Hypnobirthing- what is it and does it work?

The other day, I was searching the internet to find out what is going on with hypnobirthing beyond the US borders. Are pregnant parents throughout the world interested in the program, or is it just a “cool club” for celeb moms like Kate Middleton and Giselle Bundchen? In one fiery conversation in a comment section of a blog I came across, a mom wasn't buying the idea of pain-free labor and delivery, swearing by her epidural for a smooth ride through childbirth. I found myself torn between both sides of the debate. With two pregnancies under my belt, each birth had a different story- the first birth was unnecessarily long and hard during which I begged for an epidural, and the second was quick and easy.

I vividly recall stumbling upon the world of hypnobirthing during my second pregnancy during a prenatal yoga class. The yoga instructor recommended the book Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan. Right away I thought "Hypnosis for birth?? Never heard of such a thing!” At that time I had not meditated nor had I ever experienced hypnosis. thought the author might have been a man or a lifelong meditator. It turns out that the author was a woman with no previous knowledge of hypnosis or meditation. What she had instead was an experience of three out of four births that done in a twilight sleep style, and a fierce desire to change the way pregnant women were treated during labor. With each labor she had to fight her medical team to stay awake and be allowed to give birth the way her body wanted. It wasn’t until her fourth birth that she finally had the baby the way nature intended.

As I continued to read the book, her words just made more and more sense to me. This revelation left me scratching my head, pondering the magic of hypnobirthing. Despite my initial skepticism, I wondered if this could be the missing puzzle piece that would give me and my second baby a different experience.

My first labor story happened almost 20 years ago and involved a marathon of pain, an epidural, a near-miss C-section. Luckily, my son was born a robust baby who emerged seemingly unbothered by any of it. Meanwhile, I was stuck in bed for six weeks after giving birth, relying on my husband's superhero powers to keep the ship afloat. Amid the chaos, I questioned why such a natural process had to be so grueling. Thankfully, as I learned later, it did not need to be. I learned that labor and birth can be quite the opposite- intimate, peaceful, simple, and a lot more comfortable. Hypnobirthing is one of those programs leading the way which aim is to debunk the myths around labor and delivery. Moms-to-be are embracing relaxation techniques to navigate birth with power and grace, and with each birth moms are rewriting the definition and expectation of what normal childbirth is supposed to be like.

What is HypnoBirthing? 

HypnoBirthing International defines HypnoBirthing as “a rewarding, relaxing, stress-free method of birthing based on the belief that all babies should come into the world gently, in an atmosphere of calm and joy. HypnoBirthing prepares a birthing couple - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually- for an easier, more comfortable, and sometimes pain-free birth”.

It is a comprehensive program that consists of a series of classes held over five weeks, with each session lasting 2.5 hours. This transformative experience teaches parents how to achieve the art of deep relaxation during childbirth. Additionally, participants receive valuable resources such as the HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method book, a workbook, and an audio relaxation. It is open to all soon-to-be parents, from newbies to pros, preparing for any birthing setting. Because Hypnobirthing acknowledges that birthing partners play a crucial role, not just moms-to-be, they are considered an important part of the process. Partners are provided with valuable insights and techniques on how to be the ultimate support person throughout the labor.

Does Hypnobirthing work? 

Those who have gone through the birthing process using hypnobirthing swear by it. However, for a long time, most of the accounts of success were either anecdotal or came from a minimal number of studies. The latest study to be done in this area is titled Effect of Hypnobirthing Training on Fear, Pain, Satisfaction, and Birth Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. It was published in January 2022 and found that “hypnobirthing training effectively reduces labor pain and can be used as a non-pharmacological method.”

The results showed that HypnoBirthing helped pregnant parents in many ways:  

• Almost all women in the hypnobirthing group gave birth vaginally, whereas more than half of the women in the control group gave birth by cesarean.

• Women in the hypnobirthing group birthed their babies twice as fast as the women in the control group.

• Although both groups had a moderate fear of childbirth at the beginning of the study, that fear was severely reduced after the training compared to the parents in the control group.

• Almost none of the women in the hypnobirthing group needed epidural anesthesia or induction. In contrast, nearly half of the women in the control group received induction, and some of them demanded epidural analgesia.

With data like this, it is safe to say that, yes, Hypnobirthing works!

How does it feel to be relaxed while in labor? 

During labor, a person in a deep relaxation state might seem like she is not doing or feeling much, but it's quite the contrary. The mom is working hard to stay connected to her breath, body, and baby, channeling her inner zen. As labor progresses, she harnesses the power of breath and mind to go into even deeper relaxation, letting the body take the wheel. A mom might look like she’s catching up on some sleep, but she’s working hard and birthing like nature intended!

Conclusion

Even though Hypnobirthing has been around since the early 1990s, it seems as if it is just becoming more mainstream. Finally, more parents are recognizing the importance of simpler, gentler and more peaceful birthing experiences, and the ones they can actively participate in with a bit more sense of control —and slowly, medical professionals are listening. 

In my case, thanks to Hypnobirthing, my second kid was born after just six hours of labor. He was all smiles, healthy and calm. My husband aced his support role like a pro, and we were back home from the birthing center in 24 hours, feeling like we just had a quick Starbucks run!