Is Hypnobirthing Worth It?

What price do we put on our birth experiences? Is hypnobirthing worth it?

As women we often put investment into our daily life routine. Be it our hair being cut and coloured, having regular blow drys, manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing appointments. These appointments become part of our routine even though they are costly and take a chunk of our disposable income.

When it comes to weddings there’s often no expense spared. On average, a wedding in the UK now costs £27,000 with the figure in London reaching £38,000! But when it comes to what is said to be one of the most memorable days of your life we can become complacent about how much is being spent. We want to have the best experience on our wedding day.

I know as a bride to be I spent an eye watering amount on beauty treatments leading up to the big day. Changing my gym routine. Being more conscious of my diet. A lot of preparation went into my big day. My budget for my dress doubled when I saw ‘the dress’.

So why when it comes to our birth experience why aren’t we encouraged to treat it in the same way as any other memorable occasion in our life? Why are we put off investing in educating and preparing ourselves for birth? We can’t just hope for a good birth experience we have to prepare for one.

How can hypnobirthing prepare me for a better birth experience?

Some people are put off by the cost of a hypnobirthing course. I often have parents say to me i’d like to do it but there is so much more to pay out for when you’re having a baby. This of course is very true. They are weighing up is hypnobirthing worth it. Preparing for a new arrival can become very costly. But what we can’t put a price on is an woman’s birth experience. A bad birth experience can haunt women for life. It can lead to post natal depression and consequently put a woman off having another baby. Even women who had planned to have more than one child stop at one after a negative experience.

Hypnobirthing prepares expectant parents for a birth they can feel in control of and approach in a calm manner. Understanding how the body works during the birthing process is a vital part of a calm birth. The more we understand the birthing body the easier it is to work with it. The more educated we are on birth the better prepared we are. Knowledge is power after all.

A pain free birth?

Hypnobirthing doesn’t promise you a pain free birth but what it does do is allow you to reframe birth. Lets not talk about pain lets talk about sensations. Those sensations you will experience will be far more manageable if you’re calm and relaxed. The reason for this is because the body won’t be producing adrenaline – we don’t need this during birth. We need the body to be be producing oxytocin – the feel good hormone and endorphins as these will ensure your uterus works effectively and efficiently.

All this being said many hypnobirthing mums will say their birth was relatively ‘pain’ free. I for one describe my birth experience as and enjoyable experience and i’d had harder days at work. Some would say I was just ‘lucky’. I wouldn’t I would say my husband and I educated ourselves in the lead up. We prepared as best as we could so when that day arrived we would feel prepared and we did.

Own your birth experience

My advice to all expectant Mum’s would be to own your birth experience. Don’t expect anybody else to take control of it for you. At the end of the day a busy London hospital will see 1000’s of women come through their doors on a monthly basis. They are there to facilitate your birth but you need to have the voice and communicate with your caregivers. Don’t allow choices to be taken away from you by not educating yourself. Unfortunately many women will say about their birth experience ‘I wasn’t allowed to do that’. ‘The hospital said I had to do that’. As birthing women we always have a choice. We have to consent to anything that happens to us. Hypnobirthing educates us on this.

Hypnobirthing gave me a voice when I was in labour. Being transferred to the labour ward after having had a nice experience on the natural birthing centre. It was hospital protocol i’d be in second stage too long to remain there. I had a voice when they started to prep me for theatre for an epidural. Asking what the alternative was. What happened? The alternative meant my baby was delivered promptly without me having an epidural.

So is hypnobirthing worth it?

In my eyes its worth every penny. It was the best investment I made during my pregnancy. The course left me feeling prepared and confident. A feeling I now love hearing that my clients have experienced also when we finish a course together.

I’d advise any pregnant lady give up a couple of those things that we have in our monthly routines. Get your other half to forgo a few nights out with friends. Those sports or gig tickets. By the time you forgo a few you’ve paid for a hypnobirthing course. A course that will leave you feeling prepared. So what your nails and hair may not look as preened but having a birth experience that you look back on as a positive and happy day is worth it.

Every woman deserves a birth that she felt in control of. One that may have been textbook or one that took a different route. Regardless of that it needs to be one that you were in control of and was the best birth for you. It’s your birth – own your birth and your body.

So is hypnobirthing worth it? I strongly believe so. Treat your birth in the same way you’d treat buying a house, getting married. Let it be a memorable experience. Investing in it as you would any other significant life event.

Interested in booking a hypnobirthing course? What to know more?

I teach private hypnobirthing courses in Teddington, St Margarets, Richmond, Twickenham, Isleworth, Hampton, Kingston and surrounding areas. I also offer group courses in St Margarets. So to find out more about hypnobirthing or to book your hypnobirthing classes get in touch – i’d love to hear from you.

I offer Twick Mum and YogaBellies Richmond ladies a 10% discount on all my courses.

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Ali x