About Hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing is a natural approach to a safer, easier and more comfortable birth.
What is hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is a completely logical childbirth education programme, but one with a difference. Instead of looking at how a woman can merely 'get through' or cope with birth, it focuses on teaching a woman how her body is designed to birth comfortably and gently, and empowers her to do so. We look at where the fear of birth comes from, how it affects birth, and primarily the impact adrenalin has on how our birthing muscles - the uterus- works during labour. Hypnobirthing teaches deep relaxation, breathing and massage techniques to stimulate the production of endorphins and oxytocin during labour. All this combined with defining the very valuable role of the birth companion.
I teach The Wise Hippo Birthing programme which uses hypnosis techniques. There are many birthing programmes that use hypnosis that are collectively called Hypnobirthing. The Wise Hippo has a unique approach as we do not focus on one specific way of birthing with one specific outcome. We appreciate that every woman has unique needs, wants and concerns about their baby's birth and we teach with this in mind. This in turn enables each woman to prepare for their baby's birth in a way that feels right for them and ultimately to achieve the right birth on the day.
Does it involve hypnotising mum so she's in a labour-loving trance?
Rather than the hypnosis we see on stage, hypnobirthing teaches self hypnosis as a deep state of relaxation with a heightened state of mental awareness. When our mind is deeply relaxed, so are our muscles, and learning how to achieve this is the key to a lovely labour. At no point are women in a trance or out of control, hypnomum's tend to describe how they felt in labour as safe, empowered, calm and goddess like!
How do hypnobirths differ from ones we are told about, see on television shows or watch in films?
Sadly we're very used to seeing birth in a set way in the media. More often than not, women are on their backs, legs up, sweating and screaming, whilst poor dad is watching on helplessly and getting pummeled and sworn at. It's dramatic and predictable, but it gets ratings. When I show couples videos of hypnobirths, they've rarely seen anything like it before - and not because it is weird or voodoo - but just because the whole atmosphere is so different.
Hypnobirths tend to be very relaxed and loving, you'll see couples completely connected, able to laugh, and working as a team to bring their baby into the world. Another big difference is in the babies when they are born - instead of bright red and screaming, hypnobabies are often born asleep and calm - a clear reflection of the gentle birth they've just been part of.
So hypnobirthing teaches you techniques, along with your birth companion, on how to gently and lovingly bring your baby into the world with deep breathing, relaxation techniques and visualisation. You will learn how to assist your body to unlock your body's own natural relaxant and thus reduce or eliminate any discomfort or need for drugs.
Hypnobirthing also teaches you how to release all earlier programming about birth and how to trust and work with your body so that it can ‘do’ what it can do so naturally. When you are free of the fear-tension-pain
syndrome your baby is born gently and calmly and is better natured.
Because of this calm entry into the world we find that babies born using hypnobirthing 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 apgar scores as well (a measure of how well your baby is doing immediately after the birth, and then five minutes later).
What will I learn?
- How to eliminate the fear-tension-pain syndrome before, during and after birthing.
- Breathing techniques that actually help the birth.
- How to be confident and informed when dealing with the medical staff - when to question, what to ask ... and when it's time to let them take charge.
- Greatly reduces, and often eliminates the need for chemical anesthesia, episiotomy, and other interventions.
- Leaves mother fresh, awake, and energized as she brings her baby into the world.
- Helps to keep oxygen supplied to the baby and dilation shortened.
- Brings mother, baby and the birth companion closer together.
- Reduces the need for an episiotomy
- Gives the birth companion an integral role in the birth of the baby.
- Bring about your own easy start of labour with simple, natural techniques, if you go beyond your "estimated due date".
- Almost entirely eliminates postnatal discomfort and the ‘baby blues’.
- Babies are better adjusted and happier, resulting in better feeding and sleeping routines.
- Birthing is returned to the safe, beautiful, peaceful experience that nature intended.
Additional benefits that have been reported by my mums...
- Considerably shorter labour and birthing.
- Significantly fewer surgical births.
- High number of comfortable, natural births with no technological assistance.
- A high rate of success in assisting breech-presented babies to turn into appropriate birthing position with the use of posture and hypnosis (in a study done at the University of Vermont of 100 women at 37 to 40 weeks, there was a 81% success rate with hypnosis.
- Highly energized mums in good spirits following births that are calm and gentle.
- You'll learn the techniques once for this birth, but then you can then use them again and again, no matter how many children you have.
- HypnoBirthing® techniques work very effectively with home births, water births, hospital births, birthing centres...whatever. It's your choice what kind of birth to have - HypnoBirthing helps them all.
- You can use the techniques to help calm and relax yourself any time you feel stressed out ... (we've had many couples tell us this alone has been invaluable!)
Something useful for the dad to do!
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 focused 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!
Read what dads think by clicking HERE
What you'll learn with Reading Hypnobirthing is how you can confidently approach a safe, easier and more comfortable natural birth.
What I have learnt from hypnobirthing is that it emotionally prepares you for the birth, come what may. And to me that is the most important part! We can achieve anything we want to if we put our minds to it.
If ONE woman can have an empowered birth that she feels in control of, than ANY woman can!
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.