What is hypnobirthing?

When you first hear the term hypnobirthing it can be very easy to be put off if you don’t consider yourself to be a hippy who wants a pain free home birth. Hypnobirthing is for anyone and everyone and I really believe every woman needs to know what is taught on a hypnobirthing course.

So, what is hypnobirthing?

It is a complete antenatal course. It will teach you about everything that you need to know in labour and birth and give you a range of techniques to help you stay calm and relaxed during labour.


How does hypnobirthing work?

The key hormone at work during your labour is oxytocin which is also known as the shy hormone. This is the hormone that brings on your contractions and helps your uterus get that baby out. Oxytocin is the enemy of adrenaline which is the hormone that kicks into action when we are afraid or when our fight or flight mode is activated. We’ve spent years watching films and TV shows and listening to horror stories that teach us to be afraid or labour so when those contractions start, we become fearful of what’s in store and our adrenaline kicks in. We become tense meaning our contractions are more painful and our oxytocin levels drop meaning they come less efficient and consequently labour slows down. Once you’ve had one painful contraction, everything you’ve ever thought about labour seems true, making you even more tense and so the cycle continues. Hypnobirthing works by helping you address your fear of labour so that you can break this cycle by teaching you how your body works and giving you mechanisms to help you stay calm and let the oxytocin flow.

Want to know more? Click below to see what courses I offer:

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Three things that are not reasons to be induced

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Five ways to relax when you’re being induced