What is Hypnobirthing? 

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Giving birth to a small person is a monumental moment! It is one of the most important things you can do in life, if not the most important. Whether it is the first time or the forth, it is life altering and will be an experience that will be remembered for the rest of your life. This is why birth preparation really does matter! 

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Hypnobirthing is an evidence based approach to antenatal education that has been proven to: 

• Increase the speed of labour

• Reduce the perception of pain

• Reduce the need for medical interventions such as inductions, forceps, emergency c-sections

• Reduce the risk of post-natal depression and birth trauma

• Increase your chances of having a positive birth experience

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 Hypnobirthing is a comprehensive antenatal education that focuses on pregnancy and birth physically but also mentally. As well as covering your standard antenatal education, such as learning about what happens to your body during labour, positions for birth and how to create a birth plan, Hypnobirthing also covers how to prepare yourself mentally, how to change the way you think and feel about birth and will support you to build a positive mindset for the big day. 

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Why is this mindset so important? There is a link between your mind and your body. Don't believe me? Ask any athlete - or listen to the interview they give after a sporting event. They need to go into events filled with the confidence that they can win - their mindset helps their body perform better. If they were successful you might hear phrases like 'I was ready for it', 'I got myself in the right zone', or 'I was visualising the finish line'. If they weren't successful they might say 'I just wasn't in the right frame of mind'. Athletes work with Sports Psychologists because they understand there is a huge link between their mindset and how successful they are. In the same way, a hypnobirthing instructor is a bit like a Birth Psychologist, who will work with you and coach you on how to build a positive mindset for birth. 

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Hypnobirthing is based on science and is research led. It promotes a positive birth experience. There is evidence that a positive birth significantly reduces a persons risk of experiencing postnatal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Hypnobirthing has been recognised by the Royal College of Midwives as well as the NHS, and many hospitals are now training their midwives in this method. Famously it was the method of choice for Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, who spoke of how powerful she felt using its techniques, and Giovanna Fletcher used it to birth all her babies as well. 

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Power comes from knowledge. If you understand your body and how it is behaving, if you understand the role of your hormones in labour, if you understand how to make informed choices, then you are in a powerful position to birth your baby. However you choose to birth your baby does not matter, what matters is how you feel about it - mindset again!  A positive birth for one person could be traumatic for another, it all comes down to how a person feels about their birth, and those feelings, positive or negative, last a lifetime.  

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 We often think of birth as being out of control - many people think they can just go with the flow - but you have the power to take charge of your birth, to have your baby your way. A hypnobirthing course will help you to understand this so that you can go into labour relaxed, calm and confident.

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Does Hypnobirthing guarantee a “pain-free, natural birth”? Absolutely not. In fact you can use it if you are planning a c-section and we have a specific workshop just for that. What it does promise is a whole new way of thinking about and approaching birth, with a bunch of tools to help along the way to make sure that you have the most positive and empowered experience possible.

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However your baby arrives, you will never forget the moment that they do. It will be an experience that will remain with you for the rest of your life. Hypnobirthing will get you off to the best possible start on your journey to becoming a parent for your baby. Understand the process of birth, be aware of your choices, and define your birth preferences. Play a more active role in your birth - you are the most important person after all! 

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Find our more about the different classes we offer and book your course today!