Is HypnoBirthing®
right for me?
Do you want a calm, comfortable and beautiful birth? Then HypnoBirthing® is probably right for you.
If you’re pregnant, and looking for an alternative to the over-medicalized, pain-is-inevitable, “gimme all the drugs” mindset, then HypnoBirthing is for you.
I want to help women who are scared of birth because they’ve never done it before, who are anxious because of a bad experience last time, or who just want a calmer, easier, more natural birth experience.
How does HypnoBirthing work?
Using guided visualizations, breathing techniques and affirmations, you are able to help your body release fears and become deeply relaxed.
When you are deeply relaxed, you “get out of the way” and allow your body to instinctively do what it already knows how to do. Your muscles work smoothly and efficiently, allowing plenty of Oxygen to reach your baby throughout the birthing experience. Without the presence of fear, your body produces endorphins (which are 200 times more powerful than morphine), and your body allows baby to be birthed gently and comfortably. This greatly reduces the risk for interventions and can allow you to give birth without the need for chemical anesthesia.
You don’t forcibly push your baby out, but rather, gently breathe the baby down when your body is ready. This means you greatly reduce the possibility of complications which could lead to undesirable interventions.
You will have the tools to remain calm and relaxed throughout the experience. These techniques will help you throughout your life any time you feel stressed out.
We can’t promise you a ‘perfect’ birth – no one can – but we can promise you a much, much more comfortable and relaxed birth than you would have had otherwise.
How will it benefit my baby?
Babies are fully cognizant, even before birth, so this calm and gentle entry into the world has a profoundly positive affect on them – one that they will carry with them throughout their lives. HypnoBirthing babies tend to be calmer, feed better, sleep better and experience less trauma, because they are gently and calmly breathed into the world at their own pace.
Scientific research has also shown that the babies usually have higher Agpar scores as well (a measure of how well your baby is doing immediately after the birth, and then five minutes later).
But I want to be fully in control!
Hypnosis is simply a deep, relaxed state of focus. In hypnosis you are fully in control of how relaxed you choose to be the entire time and you are fully aware of what is going on around you. HypnoBirthing is practiced with guided relaxations and affirmations to “tune out” distractions and to bypass any lingering fear or tension which could hinder you from having the perfectly relaxed and comfortable birth you deserve.
What if I am unable to get into a state of hypnosis?
The idea of anyone being “too strong willed” or “too sharp” to get into hypnosis is a myth. If you are able to visualize or imagine anything, then you can absolutely get into that wonderfully calm state. Hypnosis is simply a deeply relaxed state where you are able to bypass your fears and access your subconscious mind, which is where your inner wisdom and power lie.
Will I be in a trance?
Hypnosis is simply relaxation. The hypnosis we practice in HypnoBirthing will not bring you “out of mind or body” or put you into any sort of altered state. You will be fully aware of everything you are experiencing – it will simply help you to get into a very calm relaxed state which will allow your body to birth calmly and comfortably.
Can my partner participate?
Instead of your husband or partner being a helpless onlooker, they become a central part of the birthing process, helping you to stay calm and focussed on the techniques you’ve been taught.
As a result, the fathers feel proud to have been able to help, and to be an active part of the birth.
Imagine how close that makes them feel to you and the baby!
Will my labor and birth be completely pain-free?
We cannot guarantee a completely pain free experience – there are many factors that can affect a birth, some of which are outside our control.
Also, like any childbirth preparation class, the success of the techniques is related to the amount of practice you put in.
However, as a guide, we find that around 65-70% of HypnoBirthing mums don’t need any form of pain relief. Nearly all the mums in this category simply don’t experience any pain – just pressure.
Around a further 20-25% only require something mild, like gas and air.
The remaining 5-10% usually fall into what we call ‘special circumstances’, where medical intervention is required. However, the HypnoBirthing mums still tell us that HypnoBirthing really helped – even if they were induced, or ended up with a caesarean.
Remember – the aim of HypnoBirthing is not a completely pain-free and picture-perfect ‘natural’ birth (although that is possible).
It is to have a calmer, easier, more comfortable birth- where you are in control – and in a way that most mirrors Nature.