Is Hypnobirthing all woo-woo?

What is Hypnobirthing? This is something practitioners get asked all the time! I think many people fear it’s all a little bit woo-woo and not based in science- an alternative approach perhaps.

However Hypnobirthing is based on the science of the brain and how it copes during different situations. It is based on principles of NLP, CBT and Hypnotherapy- all of which are scientifically recognised with over 10,000 peer reviewed studies appearing in PubMed. So if you are reading this wondering if it’s for you but fear you may be better off with a more traditional approach then just reserve your judgement until you get to the end of the page.

Hypnobirthing courses, whether it be with KG, Mongan, Natal, Wise Hippo or any other training franchise, are all fundamentally based on the same principles. Some franchises use different names for different breathing techniques, and some try and masquerade as some magically better technique than their rivals. But all hypnobirthing courses aim to offer the same elements:

  • Physiological education about labour and birth (as you get in more traditional classes such as NCT)

  • Understanding of the ‘Mind-Body Connection’ and physical responses to labour

  • Tools and techniques for coping

  • Breathing techniques

  • Relaxation techniques

  • Positive re-framing within the subconscious brain through hypnosis techniques

  • Supporting women to explore their birth choices and feel confident in the decisions they may make on the day

  • Helping birth-partners understand how to support women during labour- emotionally and physically

Perhaps there is a lot more to it than you originally thought? I remember when I was pregnant for the first time and thought that it ‘just wouldn’t be for me’ as I am a scientist and not into that ‘sort of thing’. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong! Luckily for me, I did fall for a cheeky marketing trick and did an antenatal course that was hypnobirthing based, but I just didn’t know it until I started…. it was an amazing experience and prepared me for three very different but all equally positive births.

To find out more about private Hypnobirthing classes for you and your birth partner, which combine the power of evidence based education and hypnobirthing tools and techniques, visit www.mambaUK.com/hypnobirthing

Nicola Flanagan