The Importance of Hypnobirthing: Preparing for a Positive Birth
By Fiona Deans, Hypnobirthing teacher
Hypnobirthing seems to be on the rise and there is a long list of celebrities from Princess Catherine of Wales to Harry Kane who all claim that it had a significant effect on their experience of pregnancy and childbirth. But what exactly is hypnobirthing, why are so many women doing it and how can it have an impact on your birth experience?
This blog post will explore the importance of hypnobirthing, why it works and why it can be transformative for both mother and baby.
What is hypnobirthing?
Let’s start with the basics: What exactly is hypnobirthing? If you’re anything like me, the word hypnobirthing seems misleading. It creates mental images of people being hypnotised by a swinging pocket watch, which isn’t exactly what you want when you’re trying to birth a baby. The realisation that hypno simply comes from the Greek meaning sleep really helped me to overcome this stereotype.
Hypnobirthing is a childbirth education method that combines several elements to help women and their birth partners have a more relaxed, less painful and more positive birth experience. My courses look at self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques, mindset towards birth, what happens in labour, the maternity system and your rights and choices when it comes to labour. A good hypnobirthing course will provide you with a rounded knowledge of labour, techniques to help you cope and what to do if things aren’t going to plan.
The Science Behind Hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing is not just some kind of hippie idealism, it is evidence-based science and its effectiveness lies in its ability to tap into the mind-body connection. When a woman is relaxed, her body is more likely to produce the levels of oxytocin required to make sure her contractions continue to be effective. She is also more likely to have higher levels of endorphins flowing through her veins – these are the body’s natural pain relievers. As soon as a woman becomes stressed or anxious, we see huge increases in adrenaline which is the enemy of oxytocin and endorphins. Adrenaline will slow down labour and increase pain and it is something we should be trying to minimise in childbirth. Hypnobirthing can help you do that.
Research has shown that women who practise hypnobirthing have shorter labours and lower rates of interventions such as epidurals and c-sections than those who don’t. They are also more likely to view their birth experience as positive which can have an impact on the post-natal period.
The Benefits of Hypnobirthing
There are a number of benefits of hypnobirthing, here are just a few:
Empowerment and Confidence: Women who do hypnobirthing feel more empowered and confident going into birth because they have a toolkit to help them cope during labour, as well as having worked on mindset issues that could cause anxiety around it. This reduced fear and anxiety is more likely to lead to a positive birth experience.
Reduced Pain and Discomfort: The relaxation techniques learnt on a hypnobirthing course not only help women to manage pain more effectively, they often have the dual effect of increasing oxytocin and endorphins which will naturally make labour easier.
Better birth outcomes: Studies suggest that those who practise hypnobirthing often have shorter labours with fewer medical interventions and feel more in control. Fewer interventions often means an easier recovery. All of this leads to reduced rates of postnatal anxiety and depression.
Involvement of Birth Partners: Not only do hypnobirthing classes help to prepare the mother for birth, but they also prepare her partner as well. They look at how the partner can support during labour and childbirth and ways they can be involved. This often leads to a better experience for both the person giving birth and their birth partner.
A Positive Birth Memory: Too often we hear the rhetoric “The baby was ok and that’s all that matters.” I’m not for one second suggesting that we don’t want the baby to be ok, but the mum also needs to be ok. Having a negative birth experience can be traumatic and have a lasting impact on someone both physically and mentally. Hypnobirthing can help to avoid this and provide an experience that mothers can look back on fondly.
Who Can Benefit from Hypnobirthing?
Anyone! Anyone who is expecting a baby can benefit from hypnobirthing. The techniques you learn can be used in any kind of birth – from a homebirth to helping you stay calm in a c-section. Additionally, by looking at the maternity system, you can make informed decisions that are right for you. So if you’re offered a medical intervention, you have already thought about the potential risks and benefits. And it’s not just first-time mums who do hypnobirthing. A lot of women find it after a traumatic first experience and several of my clients have been second-time mums. I did hypnobirthing as a second-time mum and went on to have a positive induction experience. You can read all about it on my blog.
Hypnobirthing is a powerful tool that can transform the childbirth experience, making it more positive, empowering, and less stressful. Working on your mindset towards birth can help you approach it calmly and confidently, and being informed means that you can be in control and make the decisions that are right for you.
Whilst hypnobirthing can’t guarantee a picture-perfect birth, feeling in control and confident about birth can have a massive impact on your experience and how you perceive it. In her book The Positive Birth Book, Milli Hill says “How we give birth matters – and not just for the day itself. An empowering, confident start can have a lifelong impact on the physical and emotional health of both mum and baby.” If you’re seeking a holistic, evidence-based approach to childbirth, hypnobirthing might be the perfect path for you.
By Fiona Deans, qualified hypnobirthing teacher, teaching in Solihull, Birmingham and online.