'm safe and I'm secure.
Yeah.
I mean, right.
Like our minds are so powerfuland what we tell ourselves.
And, and so it's true.
I mean, I know some people, which Idon't know if I could ever do this, but
(08:31):
some people have done certain, right.
Like if they can't have different kindsof medications for like surgeries or
stuff like that, that they will useit for different medical procedures.
And you talk about education asyou've had your first and moving on to
other children and just our capacitygrows as we grow and as we learn.
I also use.
(08:52):
some techniques when I am in pain and Ihaven't even had a hypnobirthing class.
And so it can only build on each otherwhen you have those, those tools.
I have been receiving acupuncturewith my pelvic floor therapy.
And she even said, you hardlyflinch, you hardly move.
And it's so interesting to beable to see ourselves, be able
(09:13):
to handle more than we thought.
Yeah, absolutely.
Moving into yoga.
I know you have a background in yoga andyou're just so calm overall generally,
it just naturally leads itself to a greatconversation with you in how you are
able to use all of these tools in life.
(09:34):
What got you into yoga?
Yeah.
So yoga, I didn't know anything aboutyoga until after my third baby was born.
And I was trying to get back intoworking out and it just wasn't the
same as it was before I was in my 30s.
And so it was just, my body justfelt different and I knew I needed
(09:57):
something a little bit more low key.
And so at that time, I usuallyhave pretty good postpartum for
about a year after I had my baby.
So I was really needing.
to find something to help with that also.
And so I found a great studio andI started there and, I just fell in
(10:20):
love with it and I just couldn't stop.
I just couldn't stop learning.
And so then that was the next thinglike, okay, I've got to ended up
doing a training and yeah, learneda lot there and super grateful
for that, for that training.
It's interesting to see what lifecalls us to because you're, you're
brought to yoga and yet it's just seemsalready so much of your personality.
(10:42):
What is the impact of yoga in pregnancy?
What could that be helpful for?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, so many things like a lot oftimes when we, before we're pregnant,
if we're already doing some sort ofexercise or workout, usually we're okay
to keep doing that through pregnancy.
(11:03):
yoga is something that you can just start.
Like it's right.
There's so many different levels.
so a lot of things like.
you'll learn breath, right?
So you'll learn breath,which can help in labor.
You'll learn different stretchesfor opening hips, so hips,
(11:24):
pelvic floor stuff, right?
So learning how to control pelvic floor,how to, for a postpartum, so after.
So a lot of time we have the diasterecti,which is the separation of the abdomen
and really just easing back into those
as we come back to exercisingor moving our bodies, those hard
(11:46):
hitting activities are just goingto kind of wreck havoc on that area.
So just being really, mindfulof that, there's a lot of
great core stuff for that.
So when I went to see my pelvicfloor therapist, I first, I was like,
gosh, I hadn't, I hadn't gone andI tell all the mom, you know, you
know how you do, you tell all themoms, then you don't go yourself.
(12:06):
But so when I finally got there,I was like, check my pelvic floor.
And I had been,
into yoga at that timefor many years after.
And she's like, you're great.
And she's like, I think it'sjust your yoga that was helpful.
So yeah, so lots of great things to learnthere and lots of supportive things.
Like if you are going to start duringpregnancy, so many modifications
(12:32):
that are doable and safe and yeah.
For some of the poses that are in yoga,if we start while we're pregnant, are
they unsafe, like a downward facing dog?
Are we not supposed to beinverted in a way that, all
the blood rushes to our head?
Yeah, so the inversions is one of thethings that you'll just skip, right?
(12:53):
So there's just ways around it,or you'll just skip it altogether.
There's a lot of chairyoga when you're pregnant.
So at some point when
that relaxes and...
starts in our body and everything startsto feel loose and ligaments are stretching
and allowing for a baby to move down.
(13:16):
A lot of chair yoga for the stabilityis great and can still give the
benefits for what you're looking for.
Things you'd want to avoid isinversions, lying on your back.
So once we get to a certainpoint in pregnancy, when we lay
straight on our back, it willput pressure on that vena cava.
(13:38):
I want to say nerve.
It's not a nerve.
It's a vessel.
It's a big one in our body.
And, so you'll just do, you'll come tolike 45 degree angles, prop yourself up.
So you're not all the way on your back.
It's kind of like sleepingin pregnancy, right?
You have to prop yourself up.
So it was kind of the same in yoga.
I was taking a yoga class when Iwas pregnant with my third, but it
(13:59):
wasn't specific to prenatal yoga.
It was just a general class.
And so she would always say,
you can be in the fetal position nowinstead of on your back, but we were
doing, a balancing or like a posture holdwhere we would hold it for a long time.
She played cakes, going the distance andwe had to hold the pose for the entire
song, which I think is over three minutes.
(14:19):
And I just remember feelinglike if I can do this for three
minutes, I will definitely beable to handle a contraction.
That's only one minute.
100%.
Love it.
100%.
Yes.
Well, how has your experiencesin hypnobirthing and yoga
prepared you for what you'redoing now with the neurofeedback?
(14:43):
Yeah.
So I was recently trained insomething called microcurrent
neurofeedback and life is funny, right?
How you are on this path and it justfeels like, yeah, life has just kind
of taken me, like I've had these littlepieces and these different trainings.
that have just meshed beautifullywith the microcurrent neurofeedback.
(15:04):
So the whole, I guess I'll tellyou a little bit about that.
So microcurrent neurofeedback,it's specifically called IASIS,
is the type that I was trained in.
It is bringing us back to aparasympathetic nervous state.
So it's our rest and digest and calm.
So opposite of our fight or flight.
(15:26):
And it's...
done by placing little electrodes ondifferent parts of our head and body.
And it will bring us back tohomeostasis with this treatment.
And so it's so similar.
Like it's all similar along thelines of like what hypnotherapy
(15:47):
does, what meditation, mindfulness,yoga does for us as well.
So, yeah.
It sounds like the perfect solution.
for a postpartum mom who might betriggered by a lot of crying, a lot of
noise, a lot of demands on her time.
Is there a way to utilize some of thesetechniques at home or is it always
(16:09):
through a practitioner or a service?
So the treatment isthrough a practitioner.
It's a service.
But it is, this is the newesttechnology in that neurofeedback
field where traditionally it's prettylike the appointments are long.
It's like an
These are 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes.
(16:32):
so if you can find someone local inyour area, it's, it's really a great,
it's, it's just another great toolto get, to have in your toolbox.
To help us stimulate our vagus nerveto calm would be like the breathing
would be different things like tapping.
there's
(16:53):
lots of different things like yoga.
So that can help.
What about some of the services kind oflike a deep float or you know, like some
of those calming or red light therapy.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
It's all, all good.
All good in that healing andthe healing space for sure.
(17:14):
Yep.
Can we talk just about the nervoussystem specifically for a little bit?
What are some of the triggersthat get our nervous system
stim stimulated or heightened?
Yeah, gosh, that's a great question.
I think it can be, it'sdifferent for everyone, right?
Cause we're all so different.
but I think mostly, well, if we'retalking about moms and postpartum, right?
(17:36):
We're sleep deprived.
We have our bodies aretrying to replenish.
maybe we have other kids, but just tryingto keep up with taking care of ourselves
and taking care of the kids, can bereally overstimulating all the time.
So it can just kind of help tocalm and also it helps us to.
(18:00):
The other thing with this is it'sconnecting neural pathways in the
brain that may or may not be connected.
So along with bringing us back to thatparasympathetic, it's connecting these
neural pathways that help us to just reactto maybe a triggering situation that would
have been triggering for us previously.
(18:22):
We can interact withthat in a different way.
So it kind of shows us,okay, I can handle this.
this is what I can do or not do orthis is an appropriate response, right?
Maybe we need to putourselves on timeout as a mom.
Whatever it is, we can meet that triggeror that interaction in a different way.
So I feel like it's prettyprofound and pretty big for
(18:47):
parents, for most everyone, yeah.
Yes.
Can you share how you got into it?
I know it was related with your sons.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it just came through my, yep.
Through my kids.
we have two kids that were diagnosedwith dyslexia last year and my sister
-in -law found this for her daughter.
she was like, Hey, yougot to come try this.
And like, we'll be right there.
(19:09):
And our whole family did it last year.
And me and my husband justsaw such profound things.
for changes in us that we decidedto go get trained together.
And so my sister in law, has a clinicin bountiful that they do it there.
And then we have a clinic inSouth Jordan that we just started.
(19:29):
How often does one need treatmentsfor it to feel effective?
Yeah.
So, treatment is usually12 to 20 sessions.
people can feel differencejust on one, on one session.
So with me, the first time I did it.
I did have an emotionalrelease, which I was crying.
(19:49):
I didn't know why I wascrying, but that happened.
So an emotional releaseand then the sleep.
So that's one thing that hasbeen studied pretty extensively
and is to help us sleep.
And then I just had, I woke up thenext day and I'm not a morning person.
I never have been, but I wokeup at 5 30 without my alarm,
just ready to go for the day.
(20:10):
And I was like, okay, what,what happened right there?
So.
That was pretty profound for me.
And,
so I feel it for myself and differentclients have seen, improvements
with just after one session.
Yeah.
Is it effective for other sorts ofthings that occur ADHD or, you know,
(20:35):
yeah, things that are common like that.
Yeah, definitely.
So the things that, havethat has studies around,
are sleep, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
So there's been lots of studies withlike veterans, people in that space,
different, mostly like the anxietyand depression, but there is this,
(21:01):
this neurodiverse section where itis pretty profound in that area too.
So like learning disabilities, ADHD,
Yeah, definitely has, hasbeen helpful for people.
I think just considering it as aneffective tool for postpartum mood
(21:22):
disorders could be one reason that all ofour listeners would want to learn more.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
A postpartum can be such a trickytime where our hormones are still
trying to regulate and come back.
This, like we talked to sleep.
So even if it's just to help amom sleep and try and get deeper
sleep when she can get it.
(21:45):
and reduce that anxiety, right?
Especially for a new mom, wehave all this, it's a new thing.
There can be lots of anxiety around that.
So yeah, absolutely.
Well, this conversationhas been incredible.
Do you have any additionalresources that you'd like to
share with our listeners today?
Sure.
Thanks.
Resources are always where we need to go.
(22:07):
So I would first say evidence-basedbirth .com for anyone that is
about to have a baby or pregnant,just get on that website.
This gal is a nurse and researcherand she will take all of the
studies, all of the latest evidenceand put it here in one spot.
(22:30):
So it's a pretty awesomeresource and you can get a lot
of education in that one spot.
So evidencebasedbirth .com and then...
Spinning babies is also another greatresource that anyone can get to.
That just will help moms know how to kindof know positions, different positions
(22:54):
for labor that can take off pressure,different tools and coping skills there.
It's a really great resource.
And then also if you've had ababy, if you've had a cesarean
and are looking to have a vaginalbirth, next there's the VBAC link.
that's local here to Utahthat's such a great resource.
(23:15):
So yeah, we'll give you all the resourceand evidence based stuff on having a VBAC.
Thank you.
Our mom squad secret forthe week comes from Cassie.
She says, choose a doulayou really vibe with.
Unless it's necessary, things generallygo smoother without intervention.
But sometimes interventions are needed.
(23:36):
So choose a provider that you trustwho is truly supportive of your goals.
And I just love that she says,choose a doula you really vibe
with just talking about the energyand the connections that we make.
I tend to be kind ofanxious and high energy.
So when I'm with someone who cancalm that my husband is that person,
it just feels a lot better in thesituation when we have that balance.
(24:00):
Melinda, thank you so much forbeing on the podcast today.
Thanks so much for having me ladies.
Thanks for joining us on today's episode.
We hope you've been elevated andinspired by this week's expert.
Subscribe today so you never missan episode and please share our
podcast or post on your socialmedia so that other moms and dads
to be can also have the best birth.
(24:21):
Please note that the informationprovided is based on the expert's
insights and personal experience.
It is not intended as medical guidance.
Please seek the advice of yourmedical provider as it applies
to your specific condition.
It's the Best Birth Podcast, wherewe interview experts that elevate
you as you prepare your heartand mind to have the best birth.
Each episode will interviewprofessionals so you are prepared
for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Our experts will build your confidenceand empower you to trust your
intuition throughout your pregnancy.
This audio is takenfrom videos on YouTube.
(00:27):
Watch the entire episodes onYouTube at Birth Made Mindful.
The Best Birth [00:02]
You are listening tothe Best Birth Podcast.
Our guest today is Melinda Hudnalland we'll be talking all about
hypnobabies, prenatal yoga and beyond.
Melinda Hudnall is married with threeboys and lives in South Jordan, Utah.
Her education started in radiology and sheworked for seven years in the hospital.
(00:51):
After having her first baby in thehospital that she worked at, she knew
she had to figure something out ifshe was going to have another baby
because the epidural didn't work.
She is a certified birth doulayoga teacher certified in prenatal
yoga and recently certifiedin microcurrent neurofeedback.
Welcome Melinda.
Hi, thanks for having me ladies.
Happy to be here.
(01:12):
So we'll start with hypno babies.
What is hypno babies and is iteffective for pain management in birth?
Yeah.
So hypno babies is a type of childbirthclass that someone can choose to take.
to prepare to have their baby.
There's lots of differentchildbirth classes available
(01:35):
and there are great options.
I ended up choosing the hypnotherapy routefor my second because I felt that it was
good for me to get out of my head andjust let my body do what it needed to do.
where when I had my first baby,it was, I just walked in there
(01:58):
like, hey, I'm here to have a baby.
Didn't do much research or education.
And so, yeah, so the hypno babiesor like the hypnosis idea around
childbirth is to bring your mind intoa state where you are so internal
that you're just letting your body dowhat it needs to do, calming the mind.
(02:23):
relaxation, so they havelike relaxation techniques.
They talk a lot about like the,my gosh, it's the fear, pain,
fear, attention, pain cycle.
And so really just trying to trainthe brain, the body, the mind, how
to come into this calming stateand just let, basically just let
(02:45):
the body do what it's made to do.
So you said you came to the topic becauseafter your first birth, you didn't feel
like the epidural was working very well.
Yeah.
So it's a common thingthat can happen in labor.
And I think a lot of moms, especiallyright your first time, it's, you just
don't know what you don't know, but it'svery common where anesthesiologists will
(03:08):
call it, but they're called hotspots.
And so everybody's body is different.
when they, when they insert theepidural, it goes into the spinal cavity.
And it just, some people canhave like a certain spot where
it won't, it just doesn't get to.
So you can do different thingsof like trying to rotate.
(03:29):
And we did a bunch of different things.
We rotated and he's like, I'll tookit, took it out, put it back in.
And it just, whatever, for whateverreason, my body was just like, it's
just not going to work right there.
So it was really hard to be ina space where I couldn't move.
But I was still feeling all this.
(03:51):
I was still feeling everything, butthere was just no options for me to
be moving around and helping out.
So it was, I would say itwas pretty traumatic for me
to go through.
But then,
yeah, and then just being able to moveinto that space of like, okay, educating
(04:11):
myself and figuring out what the bestoptions for me would be for the next baby.
I took a hypnobirthing class frombefore my first baby was born.
Okay.
And there was only one other person inthe class who wasn't their first time.
And she was there because she said, yeah,I had a failed epidural and for my next
birth, I just want to be more prepared.
(04:32):
Yeah.
So it's very curious.
I wonder how many people will experiencea fair amount of pain receiving that
epidural or if it's just a select few.
I think there's a misconception withthe epidural where it's like, you just,
it's going to take everything away.
And it really doesn't, right?
Like it's an awesome tool, totally neededin whatever such different situations, but
(04:53):
it's not going to take everything away.
And we still need to have tools andthings in our pockets to, to move through.
Well, and most people don't getthe epidural right when their
first contraction starts either.
Right.
So you might need some toolsbefore you're able to get the pain.
A hundred percent.
Medicine.
What are some of those tools ortechniques that you could use or
(05:16):
the elements from Hypno Babies thatare the concepts to help you relax?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So there's a lot of breathingtechniques, which is huge.
It's like running a marathon, right?
So being very aware oflike physical things.
So there's breathing techniques,mindfulness, positive
affirmations, like visualization.
(05:39):
It's really important to visualizelike our minds are so powerful and
like what we tell ourselves, right?
And ultimately at the end of the day,like we don't know what's going to
happen at our birth, but we can havethese tools and we can be prepared and
have these things in our pockets to giveus the best, give us the best chance.
Are there scripts that are recorded orthat you can read throughout the labor?
(06:01):
Yep, so if you take a hypno babiesclass, you'll have an instructor and you
go, it's a six week course and there'sawesome instructors all over the world
I think now that will, you will read,they'll read the scripts and so you
practice them and then you listen tothese scripts just like you can even have
(06:22):
them in your, in earbuds during labor.
And a lot of moms when Iwould be out of birth and
Whatever, whatever class they weredoing, they would put either like this
playlist or these relaxation scriptson, their scripts, different, different
scripts for different times of labor.
So like maybe a pushing script or,different things like that, that
(06:44):
mom's really, yeah, they reallylike, and it seems to be helpful.
Yeah.
One that's an opening script.
So you start to think about, you know,an open cabinet door, you think about the
sun rising, you're just trying to helpvisualize so that your cervix will open.
Easier if your mind and your bodyis in that state of openness.
Yeah.
And there's a physicalaspect to it too, right?
(07:05):
Like that you learn the cardinalmovements of a baby as a baby is
coming down and what's happening,like what's actually happening in
your body at each stage of the labor.
When we're educated about that, it'sfor a lot of people, it can make that
process just easier as we understandwhat's happening in our body.
Okay.
we're in active labor now or okay, it'spushing stage now or, and different
(07:29):
things that we can do to help with that.
It makes that a lot.
yeah, just helpful.
A lot easier.
Are there elements of hypnobabies, hypnotherapy that
can be used outside of birth?
yeah, a hundred percent.
I think that is how likehypnotherapy started.
It was not in a birth setting, right?
(07:50):
for addictions, for sleep, for,
healing trauma, like theyuse, there's hypnotherapy,
just in like regular therapy.
but yeah, there's a whole, a wholeton of things that you can use it for.
I had to get my toenails done whenyou have too many ingrown toenails
and they just keep coming back.
(08:10):
And I remember the doctorsaying, why are you so calm?
And I said, I'm doing myhypnobirthing practices.
I'm doing the breathing and I'm recitingin my mind that I'm safe and I'm secure.
Yeah.
I mean, right.
Like our minds are so powerfuland what we tell ourselves.
And, and so it's true.
I mean, I know some people, which Idon't know if I could ever do this, but
(08:31):
some people have done certain, right.
Like if they can't have different kindsof medications for like surgeries or
stuff like that, that they will useit for different medical procedures.
And you talk about education asyou've had your first and moving on to
other children and just our capacitygrows as we grow and as we learn.
I also use.
(08:52):
some techniques when I am in pain and Ihaven't even had a hypnobirthing class.
And so it can only build on each otherwhen you have those, those tools.
I have been receiving acupuncturewith my pelvic floor therapy.
And she even said, you hardlyflinch, you hardly move.
And it's so interesting to beable to see ourselves, be able
(09:13):
to handle more than we thought.
Yeah, absolutely.
Moving into yoga.
I know you have a background in yoga andyou're just so calm overall generally,
it just naturally leads itself to a greatconversation with you in how you are
able to use all of these tools in life.
(09:34):
What got you into yoga?
Yeah.
So yoga, I didn't know anything aboutyoga until after my third baby was born.
And I was trying to get back intoworking out and it just wasn't the
same as it was before I was in my 30s.
And so it was just, my body justfelt different and I knew I needed
(09:57):
something a little bit more low key.
And so at that time, I usuallyhave pretty good postpartum for
about a year after I had my baby.
So I was really needing.
to find something to help with that also.
And so I found a great studio andI started there and, I just fell in
(10:20):
love with it and I just couldn't stop.
I just couldn't stop learning.
And so then that was the next thinglike, okay, I've got to ended up
doing a training and yeah, learneda lot there and super grateful
for that, for that training.
It's interesting to see what lifecalls us to because you're, you're
brought to yoga and yet it's just seemsalready so much of your personality.
(10:42):
What is the impact of yoga in pregnancy?
What could that be helpful for?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, so many things like a lot oftimes when we, before we're pregnant,
if we're already doing some sort ofexercise or workout, usually we're okay
to keep doing that through pregnancy.
(11:03):
yoga is something that you can just start.
Like it's right.
There's so many different levels.
so a lot of things like.
you'll learn breath, right?
So you'll learn breath,which can help in labor.
You'll learn different stretchesfor opening hips, so hips,
(11:24):
pelvic floor stuff, right?
So learning how to control pelvic floor,how to, for a postpartum, so after.
So a lot of time we have the diasterecti,which is the separation of the abdomen
and really just easing back into those
as we come back to exercisingor moving our bodies, those hard
(11:46):
hitting activities are just goingto kind of wreck havoc on that area.
So just being really, mindfulof that, there's a lot of
great core stuff for that.
So when I went to see my pelvicfloor therapist, I first, I was like,
gosh, I hadn't, I hadn't gone andI tell all the mom, you know, you
know how you do, you tell all themoms, then you don't go yourself.
(12:06):
But so when I finally got there,I was like, check my pelvic floor.
And I had been,
into yoga at that timefor many years after.
And she's like, you're great.
And she's like, I think it'sjust your yoga that was helpful.
So yeah, so lots of great things to learnthere and lots of supportive things.
Like if you are going to start duringpregnancy, so many modifications
(12:32):
that are doable and safe and yeah.
For some of the poses that are in yoga,if we start while we're pregnant, are
they unsafe, like a downward facing dog?
Are we not supposed to beinverted in a way that, all
the blood rushes to our head?
Yeah, so the inversions is one of thethings that you'll just skip, right?
(12:53):
So there's just ways around it,or you'll just skip it altogether.
There's a lot of chairyoga when you're pregnant.
So at some point when
that relaxes and...
starts in our body and everything startsto feel loose and ligaments are stretching
and allowing for a baby to move down.
(13:16):
A lot of chair yoga for the stabilityis great and can still give the
benefits for what you're looking for.
Things you'd want to avoid isinversions, lying on your back.
So once we get to a certainpoint in pregnancy, when we lay
straight on our back, it willput pressure on that vena cava.
(13:38):
I want to say nerve.
It's not a nerve.
It's a vessel.
It's a big one in our body.
And, so you'll just do, you'll come tolike 45 degree angles, prop yourself up.
So you're not all the way on your back.
It's kind of like sleepingin pregnancy, right?
You have to prop yourself up.
So it was kind of the same in yoga.
I was taking a yoga class when Iwas pregnant with my third, but it
(13:59):
wasn't specific to prenatal yoga.
It was just a general class.
And so she would always say,
you can be in the fetal position nowinstead of on your back, but we were
doing, a balancing or like a posture holdwhere we would hold it for a long time.
She played cakes, going the distance andwe had to hold the pose for the entire
song, which I think is over three minutes.
(14:19):
And I just remember feelinglike if I can do this for three
minutes, I will definitely beable to handle a contraction.
That's only one minute.
100%.
Love it.
100%.
Yes.
Well, how has your experiencesin hypnobirthing and yoga
prepared you for what you'redoing now with the neurofeedback?
(14:43):
Yeah.
So I was recently trained insomething called microcurrent
neurofeedback and life is funny, right?
How you are on this path and it justfeels like, yeah, life has just kind
of taken me, like I've had these littlepieces and these different trainings.
that have just meshed beautifullywith the microcurrent neurofeedback.
(15:04):
So the whole, I guess I'll tellyou a little bit about that.
So microcurrent neurofeedback,it's specifically called IASIS,
is the type that I was trained in.
It is bringing us back to aparasympathetic nervous state.
So it's our rest and digest and calm.
So opposite of our fight or flight.
(15:26):
And it's...
done by placing little electrodes ondifferent parts of our head and body.
And it will bring us back tohomeostasis with this treatment.
And so it's so similar.
Like it's all similar along thelines of like what hypnotherapy
(15:47):
does, what meditation, mindfulness,yoga does for us as well.
So, yeah.
It sounds like the perfect solution.
for a postpartum mom who might betriggered by a lot of crying, a lot of
noise, a lot of demands on her time.
Is there a way to utilize some of thesetechniques at home or is it always
(16:09):
through a practitioner or a service?
So the treatment isthrough a practitioner.
It's a service.
But it is, this is the newesttechnology in that neurofeedback
field where traditionally it's prettylike the appointments are long.
It's like an
These are 20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes.
(16:32):
so if you can find someone local inyour area, it's, it's really a great,
it's, it's just another great toolto get, to have in your toolbox.
To help us stimulate our vagus nerveto calm would be like the breathing
would be different things like tapping.
there's
(16:53):
lots of different things like yoga.
So that can help.
What about some of the services kind oflike a deep float or you know, like some
of those calming or red light therapy.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
It's all, all good.
All good in that healing andthe healing space for sure.
(17:14):
Yep.
Can we talk just about the nervoussystem specifically for a little bit?
What are some of the triggersthat get our nervous system
stim stimulated or heightened?
Yeah, gosh, that's a great question.
I think it can be, it'sdifferent for everyone, right?
Cause we're all so different.
but I think mostly, well, if we'retalking about moms and postpartum, right?
(17:36):
We're sleep deprived.
We have our bodies aretrying to replenish.
maybe we have other kids, but just tryingto keep up with taking care of ourselves
and taking care of the kids, can bereally overstimulating all the time.
So it can just kind of help tocalm and also it helps us to.
(18:00):
The other thing with this is it'sconnecting neural pathways in the
brain that may or may not be connected.
So along with bringing us back to thatparasympathetic, it's connecting these
neural pathways that help us to just reactto maybe a triggering situation that would
have been triggering for us previously.
(18:22):
We can interact withthat in a different way.
So it kind of shows us,okay, I can handle this.
this is what I can do or not do orthis is an appropriate response, right?
Maybe we need to putourselves on timeout as a mom.
Whatever it is, we can meet that triggeror that interaction in a different way.
So I feel like it's prettyprofound and pretty big for
(18:47):
parents, for most everyone, yeah.
Yes.
Can you share how you got into it?
I know it was related with your sons.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it just came through my, yep.
Through my kids.
we have two kids that were diagnosedwith dyslexia last year and my sister
-in -law found this for her daughter.
she was like, Hey, yougot to come try this.
And like, we'll be right there.
(19:09):
And our whole family did it last year.
And me and my husband justsaw such profound things.
for changes in us that we decidedto go get trained together.
And so my sister in law, has a clinicin bountiful that they do it there.
And then we have a clinic inSouth Jordan that we just started.
(19:29):
How often does one need treatmentsfor it to feel effective?
Yeah.
So, treatment is usually12 to 20 sessions.
people can feel differencejust on one, on one session.
So with me, the first time I did it.
I did have an emotionalrelease, which I was crying.
(19:49):
I didn't know why I wascrying, but that happened.
So an emotional releaseand then the sleep.
So that's one thing that hasbeen studied pretty extensively
and is to help us sleep.
And then I just had, I woke up thenext day and I'm not a morning person.
I never have been, but I wokeup at 5 30 without my alarm,
just ready to go for the day.
(20:10):
And I was like, okay, what,what happened right there?
So.
That was pretty profound for me.
And,
so I feel it for myself and differentclients have seen, improvements
with just after one session.
Yeah.
Is it effective for other sorts ofthings that occur ADHD or, you know,
(20:35):
yeah, things that are common like that.
Yeah, definitely.
So the things that, havethat has studies around,
are sleep, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
So there's been lots of studies withlike veterans, people in that space,
different, mostly like the anxietyand depression, but there is this,
(21:01):
this neurodiverse section where itis pretty profound in that area too.
So like learning disabilities, ADHD,
Yeah, definitely has, hasbeen helpful for people.
I think just considering it as aneffective tool for postpartum mood
(21:22):
disorders could be one reason that all ofour listeners would want to learn more.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
A postpartum can be such a trickytime where our hormones are still
trying to regulate and come back.
This, like we talked to sleep.
So even if it's just to help amom sleep and try and get deeper
sleep when she can get it.
(21:45):
and reduce that anxiety, right?
Especially for a new mom, wehave all this, it's a new thing.
There can be lots of anxiety around that.
So yeah, absolutely.
Well, this conversationhas been incredible.
Do you have any additionalresources that you'd like to
share with our listeners today?
Sure.
Thanks.
Resources are always where we need to go.
(22:07):
So I would first say evidence-basedbirth .com for anyone that is
about to have a baby or pregnant,just get on that website.
This gal is a nurse and researcherand she will take all of the
studies, all of the latest evidenceand put it here in one spot.
(22:30):
So it's a pretty awesomeresource and you can get a lot
of education in that one spot.
So evidencebasedbirth .com and then...
Spinning babies is also another greatresource that anyone can get to.
That just will help moms know how to kindof know positions, different positions
(22:54):
for labor that can take off pressure,different tools and coping skills there.
It's a really great resource.
And then also if you've had ababy, if you've had a cesarean
and are looking to have a vaginalbirth, next there's the VBAC link.
that's local here to Utahthat's such a great resource.
(23:15):
So yeah, we'll give you all the resourceand evidence based stuff on having a VBAC.
Thank you.
Our mom squad secret forthe week comes from Cassie.
She says, choose a doulayou really vibe with.
Unless it's necessary, things generallygo smoother without intervention.
But sometimes interventions are needed.
(23:36):
So choose a provider that you trustwho is truly supportive of your goals.
And I just love that she says,choose a doula you really vibe
with just talking about the energyand the connections that we make.
I tend to be kind ofanxious and high energy.
So when I'm with someone who cancalm that my husband is that person,
it just feels a lot better in thesituation when we have that balance.
(24:00):
Melinda, thank you so much forbeing on the podcast today.
Thanks so much for having me ladies.
Thanks for joining us on today's episode.
We hope you've been elevated andinspired by this week's expert.
Subscribe today so you never missan episode and please share our
podcast or post on your socialmedia so that other moms and dads
to be can also have the best birth.
(24:21):
Please note that the informationprovided is based on the expert's
insights and personal experience.
It is not intended as medical guidance.
Please seek the advice of yourmedical provider as it applies
to your specific condition.
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