Hypnosis for a Root Canal?

I got this comment on my birth video on You Tube.

Would it have been SO awful if you used pain relief? The only person that would have been put out would have been you. Why is there such a culture against pain relief in childbirth – I’ll bet the next time you have a root canal you won’t be opting for hypnosis, but all the narcotics you can get your hands on. Why the difference in childbirth?

Here is my response.

Would it have been SO awful if you used pain relief?

No, it wouldn’t have been SO awful if I had used pain relief.  But I didn’t need or want it, so why use it if I didn’t need it?

Why is there such a culture against pain relief in childbirth

Where is this culture against pain relief in childbirth?  Most women in our culture worship pain relief in childbirth.  I am not against pain relief, I used it with much joy in my first 2 births, but it was even more awesome not to want or need it with Brysons birth.

My Hypnobabies tools really helped me stay calm and comfortable, so why would I have an epidural I didn’t need.  (Epidurals do carry risks which the worshipers of pain relief tend to ignore or at least downplay)

I’ll bet the next time you have a root canal you won’t be opting for hypnosis, but all the narcotics you can get your hands on.

AHHH, what a great lead into my video

Also a wonderful post by Tonya – Using Hypnobabies Tools at the Dentist where she uses hypnosis instead of drugs at the dentist.

Why the difference in childbirth?

Just in case you didn’t take the time to watch the video.  Birth is a natural process.  Similar to a tooth falling out, you don’t need narcotics for that.

A root canal is a dental surgery, so most people would need drugs for that.  So if you are having a surgical birth (cesarean) I can see that most people would need drugs for that.

However many people use hypnosis to stay calm and comfortable during a root canal.

(you can see the other videos on my Birth and Teeth page.)  

Hypnosis works even easier for moms using it for vaginal birth, because it is a natural process. (And there are actual accounts of moms using hypnosis instead of anesthesia for cesareans, having a medical trained hypnotherapist in the room during the surgery.)

So thanks for this comment, because it brings up some interesting points!