Hypnobirthing is not a new way of birthing, but a “rebirth” of the philosophy of birthing as it originally existed before society created such a fear and tension around the process, and normalized it for everyone to get medical interventions to "escape pain" during labor.
Basically it is the return of powerful, beautiful, pure natural birthing. Which I am ALL about.
I love this method because it focuses on the fact that in the absence of fear and tension, and gaining an understanding on how the birthing muscles are designed to work in perfect harmony when your body is sufficiently relaxed and you trust birth, you can then use your natural birthing instincts for a calm, serene and comfortable birth.
With this Hypnobirthing mindset you are fully in control, yet in a calm state, where your body’s natural relaxant endorphins replace the stress hormones that constrict and cause more intense pain. These stress hormones, Catecholamines, are released when moms are fearful or don't feel safe, and if you have high levels of Catecholamines hormones, they can slow down or even stop labor.
As M Morgan says, “When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change.” Which is the mindset I had with Sofia, my first, and I had the best experience of my life. Definitley not facing birth with fear this second time either, yet even more empowered because it was magical.
Note that, if you do plan to get an epidural, Hypnobirthing can help you too. You can still use the techniques for those early contractions and approach birth with the Hypnobirthing mindset.
Need to prepare for birth and learn ALL your labor options for an educated & empowered experience while learning how to prep your body & mind for labor and much more? Take my self-paced Empowered Birth Prep Course!
But stay tuned for a post on why I choose a 100% drug-free birth!