Why You Should Practice Hypnobirthing At Home
Childbirth is often associated with fear and anxiety. But, by relaxing your body and mind, you can surprisingly have a gentle and less painful labor. In this blog post, we will explain how your mindset during childbirth affects your body and pain perception during birth. Follow along for tips on perfecting hypnobirthing at home:
What is hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is a natural way to partially or eliminate birth pains and to make birth more relaxing. Feedback from mothers who gave birth with this method is overwhelming and even moms who have a history of complicated and traumatic births can find hypnobirthing techniques helpful. The main goal of hypnobirthing is to break the vicious circle of fear, tension and pain. Many women experience anxiety during labor, which causes the body to release adrenaline and put us in “fight-or-flight mode.” Adrenaline is our natural live-saving mechanism in moments of danger; however, giving birth isn’t a moment of danger and we don’t need to fight or run. Instead, laboring women need this blood primarily in their uterine muscles, which are the key muscles during labor. Naturally, during labor, the body sends blood to the uterus, however, if we feel frightened, the release of adrenaline can interfere with this natural stream, causing pain and anxiety. Hypnobirthing skills can help end this vicious cycle.
How can you learn the technique?
Most women start practicing hypnobirthing a few weeks before birth, however it’s never too early to start. When you take a hypnobirthing class, you will likely cover breathing, positive affirmations, and visualization techniques. Hypnobirthing methods will enable you to focus on your inner-self and positive self-talk (which can even be useful after birth). After attending a class, you can continue to practice hypnobirthing with meditative music and your learned positive affirmations at home until you have internalized the technique and know how to get yourself in a relaxed state- faster and faster.
How can you practice at home?
Start off in a comfortable environment where you won’t be disturbed.
1. Set your practice times in advance – and take them just as important as professional appointments.
2. Turn off your phone.
3. Put a glass of water and your practice material within reach.
4. Always choose the same music.
5. Combine your mind and body exercises with a relaxing scent – make sure to use natural essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances, which can cause headaches. The smell is the fastest, most direct means of inducing involuntary brain reactions. You can benefit from this in your practice by conditioning yourself on a combination of exercise and smell. This creates a strong anchor and allows you to quickly enter a deep relaxation state during labor when time might be limited.
6. Now relax and practice your regular breathing, changing with the individual phases of birth. Use your visualization techniques to create images of the birth you want to have– your body will react accordingly.
7. Practice your hypnobirthing exercises in combination with positive affirmations for deep relaxation. Try saying to yourself “I am relaxed. I am strong. I can birth my baby.” Listening to or repeating positive birth statements is very simple and yet profoundly effective. They have the power to transform your beliefs and assumptions, instilling a sense of confidence and relaxation as you approach your baby’s birth.
Hypnobirthing can be used in all different settings. Whether you’re having a home or hospital birth- these skills can lessen pain and create a relaxing environment when you welcome your baby into this world.
Childbirth is often associated with fear and anxiety. But, by relaxing your body and mind, you can surprisingly have a gentle and less painful labor. In this blog post, we will explain how your mindset during childbirth affects your body and pain perception during birth. Follow along for tips on perfecting hypnobirthing at home:
What is hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing is a natural way to partially or eliminate birth pains and to make birth more relaxing. Feedback from mothers who gave birth with this method is overwhelming and even moms who have a history of complicated and traumatic births can find hypnobirthing techniques helpful. The main goal of hypnobirthing is to break the vicious circle of fear, tension and pain. Many women experience anxiety during labor, which causes the body to release adrenaline and put us in “fight-or-flight mode.” Adrenaline is our natural live-saving mechanism in moments of danger; however, giving birth isn’t a moment of danger and we don’t need to fight or run. Instead, laboring women need this blood primarily in their uterine muscles, which are the key muscles during labor. Naturally, during labor, the body sends blood to the uterus, however, if we feel frightened, the release of adrenaline can interfere with this natural stream, causing pain and anxiety. Hypnobirthing skills can help end this vicious cycle.
How can you learn the technique?
Most women start practicing hypnobirthing a few weeks before birth, however it’s never too early to start. When you take a hypnobirthing class, you will likely cover breathing, positive affirmations, and visualization techniques. Hypnobirthing methods will enable you to focus on your inner-self and positive self-talk (which can even be useful after birth). After attending a class, you can continue to practice hypnobirthing with meditative music and your learned positive affirmations at home until you have internalized the technique and know how to get yourself in a relaxed state- faster and faster.
How can you practice at home?
Start off in a comfortable environment where you won’t be disturbed.
1. Set your practice times in advance – and take them just as important as professional appointments.
2. Turn off your phone.
3. Put a glass of water and your practice material within reach.
4. Always choose the same music.
5. Combine your mind and body exercises with a relaxing scent – make sure to use natural essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances, which can cause headaches. The smell is the fastest, most direct means of inducing involuntary brain reactions. You can benefit from this in your practice by conditioning yourself on a combination of exercise and smell. This creates a strong anchor and allows you to quickly enter a deep relaxation state during labor when time might be limited.
6. Now relax and practice your regular breathing, changing with the individual phases of birth. Use your visualization techniques to create images of the birth you want to have– your body will react accordingly.
7. Practice your hypnobirthing exercises in combination with positive affirmations for deep relaxation. Try saying to yourself “I am relaxed. I am strong. I can birth my baby.” Listening to or repeating positive birth statements is very simple and yet profoundly effective. They have the power to transform your beliefs and assumptions, instilling a sense of confidence and relaxation as you approach your baby’s birth.
Hypnobirthing can be used in all different settings. Whether you’re having a home or hospital birth- these skills can lessen pain and create a relaxing environment when you welcome your baby into this world.