A Parent’s Perspective on Hypnobirthing

It can be difficult to know whether alternatives to chemical pain relief are right for you, when it comes to labour and birth.

As a form of self-help in labour, hypnobirthing is gaining popularity, with a 14-fold increase in demand over recent years according to figures from Colchester Hospital, which has the highest number of trained hypnobirth teachers in the UK. No doubt famous advocates such as Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie and even Kate Middleton have contributed to the trend. 

For many expectant mums, the most appealing aspect of hypnobirthing is the idea of a calm and positive – even pleasurable – birth experience.

But what do the experts say, and more importantly, what are the stories of those who have been through it?

A quick overview of hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is a natural method of pain management that combines deep relaxation and breathing techniques with visualisation and self-hypnosis. It aims to help you feel in control, confident and calm so you can potentially have an easier labour with less need for traditional pain relief drugs.

You can do it on your own or with a partner, and it can be used with all other types of pain relief. Many mums-to-be now include hypnobirthing in their birth plans. 

Check out our Guide to Hypnobirthing to find out more about the origins of the idea, the techniques involved and the latest research into its effectiveness.

Why more parents are choosing to try hypnobirthing

For some time, midwives have been predicting that hypnobirthing will become standard antenatal practice in the UK, with many NHS trusts now offering regular classes.

Colchester Hospital has produced this video where couples talk about how hypnobirthing has influenced their thoughts, perspectives and attitudes to labour. Here are some of their comments:

• “It’s taken some of the anxiety out of the whole thing. My partner and I now feel more relaxed about the idea of going to hospital, the  preparation - the whole process.”  

• “Going through the hypnobirthing class has made me feel a lot less stressed over how it's going to go - not knowing exactly what will happen, but knowing I have these techniques to cope with different situations. I just feel much more confident and at peace about the day now.”

• “I don’t feel as scared about it. I think it has taught me to see it as a natural process.”

• “The course has made me feel much more prepared, much more like I have a part to play as a husband – that there’s something I can do to help my wife get through labour. It’s given me more of a purpose during the labour process.”

• “The relaxation techniques, the breathing and the visualisations… they all impacted massively. I wouldn’t have been able to have the natural home birth I wanted without hypnobirthing.”

• “Even though my birth didn’t go to plan, we were still really calm and relaxed because we had been doing hypnobirthing the whole way through. It was really good to have that to keep us calm and keep us together.”

  
  

Hypnobirthing as a way to manage stress

At its heart, hypnobirthing aims to encourage people to view pain as a powerful sensation rather than something to be feared. The belief is that although every woman’s experience of labour pain will be different, our perception of pain can be heightened if we are frightened or anxious or potentially lessened if we are able to use techniques to help us manage stress. 

The hormone oxytocin naturally controls the strength, frequency and duration of contractions during labour can be affected by the stress hormone adrenaline. This means that if we produce too much adrenaline – triggered by stress, fear or pain – labour can last longer.

Techniques to try today

Hypnobirthing combines breathing exercises with visualisation, relaxation and meditation techniques to help you focus your mind on your body and the birth of your baby.

Breathing

Controlled breathing exercises are designed to help you stay calm and can help to ease discomfort during labour. By concentrating on your breathing during a contraction, your thought processes can be redirected away from focusing on pain.

“I had five contractions on the walk to the delivery ward, I just kept breathing as deep as I could and used my husband as a concentration point.”

Visualisation

Visualisation encourages you to imagine the birth of your baby, and rehearse in your mind what you would ideally like to happen. For example, you may want to picture yourself cradling your baby for the first time – holding them close and feeling their skin next to yours. This can help you to feel more positive and prepared for the birth.

“I looked up positive birth stories on the internet and read positive books, which I think impacted on my positive state of mind."

Meditation

Meditation aims to help you focus your attention on you and your baby, while blocking out other things going on around you. It can help you to relax and feel more calm.

“He made me a relaxation album to use throughout labour and pregnancy. It really helped me to find calm serenity in the clinical hospital environment.”

Resources

NHS midwife, hypnobirthing practitioner and author Anthonissa Moger – aka the Hypnobirthing Midwife – offers a free, one-hour introduction to hypnobirthing on her website and has hypnobirthing breathing tutorials on YouTube.

Parenting education and support site The Baby Academy is also currently offering a free hypnobirthing class (normally £99), teaching expectant parents a range of relaxation and breathing techniques. 

Four tips for hypnobirthing

If you like the idea of hypnobirthing:

1. Start looking for courses in your area. Check to see if your NHS trust offers hypnobirthing as part of its free antenatal classes. If it doesn’t, ask your midwife to suggest some local paid-for classes run by private providers. 

2. Consider using apps and books to complement your classes. Mumsnet has compiled a list of the best hypnobirthing books, courses, apps and podcasts, as recommended by mums.

3. Practise the techniques. If you can, do them regularly from your second trimester - or as soon as you are able to. 

4. Add hypnobirthing to your birth plan - but don’t forget, you can always ask for other types of pain relief  if you need it.

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Find more prenatal classes near you

If you’re also interested in other natural forms of prenatal support, use Pebble to find mindful and relaxing pre and post-natal yoga classes in your area.