What Is Hypnobirthing and Does it Work?

Guest post by Siobhan Miller from The Positive Birth Company

Hypnobirthing is something that has been gaining popularity in recent years and been given the stamp of approval by celebrities including Fearne Cotton and Giovanna Fletcher. But what it is? What does it involve? And does it even help?! Well, I’m Siobhan Miller, founder of The Positive Birth Company and Mum of three and I’m here to demystify Hypnobirthing…

I love teaching this part of the course best because when parents understand how the body works and most importantly why it’s so important to stay relaxed (which is a big part of hypnobirthing), it’s a real game changer. Without understanding the ‘why’ bit, all the relaxation exercises we practice in hypnobirthing can seem a bit fluffy; lovely but ultimately pointless. But once you understand why being relaxed in labour is key for an easy and natural birth then even the most cynical of people get on board.

By way of a summary: The uterus is essentially a bag of muscles and like all muscles in the body it is perfectly designed to function as intended. The uterus is not a design fault. Women really need to trust their uterus! Like all muscles the uterus requires hydration, oxygen and a good blood supply to work effectively in labour.

By effectively I mean easily and efficiently. You’d never do a workout in the gym without having a glug of water or whilst holding your breath, would you? An example I often give the couples I teach is this: hold your arm up in the air above your head and clench it repeatedly. This clench-release is initially very easy but after a while as the blood and oxygen drain from your hand it becomes more and more difficult. It only takes a minute of doing this for you to notice the difference. Each clench-release becomes harder to do, you slow down and it becomes painful. This is what happens to a woman’s uterus in labour if it is deprived of blood and oxygen. The contractions or ‘surges’ as we call them become weak and less effective, progress (dilation) slows down and labour might even stall completely.

Why would I deprive my uterus of vital blood and oxygen I hear you cry! Well, that’s where your hormones come into play… When you release adrenaline in labour, or in life, your blood supply is redirected to your limbs so you can run really fast or fight like the badass you are. This is known as the flight or fight response and it’s your body going into lifesaving mode. Which is great if there is a real imminent threat of attack, but not so much when you’re trying to birth your beautiful baby.

Since the uterus, albeit totally mind-blowingly amazing in its design, is not going to save your life if you’ve just come face to face with a great white shark for example, the body cleverly redirects your blood to where it believes it’s needed more. Hence why when you’re frightened your heart starts beating faster, pumping blood to your limbs and you may experience sweaty palms or a tingly sensation in your arms. In labour because your uterus needs that blood flow, this redirection is totally unhelpful.

Well how can I prevent this from happening you say! The key is to limit the amount of adrenaline you produce. Adrenaline is released when we panic, when we’re fearful, not when we are calm, relaxed and feeling safe. This is why a lot of what you learn in hypnobirthing are tools and techniques to help you find your zen. Having a relaxed mind and body is key and will absolutely change your birth for the better. Everything we learn in hypnobirthing is so that when it comes to the big day, you are simply able to relax and allow your body to get on with birthing your baby as it has been designed so perfectly to do.

There’s also something else you really need to know about adrenaline; it inhibits the production of oxytocin. Oxytocin is the magic ingredient and 100% essential for birth to happen! It’s the hormone we produce when we are happy! When we are in love! When we laugh! When we orgasm! When we give birth! I kid you not. Oxytocin, that very same hormone we release when we are having the best time of our life, is responsible for each and every surge we experience in labour.

Believe me when I tell you; giving birth can feel amazing. I am not some crazy lady hidden behind a computer screen having a laugh. I am just like you. Most women reading this will raise their eyebrows at this point because in our culture we are conditioned to be fearful of birth, to believe it will be traumatic. We share (and even relish in doing so) the details of horror stories we’ve heard but fail to shout about how beautiful birth can be from the rooftops! Every birth we see on TV or hear about or read about is dramatic. All those hundreds of uneventful births that happen every day go under the radar because they don’t make gripping telly or exciting reading.

But let me tell you, when I gave birth to my second son using all the techniques I had learnt on a hypnobirthing course, it was euphoric. I have never felt as strong and empowered and amazing as I did that day. And you too can have that birth. You’ve just got to let the oxytocin flow. Understanding this makes all those relaxation exercises you learn on a hypnobirthing course suddenly seem a lot less fluffy.

Here are just some of the things you and your birth partner will learn on a hypnobirthing course to help you stay relaxed:

● Breathing techniques for use during surges and when it comes to birthing your baby

● Light touch massage

● Relaxation readings / guided meditations

● Positive affirmations to reprogram your subconscious

● Fear release exercises

● How to use touch and set anchors for deeper relaxation

● How to create the right environment for a positive birth

If you’re interested in learning more about hypnobirthing or booking on a course please visit The Positive Birth Company.