Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better

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Using a range of techniques, including self-hypnosis and visualisation, the book can help you feel more calm and confident during labour, leading to less chance of intervention and reduced pain. How we chose our recommendations Recommendations from parents I should caveat that massively with I know birth without pain relief isn’t something to aspire to or brag about. Quite frankly, as long as a baby comes into the world healthy, and mum is safe and healthy too, nothing else matters. All mums are absolute champs, pain relief or not. But for me, not being so terrified of the whole birthing experience and thinking about the pain element differently was such a game-changer. Baby number 2: incoming! Best of all, I hope you are excited to meet your baby and start your journey in the best way possible: calmly, confidently, happily, and full of love."

Finally, to help us work out which products to recommend, we make a special note of any products that have received industry awards and recognition from trusted sources. Why you should trust us Siobhan manages to completely demystify hypnobirthing, making it accessible and relevant to all women and all births. This book will be a complete game changer and I will be recommending it to mums-to-be from now on' Sarah Turner, author of The Unmumsy MumI'm due to have a baby in the next two weeks. This book has some valuable information – breathing techniques, partner-assisted exercises, affirmations, and general birth education that can (hopefully) make for a positive birth experience. However, as promising as the initial birth biology 101 chapters were, Miller's perspective comes off overwhelmingly as anti-hospital propaganda. Boo! If you’re expecting a baby, you may be considering hypnobirthing, a technique that can help relieve pain and feelings of stress during pregnancy and labour. Like lots of things to do with becoming a parent though, it can feel overwhelming trying to find the right information, which is where the best hypnobirthing book comes in very handy. Siobhan Miller very convincingly argues that this view of childbirth, which we all (men included) soak in from an early age through TV shows and films, gives us a warped idea of childbirth. It primes men to feel like useless spectators, and more importantly it primes women to fear giving birth. That negative feeling can make a difficult birth more likely, causing a vicious cycle of tension that increases pain, that increases fear, that increases tension, etc.

Created by author and midwife Tracy Donegan, the GentleBirth app is a helpful tool for mums during pregnancy and labour. A form of antenatal education, hypnobirthing is an approach to birth that is both evidence-based and logical. With no hypnosis involved, you will learn about the physiology of birth and come to understand how labour works on a muscular and hormonal level, and, most importantly, how you can harness the power of proven relaxation techniques to work with your body rather than against it.In the second chapter, Siobhan Miller begins to share the toolkit that includes: two breathing techniques, visualizations, light-touch massage, guided relaxations, positive affirmations, and the art of creating shortcuts to achieve relaxation. I like the breathing techniques and visualizations best so far and want to try doing them to help me relax through the different stages of labor. These techniques are supposed to help mothers relax and release any tension experienced during labor and delivery—allowing the body to do what it's naturally meant to. Aside from that, the author also provides a list of positive affirmations that can be read by birth partners to empower and encourage birthing mothers. I love how readers can freely choose the techniques they want to practice according to their personal preferences and which one feels most effective. I also find the various testimonies about birth experiences shared in this book very inspiring because each person birthed their babies in different circumstances and they all had a positive birth experience with the help of hypnobirthing. If you’re giving birth at Thomson Medical, then you can book the hypnobirthing classes on offer at the Thomson Parentcraft Center. They offer weekday and weekend group classes, as well as private classes upon request. Classes are taught by qualified hypnobirthing childbirth educators and complement the antenatal course offered at the hospital. The big question, of course, is, does hypnobirthing work? Well, there’s heaps of research out there showing the merits of hypnobirthing, plus some pretty famous fans (Angelina Jolie and Megan Markle were both rumoured to use it!).

Having worked with celebrities including Fearne Cotton and Giovanna Fletcher, Hollie de Cruz is a renowned hypnobirthing coach.So that we can make sure we find products that meet a family’s needs, we always start by looking for recommendations from our trusted Mumsnet users. There’s over 7 million users each month, so we know that we’re getting products that have been thoroughly put to the test in everyday situations and also cater for a large range of needs and budgets. Expert guidance Remember, the mechanics of how your baby enters the world matter little long-term in comparison to how you felt when your baby came into the world." THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOUR BIRTH BETTER. IT IS FOR EVERY WOMAN AND EVERY TYPE OF BIRTH. ‘Siobhan manages to completely demystify hypnobirthing, making it accessible and relevant to all women and all births. This book will be a complete game changer and I will be recommending it to mums-to-be from now on’ Sarah Turner, author of The Unmumsy Mum Expert hypnobirthing teacher and founder of The Positive Birth Company Siobhan Miller has made it her mission to change the way women around the world approach and experience birth. Through her teaching she seeks to educate and empower women – and their birth partners – so that they can enjoy amazing and positive birth experiences, however they choose to bring their babies into the world. In this book, Siobhan debunks common myths about hypnobirthing and explains why she believes it can make every type of birth a better experience – from a water birth at home to an unplanned caesarean in theatre. So, what is hypnobirthing? Essentially, it’s a form of antenatal education, an approach to birth that is both evidence-based and logical. Hypnobirthing certainly doesn’t involve being hypnotised; instead, it teaches you how your body works on a muscular and hormonal level when in labour and how you can use various relaxation techniques to ensure you are working with your body (rather than against it), making birth more efficient and comfortable. Siobhan’s advice and guidance will change your mindset and enable you to navigate your birth with practical tools that ensure you feel calm and in control throughout. By the time you finish this book you’ll feel relaxed, capable and genuinely excited about giving birth. Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better by Siobhan Miller – eBook Details

I then did the The Nurture Nest Essentials course later in the pregnancy which I found really practical for actually planning my birth and I liked some of the MP3s. She also has a podcast called 'The Hypnobirthing Podcast' which has so much info you might not feel like you need to pay for a course in the end! I bought her course purely because I wanted to support her as the podcast is so good!” (Recommended by Mumsnet user Justdeciding) Our verdict We are on a mission to show people everywhere that birth can be better. And not just better, but amazing! Hypnobirthing teaches relaxation, visualisation and self-hypnosis skills to help mothers-to-be create a calm and relaxing environment during labour. Some of the benefits of this technique include a shorter, more comfortable labour without the need for pain relief. It can also lead to a more positive birth experience. To help make sure you get your information from a trusted, respected source, we’ve combined the knowledge and real-life experience of our Mumsnet users with expert sources to help us research the best hypnobirthing books and tools to buy right now, those which can be read alongside the best pregnancy books and top-rated parenting books to help you prepare for labour and the years afterwards. Pregnancy and parenting books can be a great source of advice, guidance and comfort. From books for first and second-time mums to guides on hypnobirthing, water births, breastfeeding and the fourth trimester, and books written for dads-to-be, there’s a huge variety on the market.Mumsnet users appreciate the course’s balanced approach to all kinds of births and found it useful for learning the techniques, although some did find that the course pushes the idea of home births which is not going to be suitable for everyone. Marie learnt this through having her own four children and went on to develop the Mongan Method in which she uses her experience and research to help women to free their mind from the fear of giving birth, to make it a more calm and even enjoyable experience.