Hypnobirthing…Is it too woo?!
Be honest…What came to mind when you heard the word ‘hypnobirthing’? for the first time?
Chanting, dancing around in circles and woo woo are some of the common answers I hear to this question!
When we hear the term in which the hypnobirthing name originated from – ‘hypnosis’ we often think about people acting out of character, doing strange things, swinging watches and strange men saying ‘look into my eyes…’ this style of hypnosis we are so familiar with is called stage show hypnosis and is nothing like the hypnosis techniques we use when birthing a baby (I heard that sigh of relief mama!). Couples I support are often relieved when I tell them that there is no woo woo involved in hypnobirthing and that it is actually very straight forward, scientific based tools, techniques and information used to help them prepare for their birth.
Thankfully more and more people are hearing amazing birth stories about hypnobirthing and how it helped them so much and are spreading the word that hypnobirthing is so much more than you realise it is and there’s not a dash of ‘woo’ in sight!
Hypnobirthing is for all births…yes including caesarean births! It provides you with information and knowledge about your body, birth and your choices so that you feel empowered heading into your c-section birth…knowledge is power!
It will teach you tools and techniques to help you feel deeply relaxed in both mind and body (with no swinging pocket watch
es in sight!) if you mind is relaxed your body will follow its lead and this leads to a more comfortable birth and recovery.
Birth partners feel more involved as they understand the birth process and what they can do to help you navigate this life changing experience with ease, calmness and joy.
So why then does hypnobirthing have such a hippy reputation?!
Firstly the name perhaps doesn’t do it any favours giving it that link back to stage show hypnosis due to lack of understanding of what it actually is.
Secondly we are beginning to understand and catch up in western society about how powerful the mind is but there is still lots of misunderstanding about how we can use our mind to have a positive effect on the body and to make the best of our experience…anything to do with the mind in the past seemed too often be referred to as ‘hippy stuff’ but with the amount of research into our mind-body connection now it is being understood more and more that without the mind the body could not exist and vice versa and so many women are keen to learn how to keep fear at bay and go into their birth with calmness, ease and joy.
If you are considering hypnobirthing I can support you through my fully online and self paced courses that cover both hypnobirthing and antenatal information to ensure you feel informed and empowered as you prepare to meet your baby.
Here at Baby & Me I have specialist hypnobirthing courses for both vaginal birth and c-section birth that are super helpful for both you and your birth partner to work through together with videos, interactive workbooks and exclusive content such as baby massage, scar care, hypnobirthing tracks, affirmations and more.
To learn more about my courses select the type of birth you are planning below:
Hypnobirthing for vaginal births.
Hypnobirthing for c-section births.
Want to chat through how hypnobirthing can help you or if it is right for your birth? Get in touch via email, social media or the contact page here on my website and lets chat.
Want to start re-wiring your birth mindset for your upcoming caesarean? Check out this post HERE that you might be interested in about caesarean birth!
