Using Hypnosis for Birth

“Wait, hypnotizing babies? What?” Hypnosis during childbirth is usually met with a bit of skepticism and confusion, yet we are seeing it more and more since Meghan Markle deemed it cool. Most of the concern from loved ones comes from a place of good intent, but why really are so many people turning to this tool for their birth?

Gather Birth Cooperative has had the honor of supporting numerous birthing families who have utilized hypnosis techniques during their birth. Our entire team has trained with either the Hypnobabies® and/or HypnoBirthing® program. We want to help you better understand what the two programs offer, and debunk some of the myths or assumptions around their use in birth.

Hypnobabies® and HypnoBirthing®

Hypnobabies® and HypnoBirthing® are both childbirth education and preparation tools available to all folks alike, no matter your birth plan. You don’t need to be birthing at home or in the woods to use these techniques. In fact, these are amazing to use in a hospital setting, especially during a surgical birth. The focus, breathing, visualization, and relaxation techniques vary between the two, though both aim toward a calm and serene birth experience. You can expect to put in quite a bit of practice with either program: listening to tracks, reading prompts, practicing breathing techniques, and doing daily “homework” activities to help replace fear and uncertainty with confidence and clarity.

A Time Commitment

As you prepare for parenthood, your schedule is already filling up with appointments, classes, and meetings. As you’re exploring your options for childbirth hypnosis, take a look into the childbirth education component built within the program. Can you make it a one stop shop? Is there a home study component you can pair with an in-person childbirth education class? If you’re looking for educators in the Twin Cities, schedule a Birth Planning Session with us and we’ll help you find all the resources that match your unique needs as a family.

Is Hypnosis for Me?

Every family we’ve supported who uses hypnosis has had a different experience, which is exactly how birth goes no matter the tools or techniques used throughout! However, we’ve observed each of our hypnosis families walking away feeling like self-hypnosis helped contribute toward a more positive birth experience. Whether the hypnosis brought forth actual physical and emotional comfort during their birth or the program simply brought more ease to the pregnancy and preparation for birth, each family agrees that it helped them step into this new phase more ready and confident for whatever parenthood has in store for them. Ultimately the practice of mindfulness, deep breathing, and intentionality of language serves parents well past their birth experience, and these are tools for life!