What is Hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is so many things, but what it isn't is the hocus pocus you see might have seen on the tv! There is a bit of a stigma surrounding hypnobirthing that perhaps its a bit "wacky" or "out there", but I can guarantee I will not be swinging a pocket watch in front of you and chanting!
"You will find hypnobirthing to be logical and - dare I say- common sense, and it will change the way you feel about your baby's upcoming birth" Abby Watson
What we will be doing, is working together to prepare you and your birth partner with all the information you need to navigate your way through labour, birthing your baby and those golden moments afterwards. I will be teaching you strategies that you will be able to self manage to keep you feeling as calm and comfortable as possible and give you the tools to feel relaxed and in control.
Through my role as an NHS Maternal Well-Being Midwife I developed a passion for improving maternal mental health, I have seen the impact that birth trauma has on women, their families and their babies, and I have lived experience of perinatal mental health. If I can help it, I don't want anyone else to go through those experiences. I know that hypnobirthing can improve birth experiences and I fully believe in the positive and lasting impact this can have on maternal well-being.
How Can Hypnobirthing Help You?
- Understand how your body works- appreciating how its perfectly designed to birth your baby, and how you and your body can work together to facilitate an easier and more comfortable birth.
- Learn about your options- navigate the maternity systems and develop expert decision making skills to make the best choices for you and your baby.
- Have the best birth partner- they have a really important role and they will learn how they can best support you and not feel like a spare part on the big day.
- Find out why calm and relaxed is so important- the biology behind it and techniques to enable you to easily reach a deeply relaxed state.
Who Is Hypnobirthing For?
EVERYONE!
Do you perhaps feel anxious about giving birth? Maybe you're worried about not being in control during labour? Have you been advised of certain plans of care for the birth of your baby? Maybe you've had a previous negative experience of labour? Or does all of the above just seem completely overwhelming?
I understand, both as a mum and as a health care professional, there's a lot expected of us mums and sometimes not a lot of guidance from within maternity. If anything I've said feels familiar then hypnobirthing is for you!
You can start a hypnobirthing course at any point during your pregnancy, but the earlier you start the more time you have to practice and perfect your techniques. Most practitioners will advise starting a full course between 20-30 weeks, but if you're further on in your pregnancy don't panic, the intensive course is perfect for those with a little less time on their hands.
The Benefits of Hypnobirthing
- Bond with your baby
- Ditch any fears you may have about childbirth
- Gain confidence in your bodies ability to birth your baby
- Go into labour feeling prepared and capable
Hypnobirthing is for every birth, the techniques you will learn can be applied to any birth, whether you're planning to be at home, in a hospital or birth centre, or if you want your birth to be medicated or birth free or via caesarean section or an induction.
What's The Hypno Bit All About?
"You will not cluck like a chicken, you will not cluck like a chicken!"
I'll admit, that even as a practicing midwife I was dubious about Hypnobirthing! Its not something that was covered in my training, however fast forward to 2019/2020 and being pregnant with my first baby it was something I got very interested in.
"Hypnosis" is not at all like its portrayed in Hollywood (a little bit like birth ey!) but rather it is a deeply relaxed state where you can disconnect from the distractions going on around you. Sound familiar at all? I can't be the only one who's arrive at my home and can't completely remember the entire journey, we access this deeply relaxed state on various occasions most days, we've just never given it a name, or even recognised it before!
Practicing self hypnosis is developing skills and tools to be able to easily access this deeply relaxed state which can be really beneficial for labour!
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