Alexis Caird
What is Hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing Australia™ courses, offer you and your birthing partner a set of skills, to help you to achieve a calm, deeply relaxed and positive birth. Birthing is a right of passage for a woman, a day which will always be remembered. Why not equip yourself with knowledge, evidence based approaches and great support to allow yourself and your baby the best possible birth experience.
Through techniques such as visualisation, positive affirmations, breath work and self hypnosis, expectant mothers and their birth partners can feel empowered and more in control of their birth journey. Additionally these techniques may reduce the risk of intervention in birth and also may assist in pain management through labour.
The name hypnobirthing is derived from “hypno”, which is referring to hypnosis, and “birthing” (the process of giving birth). The hypnosis element is referring to visualisation and self-affirmation techniques, which are used to assist the mother to sink into a deep state of relaxation throughout her labour.
This deep state of relaxation works to ease muscle tension associated with labour and increase endorphins in the body (which help facilitate a relaxed uterus, decreased resistance and pain). Hypnobirthing techniques support the mother to focus on opening up and to relax as much as possible. When a mother is in a state of fear or anxiety, hormones are released, which interfere with labour and reduce blood flow to the uterus. Hypnobirthing allows the mother to trust in her abilities to birth and in this relaxed state, hormones which promote, labour (oxytocin) are released.
The focus of hypnobirthing is to help release fear, build confidence, and ease pain to promote an empowered and positive birth. Additionally hypnobirthing helps the mother and her birth partner to feel prepared and proactive, regardless of the situation. Hypnobirthing courses help to bring the expectant mother and her birth partner together. Aligning the birth partner to any required needs through the birthing journey. Trust, support and advocacy through this incredible experience is paramount to a successful birth.
Hypnobirthing courses are usually recommended for expecting mothers after 20 weeks of pregnancy, so you have lots of time to practice. We recommend bringing your support person with you to all classes, so that you can both practice all exercises together and get super clear on what outcome you want! In saying that if you don't have a support person, want to attend by yourself or are a surrogate, these classes are 100% inclusive !
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While we won't be at the birth with you (Hypnobirthing courses are done before birth), we are very encouraging of building a strong support team for your birth- day and have lots of great recommendations for doula's, private midwives and lactation consultants in your area x