Everything you need to know about Hypnobirthing Australia classes
Hypnobirthing uses tools such as relaxation, breathing, self-hypnosis and affirmations to work with your body to birth your baby into a calm, positive, mindful environment.
Our course teaches self-hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques to help you and your birth partner calmly and positively deal with your baby’s birth. It is a natural approach to birth but it is not ‘natural or nothing’ – this is what makes the Hypnobirthing Australia program so unique; it is designed for whatever journey your baby takes to enter the world.
Hypnobirthing Australia is a comprehensive childbirth education program that goes beyond your standard antenatal classes. It gives you all the knowledge, preparation, education and support for a positive birth experience.
During the course we cover 4 main areas including
Creating and Maintaining a Positive Mindset
Including the importance of mind/body connection, how our birthing bodies work, the hormones of birth and how fear affects labour
Our toolkit for birth
By the end of this very practical session you will have a full toolkit of ways to help you cope with the intensity of labour, including breathing, visualisations and light touch massage
Preparation and choices for an empowered birth
Knowledge is power! During this session we talk about birth preferences, how to make the best decisions for yourself and baby and options for birth. This is your pregnancy, your birth and your baby and you need to do what is right for you.
Birth- bringing it all together
Covering topics such as what to expect during your labour, birth and afterwards, the importance of movement during labour, bonding with baby, and a birth rehearsal to practice your techniques
Hypnobirthing Australia is designed for everyone – whether you’re planning a home birth or a hospital birth, a ‘drug-free’ birth or you want ‘all the drugs’ (although you may change your mind after you have completed the course) or you are having a planned caesarean section, the techniques you will learn can be used regardless of how, when or where your baby decides to come into the world.
I don’t promise to take away the pain of birth but I will give you the tools to be able to deal with the intensity that comes with having a baby.
Hypnobirthing is all about working with your body and embracing the sensations of birth, rather than fighting it.
Nature wants us to have babies! We come equipped with our very own pain relief in the form of endorphins (said to be 24 – 40 times more powerful than morphine). Hypnobirthing will show you the techniques to go into a deep state of relaxation and tap into these relaxant and love hormones (oxytocin)
No clucking chickens or swinging watches here!
Hypnobirthing was born (pun intended!) out of hypnotherapy – or using self-hypnosis for birth. So what is self-hypnosis? Self hypnosis is the focusing on one thing to the distraction of others. In this case it is the use of guided imagery, breathing techniques, triggers (amongst others) to achieve a deep state of relaxation and to not focus on everything else that is happening.. You will be aware of what is going on (although some people truly look like they are asleep!) but will be able to tune-in to body and baby.
Absolutely!
Whether your birth partner is your husband, partner, girlfriend, wife, mum, sister, bestie or third-grade teacher, they are not only welcome, I encourage them to attend.
Hypnobirthing Australia is not just for Mums. Birth partners also learn practical, hands-on ways they can support you during your pregnancy and labour.
Birth partners can have such a big role to play in not only supporting you physically and emotionally during your birth, but they can often feel a little ‘lost’ and unsure of how they can support you. My Hypnobirthing Australia classes give them everything they need to feel confident that they can support you during your labour
You can attend classes anytime during your pregnancy, although the ideal time to start is between 20 and 30 weeks.
This gives you time to practice the techniques you will be using during labour and birth. I also found that once I had done the classes, I had more confidence to discuss with my care providers my preferences.
Having said that, if you are further along than this, it is not too late! There are options available to give you the opportunity to learn these techniques prior to birth. I’ve worked with mums who have started the course at 37 weeks and gone onto have positive, empowering birth experiences
Absolutely there are other options.
There are a number of options available to ensure that classes work best for you. This may be attending classes across different groups (e.g. 1st Sunday with one group and 2nd Sunday with the next group). There are also private and half group/half private sessions available.
To find out more about class options click here
If you are unable to attend classes or prefer an online option, then the Hypnobubs Online course is for you. As part of the online course through Bright Mums you also have a 90 minute one-on-one private session included. This can be done either in-person or online depending on your location.
To find out more about the Hypnobubs online course, click here
Hypnobirthing Australia is an up-to-date, evidence-based course written with the Australian maternity system in mind.
It is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach to birth. With baby number one I read a few hypnobirthing books but I thought ‘it’s not really for me’. I found that it was very prescriptive and I was worried that if I didn’t listen to the piece of music they sold, that it would all fall down. This is what sets Hypnobirthing Australia classes – you will go through a wide range of self-hypnosis and relaxation tools for your ‘toolkit’ and there isn’t ‘a’ single piece of music that you must listen to. Instead we offer a suite of tools that you can pick and choose from depending on what feels right for you.
Hypnobirthing Australia is about preparing for a positive birth, whatever journey your birthing takes.
I will start by saying that just as every woman and every pregnancy is different, so too is every caregiver. It is important that you find a caregiver who has the same philosophy on birth as you do.
That being said, most caregivers tend to love it when their clients say they are using hypnobirthing. One of the Mums I worked with recently told her obstetrician that she was using hypnobirthing. His response? Yes, hypnobirthing is good – I like it.