Can I get everything I need from Hypnobirthing alone?
Can I get everything I need from Hypnobirthing alone?
I wanted to share with you this blog post, which is a really interesting one for couples who are currently researching how to best prepare for the birth of their baby. If you are considering your options for antenatal preparation you’ll be interested in what exactly Hypnobirthing is and whether you will get everything you need to know to prepare you for labour and birth from attending my course.
Here are some of the questions that I have been asked many times by couples enquiring about my hypnobirthing & birth preparation courses in York, and I think these are the questions that many folk consider before about attending a hypnobirthing course:
Will I be fully prepared for birth from just this course? (answer – yes)
Will I have to go on (and pay for) another antenatal course too? (answer – no)
Will I get the guidance I need to navigate my home, birth centre or hospital birth? (answer – yes)
Will this course show me all the options and choices available? (answer – yes)
Is it just relaxation and breathing? Will I need to attend another course or workshop to be fully prepared? (answer – no)
Will I get any support after the course is finished? (answer – yes, so much. By email, text or phone - whatever you prefer)
Will get to meet and connect with other local parents to be (answer – yes, and brilliant friendships are made on my courses)
These questions can ALL be answered more fully by telling you what we cover during my courses, so that’s what I'll do for you now. This also highlights the importance of really researching the antenatal or hypnobirthing course you are planning to attend. Not all hypnobirthing is the same, in fact there is such a broad spectrum of classes so it is important that you feel aligned with the message and ethos of the teacher. And that it covers what is important to you.
Other things to consider are how long the classes are, whether you get support in-person from a teacher or if it’s just some online videos to do at home, if you;ll get to meet other couples, if your teacher knows the local hospital / birth centre / home birth team policies and protocols (so that you can than navigate them better), do you get individual support after the course ends as you run up to your birth, what support material, extras and books do you get. If the course is only very short you won’t get the same level of information or time to really work out what you want from your birth, or the information and resources you need to support you. Ideally a course that’s around 10 hours long is recommended if you can. Plenty of time to get all the information and techniques learned, but not too long to take forever! I run my classes over two sessions so that you have time between the sessions to get things straight in your mind, and go home, do a little practice and implement your learning and then ask any questions that come up in the next session. I also run my classes at the weekend, when you tend be a bit more relaxed and less frazzled form work, and so in a better frame of mind to take in the information in a relaxed way.
This is important - practice is key. The more you do the more of an effect the tools and techniques I teach you will have, and the more you will be able to navigate your birth and any twists and turns that may unfold with confidence and positivity. So knowing you are practicing correctly is really important, which is why an in-person course makes so much more sense that reading a book or something online.
I have put together a course that is a hybrid of Hypnobirthing, an Antenatal course and also incorporates element of yoga and mindfulness too. I have combined the wealth of knowledge I have from my trainings (Hypnobirthing, pregnancy yoga, aromatherapy, mindfulness, as a Doula, postnatal yoga, a breastfeeding peer supporter), my own experiences of pregnancy, birth and motherhood and my general love and passion of all things pregnancy and birth. I continue to evolve, add to and to develop my course so that it’s the very best it can be, and I can always make sure I am able to prepare you for your individual birth in the way you need. I am in no way prescriptive or judgemental about any type of pregnancy or birth.
We know how important it is to feed our brains with as much positive as we can and we know that sometimes courses and workshops designed for birth preparation do not focus on this. And occasionally even add to the fear and misconceptions that surround birth. So we'll look at techniques for bringing positivity into your daily life though affirmations, gratitude journaling and mindfulness practices. But we also know that we shouldn’t live in fairy land, we need to be real. We know that sometimes birth is not straightforward, babies have their own ideas on the day, and sometimes plans change - and so we make sure we cover everything you need to know with this in mind to help you feel prepared and confident for the twists and turns of birth and feel really positive, empowered and supported no matter how you birth.
Ok, so what do we cover during my hypnobirthing classes?
My For Modern Mothers Hypnobirthing & Birth Preparation Course is a complete antenatal preparation course for a confident, calm and positive pregnancy and birth. Taking a holistic approach to this pretty major life event (#understatement) we look at both your mind and body to connect you to your intuition, and give you lots of brilliant tools (all science and evidence based) to use throughout your pregnancy, labour, birth & postnatally too. This is what we cover (get ready, its a lot!)
Session one ~ the logic and science of hypnobirthing
What is hypnobirthing? How and why does it work?
We’ll split the word up and look at how birth happens and what can help or hinder the process. We’ll look at how the human mind works, what hypnosis is (and isn’t!) and why we’re putting the two together. This rationale is integral to understanding the philosophy and approach behind hypnobirthing and will also explain why this course can help you in many other areas of life also.
~ the power of your birthing body
We’ll discuss the hormones and muscles at work during pregnancy and birth and how your nervous system will impact this. Once you understand how your body works to birth your baby, then you can work WITH your mind and your body brilliantly, so labour can flow as nature designed it to
~ the techniques of hypnobirthing
With the rationale behind hypnobirthing firmly understood we’ll now look at techniques that you can help regulate your nervous system and with regular practice bring your mind and body to a place of calm.
We’ll use mindfulness, body scans, breathing, visualisation, massage and touch, self-hypnosis, anchoring – many things you can start to integrate into your life individually and with your partner to bring balance to your life as well as a positive approach to birth. Using these techniques for everyday living means you’ll more easily call on them during birth and parenting.
Session two
~ before birth – preparing for an empowered birth
We’ll balance up the emotional and psychological preparation we’ve done with discussions of physical preparation for birth. This includes exercise, posture, positioning baby, active birth pelvic floor exercises and perineal massage. We’ll spend time discussing your birth preferences (rather than a birth ‘plan’) and exploring all of your options. This includes discussion of the benefits and risks of hospital policy and guidelines so you feel empowered to make good decisions for you and your baby around “routine” procedures and subjects such as induction, location of birth, monitoring, vaginal examinations, cord clamping, vitamin k - lots to discuss and think about so you can confidently express your wishes. We’ll also look at the ‘what ifs’, so you can make calm decisions in all circumstances should you or baby need to medical assistance. I am a strong believer that all births can be positive births - and we’ll look at how to acheive this in all scenarios.
~ birth & beyond – the birth journey
We’ll bring everything together : moving from ‘zwischen’ (the last days of pregnancy) through “how will I know birth has started?!” to holding baby in your arms. We pay particular attention to how your might best support a birthing woman – so you can become a real ‘birthing dream team’. We’ll consider where you might be and what you might want to do to pass the time as baby makes their way; when to “call the midwife”, how to minimise distractions if there’s a journey to be made to a birthing centre or labour ward, and how you’ll recognise that baby’s not far away. We’ll look at techniques including amazing massage techniques, aromatherapy, acupressure and other complementary options, and of course the brilliant hypnobirthing breathing, relaxation and self hypnosis techniques to help you cope and be calm and in confident in labour. We’ll look in detail at “breathing” a baby downwards in the birthing phase of labour, the importance of the third stage of birth and also discuss the “fourth trimester” and how to get the support you’ll want and need in the first few weeks with your baby ‘earth-side’. And a brilliant Fourth Trimester Planner too, to work out what you as a new family would like that special time to be and how to get the support you need.
Phew!
Your birth questions are so important
I also really encourage you to ask any questions you might have as we go along - if you’re wondering something, chances are someone else in the room is too and will be grateful you asked! One of the great things about sharing hypnobirthing in this way in a group course is that we can open up discussions and tailor information for you – so you can get involved as much as you’d like to. Don't worry - there's no group activities or role play (something I personally hate, and I wouldn't put you through that either!). Discussion allows for insight and my ultimate aim is to support you in unlocking this approach for yourself rather than simply transfer information.
And all these extras too:
I want to make my courses as effective, practical and inspirational as possible. So as well as the 10 hours of face to face contact with me, you also get an amazing course pack with much more information to take away with you to read and use after the course has finished - that you don’t get with other antenatal or hypnobirthing classes. (and this I feel is so important, good quality course take-away information is really important for learning and understanding) You will receive as part of the course the KG Hypnobirthing book (worth £12.99) and 3 MP3's, plus you get ALL these brilliant extras INCLUDED in the price of the course (worth £120 in themselves!):
I want to make my courses as effective and useful as possible. So as well as the 10 hours of face to face contact with me, the book and MP3's, you get ALL these brilliant extras INCLUDED in the price of the course, that you don't get with other hypnobirthing courses (worth £120 in themselves!):
My special 'For Modern Mothers' pregnancy workbook and journal that I've designed to accompany our sessions and help focus your energies (worth £12)
My 'For Modern Mothers' Active Birth Guide (worth £5)
My 'For Modern Mothers' Yoga For Pregnancy Guide (worth £5)
A set of my 'For Modern Mother' positive affirmation cards (worth £14)
An amazing deep yoga relaxation for pregnancy MP3 (worth £7)
A special relaxation and unique recording MP3 for Birth Partners (worth £7)
A lovely yoga meditation MP3 for mum for the post natal period (worth £7)
A specific fear release guided relaxation MP3 for a more confident pregnancy (worth £7)
My 'For Modern Mothers' Aromatherapy For Childbirth Guide and online video course, + two aromatherapy roll-ons for pregnancy and labour (worth £19)
A special discount on my Pregnancy Yoga weekly classes (worth up to £15)
FREE hire of a TENs machine for labour (worth £25)*
Learn techniques on how to align and position your baby and your pelvis to encourage a quicker, easier and more comfortable birth.
My support after the course until the birth of your baby by email/Facebook/phone.
A dedicated 'closed' Facebook group of other Hypnobirthing parents to be, to keep in touch and support each other (priceless!)
A brilliant reading list of recommended resources, links and other helpful resources for pregnancy and the postnatal period.
A Positive Caesarean Birth pack (if that’s what you are planning, or becomes necessary for you)
I can also provide additional hypnobirthing recordings for you if you have specific requirements (like a breech baby, or an induction). You'll never be short of reading material and useful information!
*subject to availability
Find out more about my hypnobirthing courses
So in answer to the question I posed ‘can I get everything I need from hypnobirthing alone?’ I would day the answers is a resounding YES - and a whole lot more than you even knew you needed! It will simply put you in the VERY BEST POSITION to have the birth you would like to have, and to have a positive, confident and empowering birth whatever happens on the day.
My For Modern Mothers group hypnobirthing courses run every month in York, on weekend dates. If you are interested in looking at my For Modern Mothers group hypnobirthing course dates head here. Or if you want to enquire about 1 to 1 private classes then drop me a line susan@formodernmothers.com
I would love to hear from you and show you the brilliance of hypnobirthing. Please do let me know if you have any questions too (nothing is too silly, honestly!)
Susan x