When it comes to the birth plan, we all know by now that even the best laid plans need some tweaking along the way. However, when you have the tools that Hypnobabies provides in your back pocket, the birthing experience is one that is more comfortable and even relaxing.

Hypno-What?

According to the Hypnobabies website, Hypnobabies is a six-week course that teaches real, medical-grade hypnosis techniques that create a peaceful pregnancy, a calm and confident birth partner, and an easier natural birth.

Amy Willson, owner of Louisiana Baby Company and a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator, explains, “Hypnobabies uses hypnosis which is just accessing the way your brain works to affect your experience to make childbirth more comfortable for women. There are a lot of tracks my students listen to as they’re falling asleep at night or waking up in the morning that give suggestions for an easier, more comfortable childbirth. They find that it’s really relaxing and positive, and they love the experience during pregnancy and get to use those tools during their birth as well.”

Getting Birth Ready

When it comes to preparing for delivery day, many women sign up for Hypnobabies as soon as they find out they are pregnant. However, the Hypnobabies class is also beneficial in coping with anxiety.

“Some people find childbirth to be scary. It can be an unknown if you’ve never done it before, and even if you have done it before, every experience is different and unique, and maybe moms have had negative experiences in the past. Some moms reach out as soon as they find out for those anxiety reducing benefits of hypnosis. Some reach out later on. The latest I recommend is around 28-30 weeks of pregnancy because we want it to be finished before the baby comes, and babies come early sometimes,” says Willson.

The six-week classes are filled with information to help mama-to-be prepare for birth. Willson shares, “We talk about the nuts and bolts of childbirth: what physically happens to your body and the different stages of childbirth, how to prepare your body for childbirth, how to stay comfortable during your pregnancy, interventions that may be offered at your place of birth, how the birth partner can be involved and helpful, what happens after baby comes, and breastfeeding. We also go into those mental aspects for how to prepare your mind for birth. It’s important to prepare your brain as well. It makes a big difference in your experience.” 

Playing the Tracks

Hypnobabies includes tracks that can be played and cue words that moms learn to tap into their relaxation space. Willson says, “We have over 16 tracks that they get to listen to. Some are focused on teaching them tools like how to relax their bodies, finding a mental safe space to go to when they’re feeling intense emotions. Some are specific to visualizing their birth and how they want their birth to go and how they want their experience to be like. There’s a track for the birth partner, so they can feel confident and reduce their fear and anxiety as well. Moms get cue words that will cue them to be relaxed in the moment. The tracks are really relaxing, moms even fall asleep a lot of the time and that’s normal. Their bodies are trained to respond to these tracks with deep relaxation, almost like they’re sleeping. You’ll see a lot of birth videos where it looks like the mom is taking a nap and they’ll just have their baby. Even if she is experiencing intense sensations, she’s able to manage those in a calm way and access that inner peace that she learned during her training.”

Getting Signed Up

Willson recommends Hypnobabies to anyone who is interested in learning how the mind and body work together, people who are looking to lower their anxiety during their pregnancy, or anyone who is interested in a more comfortable birth experience.

And, it’s easy to sign up! Willson offers four to six classes a year through Louisiana Baby Company, with her next series beginning November 5. Classes are done through Zoom, in a group or private class format. Hypnobabies.com also offers a six-week online course for moms to be.