If you’re pregnant you’re probably thinking about what your labour and delivery will be like – from easing any pain with drugs like epidurals or more natural methods such as a birthing pool. Or maybe this all sounds like a foreign language to you!

There is one birthing technique that has nothing to do with drugs, and enthusiasts even say that labour doesn’t have to be painful at all. This is called Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing techniques using breathing and relaxation methods to help your mind and body. You can help your body relax and go through the natural process of giving birth without tensing up and feeling scared.

Hypnobirthing antenatal courses enable you to learn to rebuild trust and confidence in your own body’s ability to birth, by understanding that ‘birth’ is not a medical emergency, but a very natural process. A woman who is free from fear and feels safe and unobserved will produce oxytocin and endorphins freely, paving the way for a gentle, calm and empowering birth.

Central to hypnobirthing is the use of positive language and keeping calm. You’re encouraged to say you’re having ‘waves’ instead of ‘contractions’, and you’re ‘breathing out’ your baby rather than ‘pushing’ to help you feel more in control.

Many misconceptions surround hypnobirthing, it doesn’t mean you will be hypnotised nor is it just for ‘hippies wanting a homebirth’. Hypnobirthing is becoming more mainstream as midwives and health care professionals see the benefits. Even if your birth does not go according to plan, the techniques learnt in hypnobirthing can help you to stay calm and have the best possible experience for your given situation.

The demonstrated benefits of hypnobirthing are;

  • a shorter first stage labour.
  • less intense pain.
  • a shorter stay in hospital after birth.
  • less fear and anxiety after the birth of your baby.

At the Maris Practice we run 3 week hypnobirthing antenatal courses which will enable you to learn that you can release your fear, through breathing techniques, deep relaxation, visualisations as well as the power of the mind and positive affirmations.

Find out more here.