Hypnobirthing Welwyn Hatfield

What is Hypnobirthing? How you can do hypnobirthing birth preparation in Welwyn Hatfield

CubCare Hypnobirthing Antenatal classes postnatal reunion Welwyn Hatfield

CubCare Hypnobirthing Antenatal Classes Welwyn Hatfield

I'm guessing you're reading this because you're looking for hypnobirthing in Welwyn Hatfield?

HUGE congratulations on your upcoming arrival!

Hypnobirthing is relevant - and so important

The term hypnobirthing is an extremely popular term right now in the birthing world. It is a buzz word when it comes to giving birth, with celebrities choosing to use breathing and relaxation techniques. Understandably, now more people want a piece of the action when it comes to their birth.

It appears to be a staple of most antenatal courses, but what is hypnobirthing, how can it make a difference to my birth, and where can you get good hypnobirthing education?

When I was pregnant 11 years ago, I remember my sister-in-law giving me lots of leaflets related to birth. I came across a document on hypnobirthing, and I didn’t even read through it as the title put me off. Hypnobirthing?! It sounded very hippy like (not that there is anything wrong with that, I just didn’t think it was for me – but then I discovered its benefits and started my teaching journey).

Even in 11 years, the birth world has changed so much. There are a lot of conversation about increased medicalisation of birth, with c-section and induction rates haven risen sharply in recent years.

But more people are taking control of their thoughts around birth even more and feeling more confidence in trusting their bodies. With a backdrop of increased medicalisation of birth, it is more important than ever to take control of what can be controlled in birth.

To understand your body is to appreciate it, to build trust and confidence in your body’s ability to birth. We were built to birth after all.

If this step forward is thanks to hypnobirthing, then all hail the person who brought it to the mainstream!

So, what is Hypnobirthing?

It is worth understanding that hypnobirthing is a process not a method. Given the right circumstances birth just happens without your brain having to get involved at all. ‘Hypnobirthing’ has simply become the most recognisable term for the use of certain techniques to help to improve the experience of childbirth.

Birth is all about hormones and muscles. When you understand the cocktail of hormones and the balance of the body that fuels birth, you are better able to help yourself achieve it. When you understand how to prepare your body for birth so that your brain can let go, you are even better equipped to rock your birth.

Despite the name, hypnobirthing is not hypnotising you into a suggestable state where someone can tell you that you’re a chicken and you will then go around clucking until someone “snaps” you out of it. It is rooted in science as a credible, and incredible, way of reducing fear, tension and pain for birth. It is a series of techniques designed to help you feel calm, in control and ease discomfort by re-training your brain. Educating you to understand birth, and providing techniques to keep reminding you during the process.

We all drift in and out of a hypnotic state frequently during the day. Have you ever been on a familiar drive and can’t remember clearly how you got to where you were going? Ever sat in the cinema and your arm/hand just repeatedly goes from the popcorn tub to your mouth without you thinking about it? Ever realised you had just ‘stepped out for a second’, or went ‘away with the fairies’ and snap back to reality?

Hypnobirthing techniques are designed to help a hypnotic state be achieved to help with the sensations of labour, and to help the brain get into the relaxed state that it works best in during labour. The techniques are most effective when practiced regularly throughout pregnancy – once you understand the principles and techniques you can focus 5-10 minutes a day to practice the relaxation, breathing and visualisation techniques – a small commitment that can lead to big benefits in pregnancy, during birth and in recovery.

There is no guarantee that using hypnobirthing will lead to a particular birth – the main aim of hypnobirthing is to help you to understand the process, what can help move things along, and equip you with tools and techniques to navigate YOUR birth. It's a complementary practice, not a replacement for professional medical advice.

Science behind hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing takes elements of neuroscience, psychology, and the mind-body connection and uses them to take the mind off of troubling sensations. “Hypnosis is defined as an induced state of consciousness, where the focus is on directed attention towards something, and thus diverted from peripheral stimuli.” (Women’s experiences with hypnobirth – A qualitative study - ScienceDirect).

Basically, hypnobirthing techniques help the brain to focus on the techniques and staying relaxed so less focus is placed on the sensations of labour. The techniques promote calm and relaxation, to counteract any stress or tension in the body.

Hypnobirthing works with the understanding that birth works with hormones, which are naturally produced in the body under the right circumstances. Instinctively, as animals, we have a natural fight or flight response to danger. If we are scared, worried or anxious, our bodies produce a cocktail of hormones to help us deal with whatever situation we find ourselves in; if we’re about to be attacked by a tiger, we’re going to need to act quickly. These hormones kick us into action. They shut down all non-essential processes in the body such as digestion and the immune system – and birth (its not safe to birth a baby if they might be attacked by a tiger). They raise our heart rate and blood pressure.

Oxygen is diverted to our essential organs – our limbs to flee, our lungs to breathe and our brain to remain alert to the danger. Producing adrenaline slows down the production of oxytocin, and we need oxytocin production to rise to make our contractions more effective and to birth baby. There is more evidence coming out all the time in relation to the impact of hypnobirthing techniques and how effective they can be during birth. This 2024 analysis of studies reports that "Hypnosis therapy can be a good resource to improve the birth experience and reduce fear of childbirth."

The impact can be a tricky one to study, because all birth experiences are different and results are often reported afterwards from the opinion of the person giving birth. But as a method of self-help and to be used alongside movement, and medical offerings if desired, then it can work as a useful tool for birth. It certainly can't hurt.

CubCare Antenatal Class graduates

CubCare Pregnancy Yoga and Hypnobirthing - to prepare your body and mind

Hypnobirthing tools for every birth - A CubCare technique

Often pregnancy yoga gives breathing and relaxation techniques that work in the same way for labour too; and yes, absolutely I teach hypnobirthing techniques across my Pregnancy Yoga, my Active Hypnobirthing Antenatal Course and Refresher Antenatal Courses.

But oh so much more too.

In our Active Antenatal Hypnobirthing classes and even in our Pregnancy Yoga classes we focus on relaxation and breathing techniques because we know that the less your conscious, thinking brain can activate and get involved in birth, the better.

There is no right way to give birth; every baby’s birth is unique. A ‘CubCare’ or ‘hypno’ birth is not necessarily at home, in water, in the dark, surrounded by calming, gentle music. The techniques we teach are for every birth; home, midwife led, consultant led, induction, all the drugs, none of the drugs, c-section or instrumental delivery. However you give birth it will always be so much easier if you can be as relaxed as you can.

At CubCare, I give you the tools to be able to make informed choices and the confidence to enact those choices.

I commit to giving you the risks and the benefits of everything, helping you to understand your choices, and give you the tools during pregnancy for the best birth possible. Then you can make the best decisions for your body and baby in the moment without having to engage your conscious brain too much.

You can trust that you will know the right decision that needs to be made. Ideally no decisions would need to be made in the spur of the moment, but we know that birth is a dynamic process and when things change it is best to be prepared.

Hypnobirthing and Pregnancy Yoga

We know that not only is hypnosis a wonderful tool for relaxation, but it also helps eliminate fear and anxiety during pregnancy and going into labour. It helps you to trust your body, your baby, and your instinct.

In our Active Hypnobirthing Antenatal Course, we use a mixture of hypnobirthing visualisations, affirmations, relaxation, and deep breathing techniques. But, our difference is that we combine these elements in with movement, with pregnancy yoga and with birth partner techniques. To make the hypnobirthing techniques more affective, and help you understand how birth works. By using Active Birth principles and Birth Biomechanics, we help you to understand how you can work with your body during pregnancy and birth, not fight against it.

CubCare Active Hypnobirthing Antenatal Classes are antenatal education classes that will teach, show, and help you feel comfortable with connecting your mind and your body. And they will help your birth partner to feel confident in supporting you.

And the impact that these things can have on your labour and birth experience is huge.

Hypnobirthing through movement is a lovely term to describe our classes in a short, succinct phrase.

We teach you the theory, and work through a series of movements connected to our breathing techniques to help your body and mind feel connected. This helps everything come together easier on your birthing day. By practicing the techniques in our classes, and with our online course at home, you will find that calmness, confidence and control you feel in pregnancy is more easily replicated in the birthing environment.

A CubCare birth

All our CubCare antenatal classes, whether hypnobirthing or pregnancy yoga in Welwyn Hatfield provide a toolkit of techniques and ideas for labour; the power always comes from the birthing person. Our antenatal class and antenatal course do not rely on any one method or technique, it gives the control and confidence to the birthing family.

The power and beauty of CubCare is that it does not matter how you birth, you can use the techniques, movements and breathing throughout pregnancy, labour and beyond.

Some special client words about CubCare Antenatal Classes

“This labour was SO much better than the first. Your CubCare refresher antenatal course helped so much for the labour, it was much calmer than the first and much more controlled. The breathing techniques were so helpful – I breathed her out!”

“I felt completely in control for the entire 26 hour labour – I just felt so calm, the breaths were incredible and the consultant commented on how she couldn’t believe I’d refused an epidural. I felt confident enough to question and on occasion challenge recommendations of the midwives so that the birth ended up being as natural as possible! A very positive experience to look back on. Thank you!!”

"Jilly has a talent for creating a really welcoming, friendly and safe space which is great for mums and babies alike. The CubCare Antenatal classes are informative and fun, yet relaxed."

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