Curious about hypnobirthing? An expert explains what you need to know

If you’re scared of giving birth, you’re not alone. Before finding out I was pregnant, I pretty much stored away the idea of childbirth in a dusty box in my mind. The plan was to never open this box until I needed to, because I was terrified. In my view, giving birth was a means to an end, and the quicker I could get it over and done with, the better. 

When I first took a hypnobirthing class, my mind was blown. I genuinely felt like the whole world was playing a trick on me. 

Why did I not know that birth could be empowering and life-affirming? Why wasn’t I aware of birth’s transformational power? 

After leaving the class, I remember feeling like it was too good to be true. You mean birth could be positive? You mean I could actually enjoy it? I spent the rest of my pregnancy obsessed with hypnobirthing and all things birth. I put the method into practice and had a deeply fulfilling and positive birth experience. 

Regardless of what happened, I felt I could relax into the understanding that certain elements were outside of my control. I felt calm and empowered every step of the way.

What is hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is a method of medication-free pain management designed to help with labor and birth. Many people think hypnobirthing involves being hypnotized or put under a spell—this couldn’t be further from the truth. Hypnobirthing aims to reduce anxiety and fear around birth by incorporating techniques such as self-hypnosis, meditation, visualizations, breathwork and the power of suggestion to reprogram your mind to think more positively about birth through education. Knowledge dispels fear.

As far back as we can remember, birth has been depicted in a very dramatic, negative way.

Picture the woman screaming, lying on her back with panicked doctors and nurses—the classic scene is stressful and fear-inducing. These ideas have been embedded in our subconscious mind for ages, and when we find out we’re pregnant, we are already fearful of giving birth. Hypnobirthing helps us to let go of fears and embed more positive images and ideas around birth through a process of learning and reprogramming.  

Related: An overlooked tool in pregnancy and birth? Breathwork

How does hypnobirthing work?

The first step in hypnobirthing is to understand the physiology of birth. This helps you to feel confident in your ability to give birth because you’ll better understand the mechanics and have faith that your physiology is working for you and with you, not against you. 

Through meditation and affirmations, hypnobirthing can help to instill positive ideas and messages about birth into your subconscious mind, the mind that controls a lot of what we do and think. If you’re using hypnobirthing as part of your birth plan, you’ll want to develop your own birthing toolkit, focused on the meditations and affirmations that most help you to feel confident, relaxed and in control.  

The more practice, the better

The reason why it works? By practicing these hypnobirthing tools throughout your pregnancy, in advance of going into labor, they’ll support a calm and connected mindset throughout your prenatal journey. And, I’ve found that when the time comes to deliver, most of my clients start to look forward to their birth experience!

The techniques used might even carry over to the fourth trimester. “… The coping skills I gained were actually even more helpful in dealing with postpartum recovery [which I did not even think to prepare for!],” one client shared. 

Related: 3 tips on childbirth recovery from a postpartum doula

When should I start hypnobirthing?

The best time to start hypnobirthing is sometime in the second trimester, around 20 weeks or later. Taking a hypnobirthing class around that time can help you start thinking about your birth plan and labor preferences. It’s never too late to start—but you want to give yourself enough time to put the tools into practice and allow time for the meditations to really sink in. The idea is that the tools will be easy enough to call on during the throes of labor and birth… and long after.

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