"Is Hypnobirthing the Right Choice for Your Childbirth Experience?"

This may come as a surprise, but hypnobirthing is not just for those who have whale background music in twinkly lighted pool births. 

Hypnobirthing is for everyone, from free-birthers, to the maternity led unit to those needing interventions such as epidurals or abdominal births. 

Hypnobirthing is a childbirth education program that emphasises relaxation, self-hypnosis, and mindfulness techniques, as well as empowering you with the knowledge and understanding of how your body works. 

Dr Grantley Dick-Reid, a Whitechapel an obstetrician and a trailblazer in the field of natural childbirth in the early 1900s. His work revolutionised how we approach childbirth, emphasising minimal intervention and empowering expectant parents. 

He attended countless births, both in the home and the hospital. during one birth he offered one mother chloroform for the pain, but she gently waved and refused. Much to his credit, he stood back, and the mother birthed calmly and naturally. 

Once the baby was safely in the mum's arms, he asked her why she had refused. She gently replied, 'it didn't hurt Doctor, it wasn't meant to, was it?". 

Later that night, he returned to the hospital ward, and enquired if it had been busy, the nurse replied, that it had been very quiet, but the was a woman in the corridor that would need his help soon. 

The stark difference between both mums struck him. One delivered her baby with calmness and confidence, the other scared and in vast about of pain. This core memory stayed with him and would go on to shape his career. 

As he supported more and more births, he hypothesised that the lack or presents of stress and tension was the key component that made a difference in how the mothers experienced birth.  

Hypnobirthing has evolved over the years to support the family to become empowered, relaxed and in control of their experience, knowledge is power after all. 

Research shows that the more you understand and able to advocate for yourself (or your partner) the less likely you are to find your experience traumatic, even if things hit the fan and your plans get chucked out the window! 

Being relaxed and in control allows your body to do what it needs to do, and spontaneous births are more likely, than if you're stressed and worried. 

Oxytocin, the key hormone, in making, birthing and feeding a baby, is a sensitive sole, also known as the love hormone, can easily be overridden by stress. Which when you are in fear, don’t know what’s happening or anxious will naturally skyrocket. 

One trial found that the experimental group experienced notably fewer birth interventions and shorter delivery times in comparison to the standard control group. 

Quicker births when the family has taken hypnobirthing classes, by up to 3 hours for first time mums, and an hour of subsequent babies, interventions were less likely, c- section occurrence were lower, with the need for emergency c-sections at around 4% compared to 15% in the general population (according to Wolverhampton University). To top that the use / need for general of pain relief was lower. 

Sleep can be a tough one while pregnant, using the relaxation techniques prior going to sleep will definitely support your sleep, and if you're sleeping your mood and mindset will be more positive (as well as your partners!) 

There are positive effects on babies too, with higher Apgar scores; a way of seeing how well your baby is coping with outside world, skin colour, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone/movement and breathing are all assessed at one and 5 minutes after birth.

The result of all this positiveness and less interventions means that lactation and breastfeeding have the best chance, you are more likely to be discharged quicker from the hospital (if you chose to birth there). 

With one in five birth experianced described as traumatic it is less likely when you are in control or know how to regain your sh*t, being informed and knowing what and how to ask questions when you're not sure what's happening.

'The Body achieves what The Mind Believes' 

The mind-body connection and comprehension of the physiological birth process enable access to hormones. Hypnobirthing revolves around the idea that a positive mentality can influence the physical aspects of childbirth. 

The power of hypnobirthing comes from practice, building brain muscle memory, the ability to move from fear-based thoughts to positive calm, and giving you the tools to achieve this. 

Let go of the preconceived fears and worries that surround birth. the way that birth is portrayed in the media, tv programmes and films, birth can be truly the most beautiful and powerful experience of your life, the act of giving life and allowing your mind and body to work in unison and tapping into the oxytocin in a short handed way, claming your mind in order to calm your body.

Within my hypnobirthing course we look at to name but a few 

• Physiological birth. - what is happening to your baby and body during the different stages of birth 

• The mind - body connection - understanding the fear and working on it to be able to combat. 

• Hormones and their job - making your environment work in your favour 

• How to advocate for yourself during pregnancy, birth and for the rest of your life 

• The role of the birth partner .... guess what you're not just there to have your hand crushed.  

• Different birthing positions that you may find helpful - and why! 

• Hypnobirthing tool kit - relaxation techniques and tracks, techniques to tap into your subconscious and be able to come back to the quiet space 
  

 I'm a lactation consultant at heart, so my course would not be complete without 

• The science of lactation - how your body makes milk and how bloody amazing your milk is 

• starting your breastfeeding journey off the best possible way - and how to know when you need specialist support 

• the golden hour after birth 

• practical how To's inc. different breastfeeding positionings, ways make life easier for you and you baby 

To book on to my next course, drop me a message