What is hypnobirthing?
I know the name ‘hypnobirthing’ sounds a bit weird… but I promise it’s not!
It’s simply a form of antenatal class. My approach to hypnobirthing is to share with you a ‘toolkit’ of knowledge, ideas and techniques. You use it to help you stay calm, feel in control and understand your choices so you can have a positive birth experience, however you choose to give birth.
Birth psychology
It’s the psychology element of hypnobirthing that makes it different from other antenatal classes. By understanding more about how your brain works in birth you can help your mind and body work in harmony – not against each other – and stack your odds of things going smoothly.
Your plan B and C
My approach to hypnobirthing also includes helping you feel confident and prepared for your plan B and C too. I’ll help you understand what to expect and how to use your hypnobirthing techniques. This is what makes my hypnobirthing course different from many others.
Is hypnobirthing right for you?
If you’re growing a baby in your uterus then yes, hypnobirthing is right for you! It may be especially helpful if:
- the thought of giving birth makes you feel anxious
- you’re a natural ‘planner’ and like to prepare thoroughly for things
- you’ve had a difficult previous birth
- you plan to ask for pain relief and want some ways to manage before you can get it
- you’d like to aim for a natural birth, with no unnecessary interventions and minimal pain relief
Our birthing brain
When we go into labour a primitive part of our brain kicks in – the ‘mammalian brain’. The mammalian brain operates mostly on a subconscious level and looks after feelings, memories and hormones – all of which are hugely important in labour. Your Soulful Birth helps you to:
Switch off
For our mammalian to work as nature intended, we need to relax and switch off the modern part of our brain – our ‘thinking brain.’ Given that many of us barely turn our phones off, this can take a bit of practice.
Your Soulful Birth helps you learn ways to relax and stay calm – these techniques are often useful for birth partners too!
Stay positive
Very often our minds are cluttered with a lifetime of negative associations about birth which can make us anxious about labour. Having this mindset in labour can trigger our fight of flight reflex – making us tense up and creating pain. It’s known as the ‘fear-tension-pain’ cycle.
Your Soulful Birth helps you trust your body and stay calm and positive, short-circuiting this cycle.
Build your nest
We share our mammalian brain with other mammals such as cats and dogs. When we look at how they give birth, we can learn a lot. They often sneak off to a familiar, calm, dark, private place to give birth. Our birthing brain shares this instinct.
Your Soulful Birth gives you practical ideas on how to create the best environment for birth, whether you’re in a hospital, a birth centre or at home.
Evidence shows that hypnobirthing works
Statistics from the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust showed that hypnobirthing women (vs. non- hypnobirthing women) had:
– higher rates of ‘normal birth’ (84% vs 64%)
– lower rates of cesarean (8% vs 25%)
– lower rates of assisted delivery (8% vs 11%)*
The Royal College of Midwives has published guidance for midwives on how to support hypnobirthing. They state that “hypnobirthing can diminish or completely eliminate the ‘fear-tension-pain’ syndrome”.**
The British Medical Association reports that ‘self-hypnosis is an effective method of relieving pain in childbirth’.***
A review of evidence found hypnosis during childbirth:
– decreases the need for pharmacological pain relief in labour, including epidurals
– reduces augmentation of labour
– increases spontaneous vaginal birth.****
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence states that women who choose to use hypnosis during childbirth should be supported in doing so (2014).
References: * Angela Lycett, Parent Education Midwife, Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, as shared at Turning the Tide, Choosing to Offer Hypnobirthing as a Service at The Royal College of Medicine, 2012. ** Royal College of Midwives – How to Support Hypnobirthing, 2014. *** British Medical Association – Medical use of Hypnotism, British Medical Journal, 1955, volume I, 190-193. **** Cochrane review, Smith et al, 2006.
Get in touch for a free, no pressure initial chat
I’m always happy to have a chat (or an initial consultation if you’re feeling business-like) about hypnobirthing, how it can help and whether it would be right for you…. and even if you’re not sure what to ask me!