06 Dec How Does Hypnobirthing Help?
Hypnobirthing is designed to help women and their birth partners have a calmer, easier birth experience using relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, visualisation and fear release techniques. Hypnobirthing can help the birth experience in many ways. As a Hypnobirthing Practitioner and the founder of Together Birthing, I regularly hear feedback from mums on how hypnobirthing has helped their birth experiences.
1. Many women talk about hypnobirthing helping them to stay in control:
“I felt much more in control and felt I had the tools to call upon when it got intense.”
“I felt in control and calm the whole time.”
“Hypnobirthing enabled me to cope and remain in control.”
2. Other women talk about how the hypnobirthing techniques enabled them to cope more easily with the sensation of the surges/contractions:-
“I did not have any type of pain relief at all and the sensations I had were completely bearable.”
“The breathing literally took the pain away like an anaesthetic would, I was surprised how powerful it was.”
“I managed the birth without pain relief. Concentrating on my breath gave me something to concentrate on which helped keep me calm.”
“The breathing exercises were my anchor, and in the end I delivered with no pain relief.”
3. Hypnobirthing also helps women to cope if special circumstances arise:-
“Due to my waters breaking early I had to be induced, which is not what I would have liked…however Hypnobirthing really helped me to remain positive, relaxed and open minded. The breathing for me was invaluable during labour, the techniques enabled my body to go with the surges rather than fight them.”
“My anxiety spiked a bit right at the end because the room was filled with midwives, nurses and doctors and they were telling me my baby was in distress but I was able to block them out to an extent and just went with what my body told me to do. Apart from swallowing a bit of meconium and being slightly jaundiced my baby was fine. Everyone now comments on how calm and content he is.”
4. Hypnobirthing involves techniques to release fear from past experiences or from imagined experiences caused by hearing traumatic birth stories or watching painful birth experiences on TV. This enables women to fully relax during labour and prevents any panic or fear being triggered:-
“The course helped me overcome my fear of birth which was held from an early age and gave me the tools and techniques to deal with the most unknown experience in a more calm and educated way.”
5. Couples tell me how connected they felt doing hypnobirthing, due to the important role given to the birth partner:-
“It was inclusive for my partner and we felt informed and worked together as a team throughout the birthing process. I was very proud of him and how calm he also remained.”
“Being calm and focused throughout the whole birth with the help of my husband made it an amazing and special experience for all of us”.
“The hypnobirthing course is also great as the birthing partner is so involved and my husband got a lot out of the course and helped me immensely through the birth to keep me calm and relaxed and he communicated with midwives so I could focus on my breathing.”
“My husband was really great, he stayed in control and calm, did the soft touch massage and was generally very soothing.”
6. Finally, women tell me that hypnobirthing helps them feel confident and empowered and it gives them vital techniques and knowledge about how the body and mind work together:-
“I cannot emphasise enough the empowerment, confidence, vital knowledge and coping tools that I gained from Hypnobirthing.”
Hypnobirthing courses are usually around 8 to 10 hours in total taught as a weekly class for 4 weeks. You learn all the relaxation, breathing, fear release and visualisation techniques that you need as well knowledge about how the body functions and the role of the birth partner. You have relaxation downloads to listen to and practice at home so that you feel fully prepared when it comes to your birthing day.
Emma Harwood-Jones, Hypnobirthing Practitioner, Together Birthing
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