What is hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is a method of childbirth preparation. It uses hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis techniques to promote deep relaxation, commonly through breathing techniques and visualisation. The primary aim of hypnobirthing is for women to feel calmer and more confident about their body’s ability in childbirth. Some also say that it can aid with pain management during labour, though it is perfectly safe to use hypnobirthing techniques alongside medicated pain relief.
Hypnobirthing is to be practiced prior to labour. This allows expectant mothers to learn self-hypnosis, breathing and visualisation techniques to a level that they are confident that they can independently replicate in the delivery room, providing a better birthing experience overall*.
*Of course, all births are different and hypnobirthing is not a guarantee that all will run smoothly. Rather, it can help to give you back control and a better chance of feeling relaxed, calm and happier throughout.
Who is hypnobirthing for?
While primarily intended to aid pregnant mothers, hypnobirthing is considered a comprehensive antenatal program for both the expectant mother, and their birth partner. This allows whoever will be joining in the delivery room – fathers, co-parents or their chosen supportive individual – to learn techniques to reduce their anxiety, better understand the pregnant body’s feelings and play an active supporting role in labour.
Those who can benefit from hypnobirthing include:
- Expectant parents looking for a natural approach (i.e. those who wish to avoid medication for pain).
- People who feel anxious about giving birth.
- First-time mothers.
- Individuals with a fear of childbirth (tokophobia).
- Birthing partners.
- Anybody seeking a calm, empowered and informed birth.
What's the link between stress and pain in childbirth?
During labour, if you feel anxious, highly stressed or even fearful, stress hormones (like adrenaline) will be released into your body. Adrenaline is the hormone that puts us into ‘fight or flight’ mode. This means your blood will be pushed towards the bigger muscle groups in your limbs, in case you need to run away from the impending ‘threat’.
In this case, the perceived ‘threat’ is giving birth – something that, no matter how fast you run, you cannot get away from. With the blood flowing more readily to these muscle groups, your womb is not getting as much blood/oxygen, which can make the muscles less efficient.
Stress hormones can also make the body less likely to produce the ‘love hormone’ (oxytocin), which eases the pain of labour. While stress is naturally going to happen when you’re in labour, keeping it at a low level can help your body better cope with the process and help reduce your perception of pain. Hypnobirthing can equip you with the relevant tools and information to de-stress during labour.
When should I start hypnobirthing classes?
As with most skills we learn, practice makes perfect. Hypnosis is no exception – the more time you have to practice, the more competent you will feel when you put your skills into action. If you can, look to start hypnobirthing classes somewhere between 20-30 weeks to give you plenty of time to practice.
Don’t worry if you are further along, however, as many people say they benefit regardless of how many classes they attend before giving birth. Just learning some of the basic premises and techniques can be immensely helpful.
Hypnobirthing techniques
One of the most important parts of hypnobirthing is looking at birth in a positive light. For some mothers, hearing horror stories of other people’s experiences, reading up on what ‘could’ go wrong and expecting pain can increase anxiety. Instead, hypnobirthing classes will encourage positive language, such as:
- ‘surges’ or ‘tightening’, not ‘contractions’
- ‘practice labour’, not ‘false labour’
- ‘birth breathing’, not ‘pushing’
With this foundation, your classes will be made up of self-hypnosis techniques, visualisation, and breathing exercises. All of these are designed to help you gain a sense of control, reduce stress and ease anxiety. You may also learn about the ideal positions for birth to help shorten the length of labour and assist your body’s natural functions. You will likely be given materials to take home too, so you can practice outside the classroom.
Hypnobirthing can be added to your birth preference plan and the techniques can be used whether you give birth in a hospital or at home.
One breathing technique I learnt was to inhale for four and exhale for eight, which helps to control the pain during contractions. I still use the technique now, as it’s been amazing for easing any little bits of anxiety I get. When I went into labour, I used this breathing technique as well as listening to my hypnobirthing tracks, to remain calm whilst we travelled to the hospital.
- Elle's experience of hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing benefits
In a survey, conducted by The Baby Show, asking first-time mums about their biggest concerns, it revealed that fear of the unknown (65%) and pain of giving birth (52%) were the most common worries. Hypnobirthing can aid these areas, educating attendees on what to expect and coaching breathing techniques to ease pain.
It's said that there are a number of further benefits to hypnobirthing, some of which are mentioned below. Everyone is different, and it's important you do what's best for you. If you have any questions before, during or after hypnobirthing sessions, ask your therapist or your midwife.
Benefits of hypnobirthing include:
- higher chance of a shorter labour
- reduced chance of surgical/medical intervention required
- higher chance of baby feeding and sleeping well
- increased sense of bonding between parents and child
- reduced recovery time for the mother or parent who has given birth
As this is an all-natural approach, there is no risk of harmful side effects, something that appeals to a lot of expectant parents.
There is a lot of noise out there about childbirth but remember, there is no right or wrong way to do it. If you’re pregnant, exploring all your options and learning more about the different approaches is a great first step to figuring out how you want your birth to go.
Ultimately, we are all different, and it’s important to listen to yourself and what you want from your birthing experience. It should be an empowering and magical experience, so any way you can harness that is worth investigating.
Does hypnotherapy really help?
Many studies have shown that hypnotherapy can be an effective way of managing pain in childbirth. Read more of the research into hypnotherapy and hypnosis.
Attending hypnobirthing classes can help you learn the techniques you need to lower stress levels and invite calm into the delivery room. If you want to learn more, use our search tool to find a hypnobirthing professional near you.
Expectant mothers learn to replace anxiety with confidence, using controlled breathing and visualisation techniques to approach childbirth with calmness and trust in their bodies.Hypnotherapist Karen Baughan on the power of birthing hypnotherapy
The importance of a birth partner
It's entirely up to you whether or not you include your birthing partner to attend hypnobirthing classes, however, it is recommended. Having your birthing partner with you means they can learn with you and be involved in the process. You can practice at home together and they can learn how best to support you during delivery.
Together you can create a birth plan, including how you’ll use hypnosis. Of course, there will be cases when things don’t go to plan, but having a general idea of how you would like your experience to be is very useful for both parties.
