Hypnobirthing: How you can transform your birth experience

Hypnobirthing is an increasingly popular childbirth preparation technique that blends self-hypnosis, relaxation, and breathing exercises to help expectant mothers achieve a calm and controlled birth experience. Originating from the work of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, a British obstetrician, hypnobirthing aims to reduce fear and anxiety during labour, replacing these feelings with a sense of peace and confidence.

What is Hypnobirthing?

Anything to do with hypnosis sometimes lead people to believe that it is a mind altering practice which leaves you without any control over your actions. This couldn’t be further from the truth. At its core, hypnobirthing is about empowering women to trust their bodies and embrace the natural, physiological process of childbirth. It involves a series of techniques designed to reduce pain and discomfort, such as deep relaxation, visualisation, and controlled breathing. By learning to manage the mind’s response to labour, women can create a more serene and positive birthing environment. Although hypnobirthing was originally used to help people through natural, unmedicated labours, in more recent times, it’s been showed to benefit women experiencing all types of births, including induction of labour, assisted births and caesareans.

Benefits of Hypnobirthing

The benefits of hypnobirthing are well-documented and varied. Many women report a significant reduction in the need for pain relief and medical interventions, such as epidurals and caesarean sections. Hypnobirthing also promotes shorter labour times and quicker recovery periods. Aside from the physical benefits, hypnobirthing enhances the emotional well-being of mothers, fostering a sense of control and reducing feelings of fear and anxiety. It can work really well to keep you calm, when experiencing such an intense time. This holistic approach can also lead to better outcomes for babies, who often experience lower levels of stress during childbirth.

When to Start a Hypnobirthing Course

The best time to start a  a hypnobirthing course is around the 20-30 week mark of pregnancy. This timing allows ample opportunity to practice and internalise the techniques, ensuring they become second nature by the time labour begins. It can take a little while to get to grips with the methods. However, it is never too late to begin, and many women have successfully incorporated hypnobirthing principles even in the later stages of pregnancy.

Involving Birth Partners

A unique and valuable aspect of hypnobirthing is the active involvement of birth partners. Whether it’s a spouse, a family member, or a close friend, the birth partner plays a crucial role in supporting the mother through her journey. Partners learn techniques to help facilitate relaxation, provide comfort, and offer reassurance. This collaborative approach strengthens the bond between the mother and her partner, ensuring they work as a cohesive team during labour.

Techniques Used in Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing employs a variety of techniques, each designed to promote relaxation and manage discomfort:

1. Breathing Exercises: Controlled breathing helps manage contractions, promoting relaxation and ensuring a steady supply of oxygen to both mother and baby.

2. Visualisation: Positive imagery and mental rehearsals of a calm, successful birth help create a sense of preparedness and confidence.

3. Deep Relaxation: Through self-hypnosis, mothers learn to enter a deeply relaxed state, reducing tension and fear.

4. Affirmations: Positive affirmations reinforce a sense of capability and calm, counteracting negative thoughts and fears about childbirth.

5. Light Touch Massage: Gentle, soothing massage techniques by the birth partner can help alleviate discomfort and promote relaxation.

Improving the Birth Experience

Hypnobirthing can profoundly transform the birthing experience, turning what might be seen as a daunting event into a joyful and empowering one. By equipping women with practical tools to manage their minds and bodies, hypnobirthing helps create a birth environment characterised by peace and positivity. This approach not only benefits the mother but also ensures a gentle and serene welcome for the newborn.

Does hypnobirthing reduce pain during birth? 

Learning the art of hypnobirthing enables you to tap into your subconscious mind and ‘rewire’ negative thoughts relating to childbirth that you may have accumulated over the years due to the portrayal of childbirth on TV, previous traumatic births or negative stories from people you know. This, in conjunction with special techniques involving breathing, visualisations and guided meditations, helps to increase positive feel good hormones including the bodies natural pain reliever endorphins. It helps to decrease the levels of adrenaline in the system which can send you into ‘fight or flight’ mode during birth, hindering it and making you more tense, increasing pain. Hypnobirthing helps people to ‘zone out’ or withdraw into themselves as they focus on the positive side of the contractions – a step closer to meeting their baby.

Is there any research?

There are numerous studies that support the use of hypnobirthing such as this one. Some of the studies listed the following benefits of learning hypnobirthing techniques:

• Gives women Confidence, empowerment and Knowledge To Make Informed Decisions
• Reduced perception of pain 
• Less Need For Pain Relieving Drugs
• Lower chance of needing assistance with the birth ie forceps
• Beneficial for women who have previously experienced birth trauma
• Lower rates of postnatal depression
• May shorten labour
• Associated with higher APGAR scores in babies
• Increases the likelihood of a positive birth experience

For those interested in exploring the transformative benefits of hypnobirthing, NowBaby offers an exceptional on-demand course led by midwife Marley. With her extensive experience and compassionate approach, Marley guides expectant mothers and their partners through the principles and techniques of hypnobirthing, ensuring they are well-prepared for a calm and confident birth. 

Take the first step towards a positive birthing experience by enrolling in the NowBaby hypnobirthing course today. Discover more and sign up here