Hypnotherapy for Postnatal Depression in Adelaide

Is it the baby blues, or postnatal depression?

Most new mums get the baby blues, sometimes called the postpartum blues. healthdirect says about 4 in 5 do, in the first 3 to 5 days following the birth. You feel teary, up and down, and overwhelmed. It usually passes on its own within 10 days.

Postnatal depression, or PND, is different. It lasts longer than 2 weeks and gets in the way of daily activities. Symptoms can include:

• You feel low, flat or numb most days.
• You notice a loss of interest in things you usually enjoy.
• You feel helpless, hopeless or worthless, even when others say you’re doing well.
• People and things you care about, even your baby, feel far away.
• Your sleep and appetite are off, beyond the usual sleep deprivation of a newborn.
• It’s hard to think straight or make small decisions.

It’s common. About 1 in 7 women have postnatal depression in the first year after a baby, healthdirect says. Up to 1 in 10 new dads have depression around this time too. If this sounds like you, talk to your GP or child health nurse soon. You don’t need to be sure first.

Help for postnatal depression: where to start

Struggling after birth? Your GP, midwife or maternal and child health nurse is the first stop. They can check your health and talk through options, like counselling or interpersonal psychotherapy. They can also refer you to a psychologist. Questions about medicines, or about breastfeeding, are for your GP too.

Your doctor or midwife may give you a short set of questions. It’s called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). You fill it in together. It can’t diagnose PND by itself. healthdirect says your doctor will check for signs in the months after giving birth. A lack of social support can raise your chance of PND, it adds.

You can also ring these free lines:

• PANDA National Helpline, 7 days: 1300 726 306. Partners and family can call as well. It offers free counselling, support and referral.
• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, 7am to midnight every day: 1800 882 436. You’ll speak with a maternal child health nurse.

Asking for help early is not a sign you’re failing. It’s a sensible step, because this kind of low usually needs support to lift.

How hypnotherapy for postnatal depression can fit in

Hypnotherapy for postpartum depression is support alongside your GP, never a stand-in for their care. In the hypnotic state you’re deeply relaxed but awake. You hear everything, and you can stop whenever you like.

With a new baby, time and rest are scarce, so we keep things simple. Together we work on coping strategies such as:

• settling your body, so it’s easier to rest when you get the chance
• the “I should be loving this” guilt, and a kinder voice in your head
• a short self-hypnosis routine you can use while the baby sleeps
• small steps back towards people who can share the load

Video means you can join from home. Symbology, which works with pictures and metaphor, and NLP are some of the tools I’ve found useful.

How postnatal depression hypnotherapy works: video or Adelaide

It all starts with a free 15-minute phone consultation, and I ring you back within 24 hours.

1. 1We talk on the phone

   Tell me what’s going on and who’s already helping. I’ll be honest about whether this suits you now. You can also ask me anything about hypnosis, like what it feels like or whether you stay in control.

2. 2Session one: your plan

   We look at how things have been since the baby arrived, and what you’d like to feel instead. You leave with a plan and a suggested number of sessions. The $300 for this session comes off the plan.

3. 3Follow-up sessions

   Each one is a short chat, then hypnosis in a chair, eyes closed. We check how you’re going every time, and change course if something isn’t helping. You take a recording home and learn a simple self-hypnosis routine, so the work keeps going between visits.

Still on the fence? Have a chat with me first. It’s free, it’s fifteen minutes, and I’ll call when it suits you.

Or call 0427 218 092

What the research says about hypnosis for postnatal depression

I haven’t found a good trial of hypnotherapy for postnatal depression itself. Research on clinical hypnosis for depression in general is mixed, as my depression page explains. That’s why I only offer this beside your GP’s care, never instead of it.

Is hypnotherapy for postnatal depression safe?

For most adults, yes. No medicine is involved, and you stay aware the whole time. You might feel sleepy or a bit emotional for a short while afterwards.

Please start with your GP or a hospital, not with me, if:

• you have thoughts of suicide, or of harming yourself or your baby. Call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department now.
• you or someone close to you notices signs of postpartum psychosis. These include confusion, odd or fearful beliefs, not sleeping for days, or seeing or hearing things that aren’t there. It’s rare but serious, so see a doctor urgently.
• your depression is severe. Victoria’s Better Health Channel says people with severe depression should avoid hypnosis.

Keep seeing your GP, midwife or psychologist while we work together. Never stop or change a medicine without your doctor. I work with adults 18 and over.

What postnatal depression hypnotherapy costs in Adelaide: $1,500 to $3,000

Your first step is a 90-minute session for $300. In it we build your treatment plan together, and you hear the full cost before you commit to anything.

Who you’ll be working with

Ernest McLeod

Clinical hypnotherapist, Adelaide and online

Hi, I’m Ernest McLeod, a clinical hypnotherapist with fourteen years in practice. I’ve been The Hypno Coach since 2012, based in Adelaide, SA. Today I see people by video all over Australia, and in person when we arrange it.

I spent twenty years writing software before this work. I also believe life is a journey, and a hard stretch of road is not the whole road.

Fellow, Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH) · Certified NLP Practitioner · Time Line Therapy® Practitioner · Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses

What I’m not: I’m not a psychologist, and I’m not registered with AHPRA. Hypnotherapy isn’t a registered profession here. My memberships are voluntary. I also teach other hypnotherapists. The Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association has approved my smoking, vaping and gambling cessation courses for professional development (CPD).

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