Well this is the million dollar question. . . What does a Hypnobirth actually look like? Do you imagine this?! ^^^^^^^ Do you want the honest truth? Hold tight, the answer will blow your mind. . . Your Hypnobirth can look like ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO!!!! The truth is, Hypnobirthing is not a 'type' of birth like a vaginal, caesarean, instrumental, home, induced, hospital or free birth. Hypnobirthing is a frame of mind and really is a toolbox of different TECHNIQUES which you can use absolutely anywhere you choose to give birth to your babies. You can have any type of birth you wish and still use Hypnobirthing techniques, it isn't just reserved for uncomplicated, home, water births. Even if your birth doesn't go exactly the way you had imagined and planned for, Hypnobirthing will allow you to stay calm and in control no matter what turn your birth takes. In classes we teach the importance of informed choice- it is your body, your baby and your birth and YOU decide how and where you want to give birth. Through research, asking the right questions and working with the professionals who have you and your baby's best interests at heart, you can create the best environment for you and you can use your Hypnobirthing toolbox to help you to feel calm, safe and confident in whatever environment you choose. So if you choose to give birth in a birth centre, at home, in the woods, in a hospital or wherever else (some babies have been known to choose to make their appearance in cars on motorways) You can use your techniques to get in that Hypnobirthing frame of mind and VIOLA, there you have your Hypnobirth! Have a wonderful day and keep on imagining what you would like YOUR birth to look like- the mind is a very powerful tool :) Emma x
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Today Little Hearts has appeared in the newspaper! I'm talking about how Hypnobirthing helps you to acheive a calm, positive birth and why I was so inspired to become a Hypnobirthing teacher. . . Here's a little poem to make the season bright, it's all about your babies in your tummies tucked up tight. . . C your lovely Cervix, we all have one we do, and when it opens up to 10, your babe shall pass on through H stands for Hypnosis, of this you shall be glad, for when your baby's being born you won't want to hit their Dad R is Relaxation, practice out and about, to help with pregnant hormones which make you want to shout I stands for Induction, many labours start this way, but try some natural methods first like some adult cuddles, yay! S is for those little Stabs they give you in your side, reminding you they're here to stay, pepare for an amazing ride T is for the Toilet, this you'll visit lots, you'll know every service station from the Isle of Wight to Notts M bloody Mastitis, the devil's work for sure, your boob will look like Rudolph's nose and you'll be shouting, please no more A that lovely Alcohol, you'll be missing very much, but wait til that baby does arrive, you'll be a wonderful cheap drunk S is all that Sleeping, you'll really start to miss, when baby tap dances on your bladder and you really need a piss Merry Christmas Mamas xxx Little Hearts Hypnobirthing Hypnobirthing taster session Tuesday 13th December, 7-8pm The Old Chemist, Bitterne Park Would you like to find out more about the wonderful benefits of using Hypnobirthing techniques during your pregnancy and labour and how it can help you to have a calm and empowering birth experience? Or do you know someone who is expecting and could really do with that little boost of confidence before their baby arrives? Then book a place on this exciting and informative session and leave with a renewed sense of power and positivity surrounding your baby’s birth! Mothers, Fathers, birth partners and bumps all welcome - Hypnobirthing has benefits for everyone involved! 1 hour Hypnobirthing taster, refreshments and exclusive course discounts - just £5 per couple. Call Emma to book your place - 07946534416, battyaboutbirth@gmail.com www.littleheartshypnobirthing.co.uk So, as it's Halloween I thought we could talk a little about fears. . . ghosts and ghouls, zombies, vampires, werewolves and. . . you guessed it. . . birth!!! We'll all recognise the familiar panic in the middle of the night that there is something nasty lurking underneath our bed after watching a horror movie or reading a scary book. And how many of you have had the same feeling of dread wash over you at the thought of childbirth? Can't see how birth can be linked to these imaginary beasts? Well there is in fact a massive link between them and this is that they are all IMAGINED fears. An imagined fear is just what it says on the tin, a fear which we have created in our own minds. We all know that vampires and werewolves and zombies don't actually exist, but it doesn't stop our adrenaline fueled, panicked reaction when we are lying in the dark, recounting all the nasties who could be waiting for us if we dare step out of bed to go for a wee! But birth is a real event I hear you cry. . . Well yes, birth is real, in fact it happens every day (353,000 times a day actually according to UNICEF). And what is the product of birth? Beautiful, cuddly, squidgy babies (not so scary really eh?!) Recent studies have found that up to 30% of women suffer from a serious phobia of giving birth. But why are we as a society so frightened of the most natural process in the world? Because it's dangerous, upsetting, traumatizing, unbearable? Nope, nope, nope and nope! The human race wouldn't have survived and thrived as it has if birth was as risky and horrific as we make it out to be. For healthy women and babies, birth is safe and completely natural. Of course there are instances where medical help is needed and it is absolutely wonderful that we have that facility available to us. But this is not the norm, and somehow this is how we have come to view childbirth- as an emergency which needs immediate medical attention. When we get told something enough, that thought will enter our subconscious mind, the area which keeps all our memories. Meaning these thoughts can be dredged up at any time with even just a quick mention. We have been told for so many years that birth is to be feared (through birth stories, word of mouth and the media portrayal of birth) that our subconscious views birth exactly as it has been trained to. Ironically, the more fear and tension we hold during labour, the more likely that labour will be longer and more painful. This is because when fear is brought into the mix, rather than the wonderful cocktail of hormones necessary for facilitating a gentle and easy birth, our bodies are flooded with adrenaline. Adrenaline directs blood away from the uterus where it is really needed, causing contractions to be less efficient and therefore lengthening labour. And fear also inhibits the release of endorphins which are our bodies natural, powerful painkillers which are in abundance during labour to make it more comfortable (amazing, our bodies have thought of everything right?!) So how can we change our views on childbirth? Firstly, we educate ourselves about the natural process of pregnancy and labour, how our bodies are designed so perfectly for this journey and why it is a safe and normal action. Secondly we find positive reports about birth. One thing I have found is that they are not spoken of in the day to day, but when you look for them, there is a wealth of positivity surrounding birth out there (you just have to know where to look). This on the whole I feel is due to women being more than happy to indulge in a bit of one-upmanship when it comes to birth stories and wanting to share their horror story with any newly pregnant lady they happen to come across (most of the time as they feel they are being helpful in 'preparing you for what to expect') When we fill our worlds and minds with positive thoughts surrounding birth, eventually, our subconscious minds will start to view it in a different way and when birth is mentioned, rather than conjuring up the previous negative ideas we held, we will see the new positives we have learnt. Lastly, we learn how to relax. How to relax deeply and easily and in any situation. When we are relaxed in labour, all of those magical hormones come into play which help us on the way to having a calm and comfortable birth. If you would like to fully prepare for your birth, with great relaxation techniques, fear release and confidence building exercises and a wealth of knowledge and support to help you achieve the birth you want then why not consider a KG Hypnobirthing course with Little Hearts Hypnobirthing? Contact us for more details of how you can start your positive journey into parenthood today. Matilda and I 3 minutes after she was born, still enjoying the comfort of the water. One thing I found massively helpful and comforting during my pregnancy was reading positive birth stories. Along with the fear release techniques taught in our Hypnobirthing classes and the better understanding of how my body would work during labour and it's natural capability to birth my baby easily, they rewired my mind to see birth as an enjoyable part of the transition into motherhood. I thought I should share my birth story as it was most certainly a positive experience and left me in awe of what my body could do. So here it is. . . Our daughter Matilda was born at 5.54am on Wednesday 28th October weighing 7lb 5oz. It was the birth which I had prepared for and envisioned throughout my pregnancy and was the most wonderful day. I woke at 7am on the 27th and thought I was starting to have some contractions but thought it was going to be a long time before we met our baby so my husband went to work and my sister came round to keep me company for the morning. We spent the morning watching television and drinking tea and I continued to have the occasional contraction but they were very irregular and not in the slightest bit uncomfortable. My husband came home from work at lunchtime (only due to the fact he had a dentist appointment!) and around 3pm we went for a nice long walk which really helped the contractions to start coming far more frequently and starting to get a bit more regular. By the time we got home I was having them about 4-5 minutes apart but I still wasn't positive that I was in labour as I had no discomfort and wasn't even that sure when they were coming as I kept saying to Francis, 'I think I might be having one!' My Mum came round and I had a nap and then we all had dinner together and watched more television with more tea! About 9pm my Mum went home and Francis and I started watching Love Actually as I had always wanted to do during labour (although I still didn't believe I was in labour and was telling everyone there was no way that the baby was coming) The next few hours I spent walking around the living room, bouncing on my ball, using my breathing and listening to affirmations and around 1.30am I asked Francis to ring to let the birthing centre know we needed to come in reasonably soon as they were now far more regular and starting to get more intense. The midwife on the phone asked where I could feel the contractions and when we told them that I could just feel a lot of pressure in my lower back and tailbone she said that it was probably going to be quite a while yet and to have a relaxing bath and to wait until I could feel them round the front too. I wasn't convinced, but got in the bath as instructed and munched away on a packet of Jaffa Cakes. After only 10 minutes I called down to Francis and told him I didn't care what they said, we were going in! My body was just telling me that I needed to go if I wanted my lovely water birth (the bath just wouldn't cut it!) We set off for the birthing centre and arrived at 3am to be greeted by a lovely midwife called Anna. She talked to us for about half an hour and then examined me after which she quite excitedly announced 'Wow, you're a good 7 centimetres!'. . . Followed by 'I honestly thought with the way you were behaving that you couldn't have been more than 1 or 2 centimetres!' If that isn't testament to how well Hypnobirthing works, I don't know what is! Anna popped out of the room to go and fill the pool and to get some gas and air in case I wanted it and had only been gone for a few minutes when I let hubby know that the baby was coming! My body had just started pushing itself and took me by surprise as this was only 30 minutes from Anna examining me at 7cm! We called Anna back in and much to my delight she said that the pool had just finished filling and I ran across the corridor faster than I thought was ever possible to get in the lovely warm water. The next 2 hours were quite intense but easily manageable using the breathing techniques and with some light touch massage and encouraging words and I think every one thought our baby was going to be born a little sooner than she finally arrived. When Matilda's head finally made an appearance, it became quite obvious why it had taken a while. . . 'Oh there's a little hand there too' said the midwife! Matilda had come out waving hello with her hand above her head! I could have sat in the birthing pool with her for hours as it was the most amazing feeling I had ever had and I only checked to see whether we had a son or daughter when the midwives asked if we wanted to see what we had. We had a good few hours of skin to skin and she breastfed so easily within 30 minutes of being born and continued to do so. She also slept very well from quite early on and it was mentioned by so many people how alert and content she was in those early days. Obviously inspired by the amazing benefits of Hypnobirthing and how well it works, I decided that I desperately wanted to train to become a Hypnobirthing teacher and be able to share what we had learnt with other families so that they too can have a wonderful start to their lives together. This morning as my baby was napping (win!) I decided to use the peace and quiet to read the new copy of OK! magazine and the beautiful birth story of actress Paula Lane who used KG Hypnobirthing techniques during her pregnancy and labour. It is wonderful to see positive stories like this in the press, helping bit by bit to dispel the often very negative view of birth that we have now become used to seeing in media and spoken about between friends and family. Paula attended sessions taught by Katherine Graves herself and went from wanting a hospital birth to having a home, hypno, water birth. This just shows the power of Hypnobirthing in terms of instilling great confidence in women about what their bodies are capable of. Paula was so confident in her body and baby that she chose to stay in the comfort of her own home to birth her baby, where she felt comfortable and relaxed, allowing the miraculous cocktail of hormones produced during labour to flow through her body and help bring her little one into the world easily and gently. Reading this interview brought back wonderful memories of the birth of my daughter and it's making me want to do it all over again RIGHT NOW! But shhhh, don't tell my husband! Emma xxx For all you awaiting the birth of your baby. . . You're body is built to do this. You've got this xxx
Here is a lovely little read written by a Mother who used and loved Hypnobirthing. Busting some of the myths surrounding Hypnobirthing and explaining how it is a logical, natural technique and goes a long way to helping women and their partners to enter into the final weeks of pregnancy and birth feeling confident, free from fear and excited to welcome their babies.
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AuthorEmma Batt, Hypnobirthing Mother of one and KG Hypnobirthing teacher. Archives
October 2019
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