“Oh my god, my niece had the worst experience, the baby was too big, she had to have forceps and an episiotomy…let me tell you all about it” (or something along those lines) was something I was getting used to hearing pretty early on, once I told people I was pregnant. This immediately struck me as strange. You would never dream of saying ‘oh my god my……. had a terrible car accident’ if someone told you they were going on a road trip. This is even stranger with regards to birth, as your mentality going in to your labour has a huge effect on how you actually birth as well as how you feel about it afterwards.

Well-meaning acquaintances are not the only culprit in this negative portrayal of birth. From an early age we are often shown worrying images and videos of childbirth as part of ‘sex education.’ Not long after that these images are reinforced, by the standard depiction of birth in the main stream media, of a women on her back, legs akimbo, screaming bloody murder, surrounded by beeping machines, at least half a dozen medical professionals and a pale birth partner who hits the deck at the first sign of a drop of blood. It’s no wonder we grow up thinking this is the only way birth can be. It’s no wonder we are scared. It’s no wonder we feel that our bodies are not adequate to perform this natural and instinctive task.

The truly sad part about it, is that these shared negative experiences have a really detrimental effect on how we birth. We know that fear in labour will activate the stress response system, releasing catecholamines into the blood stream, leading to a less effective uterus and a longer and more uncomfortable labour. In this high- stress state the production of oxytocin will also be inhibited, which is absolutely the last thing we want. When it is flowing freely, oxytocin (the love, birth and sex hormone) aids the progression of contractions during labour as well as helping postnatally with healing, establishing breastfeeding and solidifying the bond between the mother and baby. When this precious oxytocin is overridden by adrenaline, we get none of these benefits. None of these warm and fuzzy feelings that make us feel safe and free to let our birthing bodies take over and get on with the job they were designed to do so well. Fear actually inhibits a woman’s innate, natural ability to birth, which in turn increases her chances of a difficult labour. This then will result is another unappealing story being shared by her Aunt, and so the cycle continues. So….. What can we do to break this cycle?

Well, hypnobirthing can certainly help. 

In hypnobirthing we use knowledge and preparation to combat fear. We take the time to thoroughly unpick this very common fear of birth, identifying its source and working to replace it with evidence based, positive realities. We encourage our women to seek out positive birth stories (of which there are many,) watch empowering birth videos (of which there are many,) and to say “thanks but no thanks” to any off-putting stories from friends and unpleasant depictions of birth in the media. The beauty of a woman calmly breathing out her baby, in a comfortable room only lit by fairy lights, being held by her birth partner while a supportive midwife monitors her from a distance, can go a long way in erasing this common and often ingrained traumatic imagery.

There are many other ways that Hypnobirthing can lead to a calm and empowering birth. We use self-hypnosis, guided relaxation and visualisations to calm the mind and body. Using these techniques, we encourage women to stay in their birthing trance, their natural birthing ritual, regardless of any external stimuli such as traffic lights or the bustle of a busy hospital. We know that if something is repeatedly mentally rehearsed with an optimistic outlook, the real outcome is more likely to also be positive. Our brainstem helps us identify familiar things, which are usually seen as safe and preferable, and unfamiliar things which are treated with apprehension. This was of course a survival instinct from way back when, but now in our modern society where there are far fewer real dangers, it can be beneficial to re-train our brains, leaning towards the positive, rather than the worst-case scenario.

The guided relaxations and breathing techniques we use in hypnobirthing are all designed to keep a birthing woman’s parasympathetic nervous system firmly in control, with plentiful levels of oxygen, endorphin and oxytocin (also known as THE BIG THREE.) In this state she will be so in control that she can totally let go, allowing her body do what her ancestors have done, for millennia. This is not to say that occasionally some medical assistance is required, and we are so lucky to have such an incredible medical safety net provided by the NHS in this country. It is a popular misconception however, that ‘natural birth’ is a prerequisite for hypnobirthing, but as lovely as that is it is not always the reality. Whatever path the birth journey takes, be it unmedicated vaginal, induction, c-section (planned or unplanned) the erasure of fear and stress that hypnobirthing can bring is hugely beneficial. Some would argue even more so, in a situation where events are veering from their desired path. 

It is so important it is to be able to look back at your birth in the rear-view mirror, and feel both a sense of pride and positivity. This is entirely possible, even with a birth that includes a high level of medical intervention, providing your mindset is right, you are in control of your choices and you are free of fear and stress. As the respected midwife Ina May Gaskin fittingly puts it “Wherever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your mind, your body, and your spirit, for the rest of your life.” So, let’s not mess around with this?! Let’s break this cycle of fear, filling the ether with optimistic birth stories and knowledge, inspiring women to birth freely, powerfully and however they choose!

Blog by Amy - ZenMuma Hypnobirthing Practitioner for Nottingham and Derbyshire