16 Jan Is hypnobirthing really for me?
Before delving deep into the hypnobirthing world my knowledge and appreciation of the benefits it gives women and birthing people was limited.
Reflecting back on the years of experience working in a unit that has a large obstetric-led birthing unit and a co-located midwifery-led unit I witnessed most women and birthing people giving up on their hypnobirthing techniques when transferred to the obstetric-led unit (for further pain relief, closer monitoring of baby and so on). Indeed, I have not seen hypnobirthing used in a birth that had pre-disposing risk factors identified prior to the birth journey.
This instant change of mindset and sense of ‘giving up’ just didn’t sit right with me and thus I found myself questioning why was this the case?
Was it because women and birthing people felt or educated in a way that hypnobirthing can not be practiced when a birth intervention is recommended / needed or deemed unsuitable for a “high-risk” pregnancy? If this was the case, then sadly a significant proportion of women and birthing people were side-lined even before the birth process started!
Quite frankly when we stop and think and really understand what hypnobirthing is all about, then there is absolutely no reason why hypnobirthing is regarded for only “low-risk” / births without intervention. Actually, in my opinion hypnobirthing is even more impactful to women and birthing people when intervention is required (planned or in an emergency situation) or that their pregnancy and birth is deemed “high-risk” by a Midwife and Obstetrician.
We are become much more aware of what is birth trauma. When the birth process throws a curve ball it is often at this point that women and birthing people experience birth trauma. It is often when they feel that they’ve lost control, feel scared, anxious, vulnerable or unprepared.
I have seen this with my own eyes. I have seen the fear. I have seen the disappointment. I have seen the effects of birth trauma on the partner.
Together, with my hypnobirthing and birth education classes I focus on the use of hypnobirthing in all birth setting and situations. The tools that I will give you will ensure that you are empowered to always be and stay at the centre of all decision-making with your midwife and obstetrician.
Whilst I can’t promise you a perfect birth, I can promise you the feeling of control and a belief that you can own your birth.
Birth comes in all shapes and variations and hypnobirthing is most certainly compatible with all of them.