What is

Hypnobirthing?

A Hypnobirthing course is a well-thought-out program of deep relaxation, self-hypnosis, breathing techniques, visualisation, affirmations and education which allows you to summon your natural birthing instincts and to birth your baby in a powerful and empowering way.

Photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd

Photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd

 
 

Hypnobirthing is based on the belief that birth is natural, normal and healthy. Unfortunately these days, women are inundated with negative stories of other women’s birth experiences. Everyone from their mothers, family, friends and even strangers, are quick to tell them the horrors of giving birth.

They have been conditioned to believe that birth is associated with excruciating pain and because of this, women today hold an unprecedented fear of giving birth. This extreme fear causes their bodies to become tense and this tension often prevents their bodies from performing the normal, physiological function of birth. This unfortunately leads to exactly the thing they fear the most - a long, painful and disappointing birth.

A Hypnobirthing course will teach you to release all the emotions tied to these fear-based stories and misinformation and therefore help you to see birth as normal. You will learn to call upon your body’s own natural relaxant and thus lessen or eliminate discomfort and the need for medication. 

When you are properly prepared for childbirth and when your mind and body are in harmony, nature is free to function in the same well designed manner that it does with all other creatures. On completion of a Hypnobirthing course, you will be armed with all the tools you need to have a positive birth experience.

Photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd

Photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd

 

 “Amy is a fantastic teacher to educate others on not only the beauty of birthing but pregnancy too. We were absolutely flawed with the amount of knowledge we came away with on completion of our Hypnobirthing course. These classes taught us so much more than labour and birthing but also how to maintain a calm and relaxed life, particularly as we prepare for parenthood.
Thank you Amy!””

— Dahna

 The Hypnobirthing Advantage

  • Teaches you to achieve deep levels of relaxation to help eliminate the fear that causes tension;

  • Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers and drugs;

  • Shortens the first phase of labour;

  • Helps keep oxygen being supplied to your baby during birthing;

  • Reduces the need for an episiotomy;

  • Reduces fatigue during labour;

  • Empowers you with techniques to achieve a gentle and calm birth for yourself and your baby;

  • Gives your birthing companion an integral role in the birthing; and

  • Teaches breathing techniques that help you gently breathe your baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.

The result?

A comfortable, powerful and positive birth experience.

Class Structure

 

Unit 1:

Creating & maintaining a positive mindset

 

  • Introduction to the positive mindset of Hypnobirthing

  • How our brain is wired to birth

  • The role of our caregivers

  • Mind/body connection

  • What is self-hypnosis and how will we use it for birthing?

  • Our hormones are our friends

  • My amazing uterus – understanding the physiology behind birthing

  • Fear-Tension-Pain Syndrome

  • Causes of fear (including history) and how it affects our labour

  • Re-programming the subconscious

  • The language for empowered birthing

  • The power of affirmations

  • Birthing environment

 

 Unit 2:

Our toolkit for birth

 

  • Self-hypnosis tracks

  • Birth music

  • Conditioning with scent

  • Hypnotic anchors and triggers

  • Releasing endorphins through massage and touch

  • Acupressure techniques for pregnancy, birth & breastfeeding

  • Visualisations for pregnancy, labour & birthing

  • The importance of facial relaxation

  • Relaxation Breathing – a skill for life

  • Surge Breathing – the best tool ever!

  • Techniques to help make your surges more comfortable

  • The ‘urge’ to push/bear down – Breathing/Bearing down

  • Birth Preferences and communicating with your caregivers

 

Unit 3:

Preparation & choices for empowered birthing

 

  • Bonding with baby

  • Choices in maternity care

  • Birth Preferences – having open communication with your caregivers

  • Knowledge is power – researching common interventions and procedures

  • Questions to ask, to assist in making informed decisions

  • Birth partner as advocate

  • ‘Guess date’ – a normal range of pregnancy

  • Inductions – things you’re not always told

  • Achieving a natural start to labour

  • Maintaining a healthy diet

  • Preparing the body – staying active

  • Optimising baby’s position

  • Breech or posterior – options & positions

  • Instant relaxation techniques

  • Self-hypnosis, meditation and deep relaxation techniques & scripts

 

Unit 4: 

Birth – bringing it all together

 

  • What to expect in the weeks and days leading up to birth

  • Signs that labour is starting

  • What to expect through labour (membranes releasing etc)

  • When to call the midwife/go to the hospital

  • Accidental home/car birth – what to do!

  • Birth partner’s role

  • Common procedures

  • Using water during labour and birth

  • Upright positioning, movement and birth positions

  • Special circumstances (including caesarean birth)

  • Fear release

  • Vocalisation

  • Cord clamping & placenta delivery

  • Undisturbed bonding & breastfeeding time – skin to skin

  • What to expect afterwards

  • Self-hypnosis – rehearsal for birth

  • A practice routine – preparation for birth

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd