Yes! There is lots of evidence to show that hypnobirthing really does work! It absolutely can change your labour experience for the better!
Hypnobirthing antenatal education is not just a current trend, but its positive impact on a person’s labour is fully supported by evidence. You can read some of the evidence HERE.
I’m here to talk about the numerous benefits of hypnobirthing for pregnant women, why hypnobirthing works, and why this approach can dramatically, positively impact what birth experience you will have.
There is a preconception that hypnobirthing is only for “first time mums who are having a water birth with no pain relief.” This couldn’t be further than the truth. You can read more about what Hypnobirthing actually is , in another blog post (see below.)
But in a nutshell, hypnobirthing is a form of antenatal (meaning before birth, so during pregnancy) education which encompasses everything you need mentally, emotionally, and physically to prepare for your birth, by fully equipping you with necessary education and actionable techniques and strategies to stack the odds in favour of you having a positive birth experience. With ever increasing rates of reported birth trauma and unplanned medical intervention, the benefits hypnobirthing offers, and way hypnobirthing works with your mind, are unrivalled by any other method of antenatal education.
Here are my personal 5 favourite benefits (there are many more):
Benefit #1: Hypnobirthing shortens labour
Hypnobirthing works by teaching you how to relax on demand, which is a learned skill requiring practise, to be truly effective. The technique of deep relaxation and “self-hypnosis” is a fundamental part of a hypnobirthing course which gets taught and practised, ready for use during labour. When you are deeply relaxed during labour, your muscles and body can work more efficiently, often leading to shortened labour durations.
Benefit #2: Hypnobirthing reduces the pain of labour
The techniques of relaxation (as above), visualisations and pressure/touch massages (as well as many others), are designed to help you manage the pain of contractions, and help reduce the pain of labour. These techniques can be used as a non-medical, and hypnobirthing works well as a natural form of pain relief during contractions with many hypnobirthers reporting feeling powerful sensations in place of pain. Yes please, I’ll have some of that!
Benefit #3: Less unplanned medical interventions
Hypnobirthing courses fully educate you on what your rights are, what choices you have, why certain things may be suggested or recommended to you, and how to ask the right questions to figure out whether they are in fact right for you, in your personal circumstance. Fully understanding the various situations which may crop up, and being empowered to advocate for yourself in this way, leads to you being able to remain calm and in control throughout your labour. This knowledge, advocacy and empowerment will enable you to identify which interventions (e.g. inductions, caesarean, forceps delivery etc) are medically necessary and avoid the others. Lower rates of medical intervention are reported by hypnobirthing parents. Hypnobithign works well to empower you to stand by your informed decisions.
Benefit #4: Easier feeding and a calmer baby from the start
Hypnobirthing babies are typically born in to a gentle, calm atmosphere, created by hypnobirthing parents. When you and your environment are calm, so the chance of your baby being stressed as they come earth side significantly reduces. Babies who arrive calmly and with less medical intervention, are more likely to feed effectively straight off the bat, as they are not born exhausted or medicated. A successful breastfeed during the first 90 minutes (AKA the Golden Hour) is linked to a successful long-term breastfeeding journey. A calm arrival has also been linked to less crying and a more settled baby during the newborn stage.
Benefit #5: Improved post-partum recovery
As hypnobirthing mums generally face fewer interventions, and less medication during labour, it is more common, and more likely for their post-partum recovery to be quicker and more straight forward.
Ultimately, every birth and every baby are unique. Whether you choose to explore hypnobirthing to prepare for your birth, or you opt for a different method, the most important thing is that you feel supported, calm, and empowered during your birth. It’s an experience you will remember for the rest of your life, so stack the odds in favour of having a positive experience. Hypnobirthing does not deny the intensity of labour, but equips you with the tools and techniques needed, to embrace the experience whole heartedly with calmness and power. You go mama!
