When should I take a Hypnobirthing class?

This is a question I get asked ALL the time!!!

I believe ANY time is the RIGHT time for a Hypnobirthing Class.  

I generally suggest taking one of our hypnobirthing classes from anywhere between 20-32/34 weeks gestation; allowing you time to practice and take in all the knowledge, tools and techniques that you and your birth partner learn in class.  In saying that, I have taught women who are 15 weeks pregnant and women who are 38/39 weeks pregnant and all of them have benefited from the Positive Birth course immensely in their own way.

What kind of Hypnobirthing class is best for me?

Our in-person Positive Birth Course usually runs over two weeks on two consecutive Saturdays and Sundays or as a Workshop Weekend. This means that you are guaranteed to complete the course early, giving you plenty of time to condition your mind and practice the techniques.  

Our online live webinar classes run across 4 evenings of a month and whilst our online option popped up in response to the COIVD-19 pandemic, this option is sticking around due to its popularity!  Mums and partners love being able to sit in the comfort of their own home, eat their dinner, snuggle up to their puppy on the couch and join in on the interactive class with other mums and dads from around Australia! 

You also have the option of completing the hypnobubs online class which allows you to learn the tools and techniques of Hypnobirthing at your own pace, whilst this is a much shorter course it is still jam packed with all the benefits of the in-person and live webinar HYpnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Course.  This self-paced learning option can be paired with the popular once-off 90 minute or 3 hour private session with me in-person or over zoom.  This session is tailored to your needs and desires and can be done further along in your pregnancy to refresh you and your birth partner on the key elements of how to utilise all your tools and techniques during labour.

And of course both the online live webinar option and the in-person options can be completed privately 1:1 if you would prefer!

What is a hypnobirthing class?

Hypnobirthing is one of the most well-rounded childbirth education classes in Australia.  This is the exact reason why I am a certified Hypnobirthing Australia practitioner.  As a midwife, I am passionate about bringing birth back to basics, empowering women and helping you to unleash your full potential as a BadAss Birthing Goddess!!!!  With Hypnobirthing Australia’s POsitive Birth Course you and your birth partner will understand the importance of the mind-body connection; without this we can very quickly lose sight of our birthing story and snowball into a cascade of interventions.  

You will learn all the tools and techniques you need to help rewire your brain around birth and condition your mind and body to work together in harmony so that you can labour with greater ease; with all the right hormones flowing at all the right times.  You will use self-hypnosis and meditation to help ground you and release any fears you have around labour and birth and learn the power of touch through massage, anchoring and acupressure points.  You will learn breathwork to help you move through the sensations of labour and most importantly your partner will leave the class knowing exactly how they can support you throughout your labour and birth.   

At Little Bird Flies, we give twelve hours of practical and hands-on knowledge, tools, and techniques to be explored in the company of other expecting parents and individuals. You will receive over $200 worth of Hypnobirthing Australia resources, including a comprehensive folio, course handouts, practice materials and visualisations.  Part of the resources to help you through your journey towards a calm and empowering birthing experience is access to relaxation/self-hypnosis Mp3 tracks, downloadable music, birth videos and affirmations to download as well as a myriad of articles and resources to help you create your birth plan/preferences.  You will also have access to all of these from your phone via Hypnobirthing Australia’s phone App.

How Hypnobirthing works?

Hypnobirthing teaches birth givers and their birthing partners to focus on themselves and their baby.  To block out the negative stories and visuals we have been conditioned by since the day we were born through a range of techniques including self-hypnosis.  Self-hypnosis or meditation allows us to drop into a state of relaxation and control that in-turn allows the body to labour as it was designed to do, undisturbed and with ease.  Without the interruption of fear and anxiety, our body can release all the right hormones at all the right times and enable all the birthing muscles to work together in harmony. It might be challenging to imagine how you can bring your body to this point of relaxation during a process that we have been conditioned to fear, but it is absolutely possible and I would so love to be able to show you how in one of my classes!!

Benefits of starting hypnobirthing classes between 20-30 weeks?

The main benefit of learning hypnobirthing by the time you have reached the 30-weeks milestone is that it gives you more time to practice. Deep relaxation and surrendering to the sensations of our labouring body can take time.  As 21st Century humans we are constantly in a heightened state day in and day out and unfortunately this is not conducive to labour and birth.  To allow our body to labour with ease, we need to be able to drop into our parasympathetic nervous system; our calm nervous system which takes time and practice just like any new skill.  The second-best benefit of starting early is that you will have enough time to learn what your options are for pregnancy and birth. This will help you to make the right decisions for you and your baby, that are well informed and well researched which inturn will help you to create a birth plan that is right for you. With all the preparation sorted, it will better prepare you for those decision-making skills at your next doctor’s or midwife appointment.

Can I participate in a class before 20 weeks gestation?

Yes absolutely, I often suggest this to mums who have had previous traumatic or difficult birth experiences or have quite extensive fears around pregnancy, labour and birth.  This allows them more time to learn, understand and process their fears and traumas and create new positive pathways around birth.  I also suggest women who have previous birth trauma to book in with me as a 1:1 session before participating in the positive birth course so we can go more in-depth, specific to their needs.  Every woman deserves a positive and empowering birth experience and ust because you have had a previous traumatic experience does not mean that you are destined for another, but we must help pave the pathway back to your inner birthing goddess with the utmost care and safety.

I want to keep reminding you that birth is a deeply personal experience, so there is no set time for when it is best to start a course with me. It is all up to you and your birth partner.  If you realise at 36 weeks gestation that you really want to know more about labour and birth but think its too late then think again!!!   It is NEVER too late!! Join a class with me and learn all the tools and techniques that will help you have the most wonderful and empowering birth experience.  Learn your rights as a childbearing person and woman, learn how to ask questions and advocate for yourself.  learn how to work with your body and not against it!!  Come unleash your Badass Birthing Goddess!!!

Give us a call and we can discuss an option or plan that works best for you. We offer hypnobirthing classes in Melbourne. And you can take online classes from anywhere in Australia.