How to practise hypnobirthing?

An empowered birth is not something that is easily achieved, nor does it happen all on its own. One of the ways to make this journey easier and to help you create that positive and empowering birth you truly deserve is through hypnobirthing. 

Hypnobirthing techniques facilitated by a certified Hypnobirthing Australia™ Practitioner and Childbirth Educator will give you a place to begin your preparation for a birth experience you will cherish forever. These techniques are taught in our Hypnobirthing classes in Melbourne and they are taught with the intention of empowering birthing partners to use them independently. 

What are hypnobirthing techniques and how to practise them?

1. Positive Affirmations

One of the easiest tools to practice is being mindful about the language you use around labour and birth. Try to use neutral and more positive language when talking about your pregnancy and impending labour and birth.  You also want to flood your subconscious with little moments of encouragement throughout your day leading up to your birth that are going to reaffirm your positive mindset and self belief as a childbearing woman or person.  There are a number of ways we can use positive affirmations in our day to day life: 

• You can write them down, print them out and place them around the house or on a wall in your baby’s nursery (a little bit like a vision board).  
• You might like to say them to yourself in the mirror every day or 
• Recite them to yourself before you go to sleep at night.  

Hot Tip: make sure you create positive affirmations that truly resonate with you and your mindset around birth.  These are the affirmations that are going to have the greatest impact on your pregnancy and birth mindset.

2. Breathing Techniques

Breathing techniques and visualisations are a big part of all hypnobirthing positive birth programs. The breathing techniques we teach you are simple and effective but do require a little practice so that when your birthing day arrives your mind and body know exactly what to do.  

Hop Tip: Set aside a certain time each day you can practice a couple of your breathing exercises.  For example; 

• Every time you pull up in your driveway- practice 3-5 relaxation breaths before you get out of the car.
• If you’re needing a little break from your computer work, stop what you are doing, close your eyes and visualise yourself having a surge/contraction and practice your surge breathing.
• Turn it into a game with a friend or your birthing partner and get them to sporadically yell out “SURGE” when you are at home and practice dropping everything you are doing in that moment, relaxing your body and focusing on your deep surge breaths.

3. Massage Techniques

Light touch massage is just one of the ways we condition the body to release certain hormones throughout labour and birth.  Light touch massage encourages your mind and body to relax so that it can focus on releasing all those “happy” hormones; endorphins!!  Light touch massage is a great way for your birth partner or caregiver to feel like they are part of the birth and able to truly support you.

Hop Tip: practice throughout your pregnancy, not only does it condition your body to release all the happy hormones but it creates a deeper connection between you, your birth partner and baby!!  

4. Create, update, and practise your birth plan

Your certified Hypnobirthing Australia™ Practitioner and Childbirth Educator will help guide this process in your class but make sure you and your birth partner take time out to research, discuss and create a birth plan that reflects your individual wants and needs.  

Hot Tips: 

• You might find that your birth plan/preferences will come together over a number of weeks as you learn more about how you want your birth story to unfold.
• Create a plan that is flexible, prepare for all the pathways your birthing journey may take.  Birth can still be unpredictable, even with all the preparation.
• Take a copy of your birth plan to your 36 week check-up with your primary care provider so that they can be made aware of your preferences and you keep the line of communication open.
• Print-off 3-4 copies of your birth plan and place it in your hospital bag- birth plans can get lost particularly with multiple shift changes!

5. Practice Self Hypnosis/Meditations Before Bed

Meditation or self-hypnosis is a technique that for many is one of the main appeals of the hypnobirthing process but for some, it’s a little bit of a turn-off.  We get this, hypnosis is surrounded by so many negative connotations.

We use self-hypnosis and simple meditations in Hypnobirthing Australia’s hypnobirthing courses as a way to rewire and condition your mindset around birth.  We also use it as a way to help your mind and body to relax and surrender to the incredible sensations of your labouring and birthing body so that it can continue to labour not only with greater ease, but instinctively: as it was designed to do!!

Whether you take an online class or an in-person class you will be provided with a number of MP3 tracks to help you practice.  You will also be taught how to utilise self-hypnosis and meditation in a way that works best for you and your individual needs.  

Hot Tips:

• Start practicing by listening to a meditation or self-hypnosis as you go to bed each night, either on your own or with your birth partner.  The more familiar you become with the self-hypnosis tracks, music and scripts we supply you with, the more familiar you become with your body and its connection with your mind and sub-conscious and more likely it is to labour undisturbed.

Practise makes perfect… 

Preparing for a positive birth requires as much practice as possible. Hypnobirthing techniques will work best when you put in the time to rewire your brain around birth and create a positive mindset and environment. 

The techniques mentioned here, and many more, will help you to create that positive and empowering birth experience you desire. Governing health bodies have confirmed that Hypnobirthing classes can provide helpful learning and techniques to improve the birthing process. We cannot guarantee that this will work for everyone, nor can we promise that it will work the same way but we do know that when using these techniques effectively you are more likely to labour with greater ease and less intervention.

If you still have some questions, feel free to give us a call at Little Bird Flies, and we can discuss our range of courses that cater to any schedule and any learning pace. We offer hypnobirthing classes in Melbourne.And you can take online classes from anywhere in Australia – Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville,Darwin, Perth, Adelaide,Hobart, Central Coast, Geelong, Newcastle and Canberra