How much do you know about Hypnobirthing? Have you heard much about it, apart from perhaps that Fearne Cotton and the Princess of Wales used it during their births?
There are lots of myths about Hypnobirthing, and misunderstandings. The name itself can be off-putting, and I’ve been thinking of what we could call it instead for ages. Haven’t come up with anything yet, mind you.
Lots of people think Hypnobirthing is all about hippies wearing tie-dye and giving birth in a river alone. By all means, you can give birth like that and use Hypnobirthing as you do it. But for the vast majority of mums who use Hypnobirthing, birth looks very straight forward and not at all hippy-ish.
Hypnobirthing can be incredibly helpful for any type of birth. Whether you have a vaginal birth, a home birth, a hospital birth, a C-section, in a birth pool, with loads of painkillers, with an epidural, with just gas and air, or with no pain relief at all – there are ways Hypnobirthing can help with all of these types of birth.
The skills you learn during Hypnobirthing stay with you for life. It’s not just about giving birth; it’s about your mindset, knowing what you’re capable of and being confident allowing your body to take over; it’s about advocating for yourself and being informed in what’s happening to you; it’s about learning relaxation techniques that you can use in all sorts of situations throughout life.
Hypnobirthing also teaches you a lot of the antenatal information you’d get in a regular antenatal or NCT class; you’ll learn about the science of what your body is doing before and during birth, what hormones are important and why, and what the impact of adrenaline and oxytocin will have on your body and your baby.
Taking a Hypnobirthing class reduces your likelihood of tearing downstairs; it reduces the likelihood of interventions during birth; it reduces the likelihood of having a C-section; and it reduces the likelihood of developing post-natal depression.
Learning about Hypnobirthing makes you more likely to have a calm and positive birth experiences; you’re more likely to feel in control of all your decisions; you’re also more likely to trust your instincts, which continues into motherhood too.
We have moved away from our instincts a lot in our culture and society, but tuning into your gut feelings is so important – during birth, when we’re faced with the biggest moment of our lives – and in parenting, when the world outside can seem so noisy and judgemental.
I studied Hypnobirthing when I was pregnant with both of my babies, and the skills I learned have stayed with me. I regularly harness my Hypnobirthing mindset in regular life, and I use the relaxation and breathing techniques almost on a daily basis.
So if you’re thinking of taking a Hypnobirthing class, there’s so much you’ll learn and hold on to forever. It’s not just for hippies, and you only have to give birth in a river if you want to.