Hypnobirthing Basics - What You Need to Know
Are you a little hypno curious but not completely convinced it’s for you or that it might be too woo?
Maybe you’re thinking you’ll be expected to trade in your heels for Birkenstocks and tie dye skirts and your only pain management tool will be a roll of smoking sage?
Not with GentleBirth - that’s not my style either.
Here’s a short primer on what the GentleBirth Hypnobirthing approach is all about (there are other hypno approaches too so find the one that resonates the most with your goals).
Start with the GentleBirth App
First of all there’s the award winning GentleBirth App. Start the 7 day free trial today and see if our approach lines up with yours. You’ll have access to over 140 audio trainings for almost every circumstance you can think of during pregnancy and the first year of postpartum. Each day the app recommends daily ‘training’ based on your due date and journey (vaginal birth, twins, planned cesarean, VBAC). There’s also an extensive selection of playlists to explore based on how you’re feeling.
Do I Need Classes?
If having an unmedicated birth is important to you then ye. The GentleBirth App includes over 8 hrs of video content, as well as a 3 hr online breastfeeding class - it’s all included in your app subscription. You’ll also have access to the only 1 hr ‘brain training’ class to learn about the science of pain and the brain (and how you can alter pain perception).
What’s the Difference Between GentleBirth and other Hypno Approaches?
Compare GentleBirth and the Mongan Method here or GentleBirth and the Hypnobabies approach - here. (In a nutshell with the above approaches you’re limited to one tool only in your toolkit - hypnosis. GentleBirth also trains you in mindfulness techniques so you have double the tools for labor.
Change your Experience of Labor
Stress and fear can slow labor and make it more painful so it makes sense to retrain your brain to not go off the deep end when the contractions first start and have the skills to refocus if you get distracted by staff and even your own thoughts. This is where traditional hypnobirthing falls down. If you lose focus due to an unexpected change of circumstances your practice can easily go out the window once the fight/flight response kicks in. We don’t make unrealistic claims that you won’t feel any pain but we do promise that if you practice regularly and apply everything you learn a positive birth is not just possible but probable - with or without an epidural.
A lot of GentleBirth parents describe the sensations as intense and bloody hard work to stay on top and sometimes also painful. The difference is that you can be working incredibly hard and feeling pain but not suffering. There’s a big difference. The more tools you have in your toolkit the more in control you’ll feel and one of the most important skills you need on the big day is focus. Focus is easy when you’re well rested, feeling relaxed and for a short period of time. But first labors can be 24 hrs and stressful. Training your muscle of focus helps you stay on top of the sensations. This is where you mindfulness training can get you over the finish line especially if an unmedicated birth is important to you.
Unlike other programs GentleBirth teaches you hypnobirthing + mindfulness (as well as breathing techniques and affirmations). Preparing with the GentleBirth approach means more than listening to the app. You’re ‘practicing’ throughout the day by paying attention to what you’re focused on (birthy topics that make you stressed - or birthy topics that make you excited). Don’t worry you don’t need to put any extra time aside - it’s more about how you approach day to day activities.
Mindfulness combined with hypnobirthing reduces pain more effectively than just hypnobirthing (and has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression).
You might feel like you’re asleep when practicing your hypno sessions - that’s totally normal! You don’t have to hear anything in the session. You can let your mind wander off and enjoy the relaxation. Your mindfulness practice takes a bit of work - when your mind wanders off to some random thought about groceries, shopping or your baby moving you’ll gently guide your focus back to your breath….repeatedly…but this is where the magic happens! Mindfulness physically changes the structure of your brain and increases the areas of the brain associated with positive mood and reduces the areas of the brain associated with stress! Far from being woo - we take a neuroscience approach to birth preparation and the birth stories speak for themselves.
Most hypnobirting programs also come with a book. The 300+ page GentleBirth Hypnobirthing book comes free in the app (and as you get closer to your due date print out the workbook and complete the exercises). It’s also available on Amazon if you prefer to have a book in your hands. In the book you’ll learn more simple ways to retrain your brain, you’ll also learn why sport psychology and mindset cultivation makes a difference.
It takes a commitment to regular (daily if possible) practice.
BE ALL IN - there’s no downside and so many benefits.
Positive Epidural Playlist
If induction is on the cards for you our positive induction content can help shift your mindset to excitement instead of anxiety.
Worried about being induced?
De-stress today.
The more you practice the more confident you feel about meeting your baby. Just like going to the gym you have to do the exercises to experience the results. But it’s literally the easiest ‘work’ you’ll ever do for huge benefits for you and your baby.
Did I mention how well you’ll sleep? Hit the autoplay button and drift off into deep restorative sleep tonight. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with longer more painful birth experiences so go forth and nap without guilt!
Sleep soundly tonight
If you’re keen to avoid medication then you’ll learn about routine care options and which of these are based on evidence rather than hospital policy and you’ll feel confident writing meaningful birth preferences.
If you’ve already decided or are unsure about medication thats great too! We’ve a whole playlist for having a positive epidural.
Having a positive birth experience as you define it makes it more likely your postpartum will be less stressful too. It’s all linked. Your mindfulness training will make this transition so much more gentle on your emotions and your relationship with your partner so GentleBirth doesn’t end there. Simply change your profile to 4th Trimester and you’ll have daily nurturing audio content to support your mental health and your breastfeeding (or bottlefeeding) journey. Managing your stress also impacts your baby. Even sending your baby a ‘mental’ text message whenever you check your messages is a simple way to connect with your baby. You’ll learn lots of little ‘wellness hacks’ too.
Learn more about our unique approach on our Instagram positive birth channel or come join our community of GentleBirth parents and read their empowering birth stories - and no granola in sight! Post your questions or message me anytime on the group and we can chat more.
Try the 7 day free trial today and start getting excited about labor and meeting your baby! Lots of our educators are currently teaching classes on Zoom too if you’d like to work directly with a Certified GentleBirth Instructor.
BE ALL IN - what have you got to lose other than stress, worry and insomnia.
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See you online!
Tracy
