Things I loved about my hypnobirth

Siobhan Miller - 27 Aug 15

In light of The Guardian’s recent article on the rise in popularity of hypnobirthing, I thought I’d share exactly why I loved having a hypnobirth…

1. The calm, serene, dimly-lit, lavender-scented environment we created for birth. In the weeks leading up to our birth, visitors always commented on the chill vibe we had going on.

2. The practice we did beforehand – light touch massage, relaxation readings etc. – basically taking time out each evening to relax together and prepare mentally for the arrival of our baby.

3. Going to sleep each night listening to a relaxation MP3 – worked every time and became such a lovely routine in the months leading up to the birth. To be honest I sometimes still listen to it now when going to sleep and it instantly transports me back to that calm place I was in.

4. Giving birth without any pain relief meant I was totally present in the moment and it was totally empowering. I felt like a wonder woman. In my previous labour the gas and air made me feel really out of control and by the time baby arrived, after hours and hours of being pumped full of drugs, I was out of it. This time I was euphoric when baby arrived and was instantly able to bond.

5. Being so relaxed meant my labour was able to progress naturally and quickly which resulted in my labour lasting just 2 hours from start to finish!

6. In the lead up to giving birth I had no anxiety whatsoever, only excitement. Which is a truly lovely thing.

7. I got to give birth at home in front of the Christmas tree as I dreamed of. A hundred million times better than a harsh clinical environment.

8. I felt I had a whole array of tools at my disposal that I could use so I didn’t feel I needed a drug option. It wasn’t that I felt I had to be strong and cope without anything, I felt I had a great number of alternative methods to help me cope.

9. How close the whole journey brought my partner and I – because we were working together each evening in the lead up by doing our hypno homework, and also when it came to birth he was so involved.

10. The opportunity it gave me to have an incredible birth experience – something every woman deserves. It was genuinely the best day of my life and one I’d do a million times over without hesitation. I felt my birth was genuinely amazing.

11. It gave my partner a real role in my labour – to protect the space, to aid my relaxation, and to supply the tools to help me remain calm. So he didn’t feel like a spare part but an absolutely necessary part. We felt we birthed our baby together.

12. A hypno baby is a calm baby! I honestly believe a traumatic birth is traumatic for baby as well as Mum. My hypno baby was the most chilled out baby and we totally attribute that to the calm journey he had into this world.

I went on a hypnobirthing course 2 months before I was due but you can do it earlier. I did my course with Hollie from London Hypnobirthing who I would definitely recommend. If you can’t attend a course in person then there’s always The Calm Birth School, an online video course, which I’d also recommend. 

Siobhan Miller

I'm a mama to two boys with a third on the way (HELP!). Aside from keeping them all alive, I write a blog, am a Hypnobirthing teacher and founder of The Positive Birth Company.

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