Building confidence for your birth

Hypnobirthing Classes

Hypnobirthing classes are available as an add on to our antenatal classes. As an additional form of antenatal education, hypnobirthing can help pregnant women to face fears and anxieties around all types of birth, build confidence and contribute to having a positive birth experience. This is mostly through the use of additional relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and visualisations to still the mind.

When you think about birth, you may have negative images and thoughts popping into your head. This is quite normal and your brain is actually doing its job! It’s seeking out the negative in situations as a protective mechanism to keep you safe, however, on the flipside, when you are in a fearful, more anxious mindset, the part of the brain that encourages physiological childbirth is blocked. It’s important that the nervous system is calm so the hormones that trigger labour and keep it flowing are released.

Physiological birth is more likely to progress when a pregnant woman’s mind and body are able to work in harmony; if she feels at ease, safe, unobserved and undisturbed she will feel more able to trust her body and her instincts and lose her inhibitions in order to birth her baby calmly and gently.

Creating a relaxed environment and protecting the birth space is an important role of a birth partner. What this environment might look and feel like, the role of hormones, massage and breathing are just some of the hypnobirthing essentials you can expect to learn on our full antenatal courses.

If you would like to ‘deep dive’ into the practice of hypnobirthing, you can ‘bolt on’ two tailored classes. These are based on the KGHypnobirthing Programme, which is accredited by the Royal College of Midwives. Sian will discuss and practice further strategies with you including the use of affirmations, guided visualisations and the repetition of positive birth imagery. These sessions are appropriate for any birth.

How much do the hypnobirthing classes cost?

The price of £65 includes four hours of live teaching on Zoom, access to a selection of MP3 downloads and empowering statements for birth as well as the new and improved KGHypnobirthing book.

What’s included on the About Birth and Babies hypnobirthing sessions?

• Bringing fears out into the open and discussing how to facilitate a positive birth experience, however you birth your baby.
• The role of hormones in pregnancy, labour and birth.
• The importance of a supportive, cohesive care team and a positive mindset.
• Coping strategies and working with your body – bringing together practised breathing techniques, relaxations and visualisations to combine with movement, positions, distraction and massage.
• Quick relaxation techniques, such as using smell and touch.
• Using empowering language.
• Taking responsibility for your birth.
• Preparing a birth wish list.
• Strategies for decision making, such as whether an induction is the right choice for you.
• Feeling empowered and confident to ask questions.
• Dealing with pressure or stress.

What if you’re more likely to have an induction or a planned caesarean, is hypnobirthing right for you?

While some of the knowledge and techniques learned in hypnobirthing classes are specifically aimed at supporting women preparing for a physiological birth, we want you to have a positive experience, however, you birth your baby so our hypnobirthing classes contain tools and strategies for all births. It would be true to say, most of the learned skills are helpful, however you birth your baby. In fact, many of the techniques can be used in everyday life.

If you would like to book some hypnobirthing sessions, please get in touch using the ‘contact us’ tab.