What is HypnoBirthing?

Finding out I was pregnant with my son after having a miscarriage 3 months before was such a wonderful surprise! We had just relocated to a new state and I longed to have the birth I had dreamed about but been unable to have with my daughter, who was now almost two. She had been a cesarean birth because she was breech and stuck in the birth canal. I wanted to have a natural birth with my son, so I sought out tools I would need to accomplish this. Since I hadn't had an actual labor with daughter, I had no idea what to expect my labor to be like. I really wanted a home birth, but since it was my first labor after my surgery, my husband felt like we should use the hospital, just in case.

Having heard about HypnoBirthing, I sought out a class, and soon my husband and I were attending with several others couples. Learning about the principles and techniques behind it allowed us to fully prepare by practicing and listening to the relaxations regularly. When the big day came, my doula assisted me in changing positions and such, but my husband led me through relaxations and visualizations, ones we'd practiced and some he made up on the spot. My doula was impressed! I went from 7 cm to fully dilated in about 2 hours, and then it was time for the hospital! I delivered 15 minutes after my arrival, and I didn't have time to change into a gown or even get an IV. My total labor from water breaking to delivery was about six hours. I don't share this to brag about myself or my labor. Rather, I share this to show how Hypnobirthing® is a phenomenal tool to have for your labor, and even beyond!

You might be wondering what exactly is HypnoBirthing® and how can it help you? HypnoBirthing® is a full birth education course. It is gentle birthing technique that works to help eliminate fear by educating you on the basics of what happens in your body during labor. You learn how to use hypnosis as a means of coping during labor. Hypnosis might sound scary. After all, you've probably seen those shows where people get hypnotized and are made to do silly or embarrassing things. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, and you will learn to talk to yourself and affirm yourself that you can do it! Fear is the biggest reason behind pain in labor. HypnoBirthing® doesn't guarantee a pain-free birth, but many women have shorter labors and report a positive, less pain-filled, birth experience afterward, because the main thing we teach in our courses is to help you to not be afraid!

I would love to answer any questions you might have about HypnoBirthing®! Feel free to comment below.