Category: Mindful Hypnobirthing

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Make some noise during childbirth

Make some noise during childbirth

Make some noise during childbirth or not? What do you think is more helpful or beneficial for the birthing process?

The Mirror, recently printed an article about a mother who had shared on social media that her doctor told her to be quiet when giving birth. She felt that that was rude, which prompted me to write this post…

Make some noise during childbirth

Now, make some noise during childbirth? Yes, make some noise during childbirth!

Most women and birthing people will make some noise when they are birthing their baby or babies. You can use the noise to your advantage! Especially, lower, deeper abdominal noise and sounds can be helpful! If in doubt, any noise is better than holding your breath! Here are some examples of noised I’ve heard when attending births:

Growling/roaring – Occurs most likely and often during pushing, when a woman must summon up all of her strength to push out baby.

Low grunting – deep sounding noise from inside your abdomen, can help the birth process. It’s most often heard during the second stage (pushing) of labour. When making those deep, low sounds, you are using your diaphragm which helps the ‘pushing stage’.

Mantra/Affirmations/repeating words – another helpful way to stay calm, strong and focused during birth is to repeat a helpful mantra, affirmations or some words. The use of affirmations or mantra’s for birth is very common. You can sing them, say them out loud, say them in your head and/or read them. Here are some free affirmations for you to chose from/print or make your own. I have a recorded affirmation mp3 for which includes the script, so that your doula or partner can read them to you. They recording is available with and without background music.

Screaming – Unlike what you see in movies, screaming is actually uncommon during childbirth. However, if you observe the birthing woman or person screaming, it’s most likely that they are panicking and need some assistance/support to ground themselves, calm down and relax. A shoulder/touch anchor can be very helpful in this situation. To learn more about anchors for childbirth, join a hypnobirthing class!

Were you surprised about the noises you made while giving birth or you heard when someone was giving birth? Tell us in the comments!

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Your Birth Plan


Your birth plan or better birth preferences can be an important part of your journey into parenthood.

You may have heard people talking about their birth plan going out of the window or saying it is not worth writing one… In my opinion, as a doula and mother of 4, it is worth thinking about your birth preferences (rather than “plan”). You may or may not wish to put them in writing, that’s up to you. However, sharing and discussing your preferences, personal thoughts and feelings about the birth with your birth partner(s) is important.

positive birth affirmations
Information is power – write down your birth preferences!

You can go all out and make it very detailed, of course, but the more details you choose the less realistic your expectations may become. So, let’s focus on your main 4-5 preferences for the birth. Things that you are likely be able to control.

You may wish to consider:

  • Your birth place – where do you wish to give birth
  • The birth environment
    • who will be there (birth partner(s), doula, …)
    • what (home) comforts would you like to be there (music, blanket, cushion…)
    • what is the lighting going to be like?
    • is there music?
  • Birth Method
    • vaginal
    • caesarean
    • induction
    • in water
    • out of water
    • …
  • Your religion/beliefs/traditions
  • Your medical history and your individual options
  • Mention your medical pain relief preferences
    • don’t want any or
    • let me know when I can have the epidural or
    • I would like x but avoid y
  • You are allowed to decline all/any vaginal examinations at any point as well as any other form of physical touch. You can change your mind at any point. However, most women are happy to vaginal examinations, and consenting to them may help your midwife do their job.

The NHS website has a very detailed birth plan template, which you may wish to use to check that you’ve considered all your different options. However, you may not wish to use it as your actual birth preferences.

Think about it in a chronological order:

  • Early labour / at home
  • active labour / on the way to the hospital / while waiting for the midwives to arrive
  • established labour / at the birth place under midwifery care
    • transition
  • second stage / pushing
  • third stage / the placenta
    • the golden hour with your baby

If there are any of your preferences which don’t align with your health care provider’s recommendations, negotiate before the day, not on the day. In addition to that, it may be helpful to have a doula to help with your birth preferences and to ensure you have good evidence-based information. I offer private online or local in-person birth planning sessions.

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enroll now

Some sources for good evidence-based information:

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Hypnobirthing FAQ

Hypnobirthing FAQ

Who is a hypnobirthing course for?

My hypnobirthing workshops are aimed at anyone who wants to give their baby a gentle and loving start in life. If you want a positive experience of birth that you can look back and treasure – for the rest of your life, then my workshops are for you. Suitable for all types of birth including induction and caesarean birth. Expectant parents are bombarded with images, videos and stories of childbirth as a negative event. During my hypnobirthing workshops we’ll explore your thoughts, fears and experiences and help you regain your faith in your body and choices. Empowering you to make the right choices for your positive birth experience; and look forward to your birth experience.

When should I go to a hypnobirthing course?

Hypnobirthing courses are suitable from 20 weeks of gestation. Ideally, you’d like to give yourself and your partner some time to practice the techniques you learn during the course. The more you practice, the better it’ll work for you. However, most expectant parents join a class around 32-35 weeks of pregnancy.

Does my birth partner have to attend the course?

I strongly encourage birth partners to attend the course. Your birth partner is an essential part of your day and they’ll benefit from learning about your options and challenges during birth. It’ll help them to be more confident in supporting you.

Do I have to have a birth partner?

That’s up to you. Some mothers decide to have their partner or/and a doula or friend present at the birth, others chose to be on their own. It can be beneficial for the birthing process to have a familiar face in the room to keep you grounded, calm and comfortable. If you do have a birth partner, please encourage them to come along to the workshop!

I have experienced a birth trauma/negative birth experience – is hypnobirthing for me?

I am a trauma-informed doula and hypnobirthing practitioner. Hypnobirthing is your chance to do things differently this time, and maximise your body’s ability to have a positive and satisfying birth experience. Depending on whether you have or not dealt with your experience, you may also benefit from my birth trauma services before you are giving birth or trying to conceive.

What if I had a previous caesarean birth?

My hypnobirthing workshops can help you towards a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) by helping you to stay calm and confident throughout the birth. I have worked with many clients towards a positive VBAC experience. If you would like another caesarean birth this time, my hypnobirthing workshop can help you towards a gentle caesarean birth.

Does hypnobirthing replace medical pain relief options?

The short answer is no. The techniques you learn can be used instead of or alongside medical pain management options. However, using hypnobirthing techniques does increase your chances of using fewer pharmaceutical pain management options.

How does hypnobirthing work?

See my post “how does hypnobirthing work?”

What do midwives think about hypnobirthing?

That depends of course on the midwife… However, many midwives are also trained in hypnobirthing and teach hypnobirthing. If your midwife is not supportive, ask for a different one!

Do I have to have a homebirth?

No. Hypnobirthing is suitable for any birth environment.

Does hypnobirthing work for subsequent births?

Yes. Hypnobirthing works (if you practice!) for any birth.

How can my partner support me with hypnobirthing?

Coming along to the hypnobirthing workshop is a great start! Your partner may also wish to read up about hypnobirthing but that’s not essential. Have a look at my blog post “How does hypnobirthing work?” to find out about the science of hypnobirthing.

1:1 Hypnobirthing Workshop
Group Antenatal Classes

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Positive Birth Affirmations

Free positive birth affirmations to support you in your hypnobirthing journey.

Positive birth affirmations are also know as positive self-talk or statements for a positive birth.

Positive birth affirmations help to programme your subconscious to tune into your natural ability to give birth, your strength and resilience. Letting go of fears and to build your body-confidence is a big part of your hypnobirthing experience and helps you work towards a more positive birth experience. Remember, your job is to focus on your comfort and the birth you want and your midwives are there to support you and your baby.

You can write your own positive birth affirmations on cards or sticky notes and put them up around your home to look at, take in and practice daily. Make them colourful and engaging to look at or make keep them all the same. It’s up to you! Your body, your baby, your birth experience!

I have designed a few different styles of affirmations for you to download for free.

Feel free to print them to put up around your home. That way you are creating a wonderful, safe, inspiring environment for you to enjoy your pregnancy and prepare for the birth of your baby!

Top Tip:

Print or make two sets of Positive birth affirmations. One for keeping around your home and one set to place in your birth environment or on a portable vision board for birth!

When it is time for your baby’s birth, take the affirmation with you in the birthing space. Every time, you notice one of these affirmations, or your partner reads them to you, they will trigger to help you relax, feel resourceful, welcome your contraction waves.

Every time you spot an affirmation in your home, look at it and take a moment to slow down, breathe and connect with your body and your baby!

positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations

You can download these positive affirmations for FREE and print them here:

Colourful-Affirmations-for-ChildbirthDownload

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How does hypnobirthing work?

How does Hypnobirthing work and what is the difference between hypnobirthing and mindful hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is a method to help women and birthing people to keep calm during pregnancy and childbirth.

There is not much research around hypnobirthing available. However, from my experience of giving birth to my four children and supporting families since 2010, I would encourage any family to explore hypnobirthing.

So how does hypnobirthing work? Do you have to be a Hippie?

Hypnobirthing [Hypnosis] works with the power of suggestion. Your practitioner works with you using affirmations, visualisations and suggestion to help you [the birthing mother/person] to relax your body and mind, guide your thoughts as well as control your breathing. Your practitioner does not need to be present during the birth, but you’ll have to practice your techniques thoroughly to fully benefit from them and for hypnobirthing to work for you!

You can learn the techniques during an in-person workshop, or online in a group or a private 1:1 setting. Some parents chose to simply do a self-paced online course or read a book.

Benefits of Hypnobirthing

  • Alternative for anyone who is looking for a non-medical pain relief method
  • Can be used alongside medical and other pain management methods
  • Non-invasive
  • Accessible to anyone who practices
  • No adverse health outcomes / side-effects known
  • Inexpensive
  • The skills learnt are transferrable

Disadvantages of Hypnobirthing

  • Learning the techniques takes time and effort and requires practice
  • The language used in a hospital setting may disrupt the hypnotic state
  • Not provided by the NHS
  • Not everyone can afford a workshop or practitioner
  • Families [mostly first-time parents] have reported that their relaxed state was misinterpreted by medical professionals [midwives] at arrival at the hospital and seen as not ‘far along enough to stay’.
  • May not meet your expectations
Hypnosis + Mindfulness = Magic

WHAT IS HYPNOBIRTHING?

Hypnobirthing is a range of hypnosis techniques to help keep you calm and relaxed during the birth.

Why is being calm and relaxed during birth so important?

Well, it’s pretty basic. Our survival instinct makes it important!

Naturally and instinctively, all mammals – including humans – have a fight or flight response when in danger. So when we are scared or anxious our bodies produce stress hormones to help us deal with the situation. Some situations will require us to run and act quickly and the stress hormones help us do so. These protective stress hormones (including adrenaline) block any non-essential systems such as our digestive system and raise our blood pressure and heart rate. Our blood is diverted away from our brain, uterus etc. into our legs and arms.

Adrenaline, while it is a life-guard hormone also slows down labour by inhibiting the hormone oxytocin…

Oxytocin is the hormone of love, labour and lactation. It gives us uterine contraction but also clouds our perception of the intensity. Your natural oxytocin makes you feel better, happier and let’s your body-own pain killers (endorphins) thrive, too.

Nobody wants to give birth in an uncomfortable or unsafe environment

The way our body responds to the environment around us is rooted in the basic survival instinct that we used thousands of years ago. Of course we all know know that your midwives and other healthcare professionals won’t hurt your baby, but we are still ‘triggered’ by the ‘strangers’ in the room and/or the unfamiliar environment. These triggers make us feel out of control and maybe unable to birth our babies without fear and pain taking over. Hypnobirthing techniques aim to deal with your anxieties around childbirth, and to help you create a ‘safe place’ inside your head that you can retreat to at anytime. Other techniques include the toning down of unwanted sensations and thoughts.

What is Mindful Hypnobirthing?

Mindful Hypnobirthing was first introduced by Sophie Fletcher in her book Mindful Hypnobirthing. Sophie Fletcher was the first to combine Hypnosis with Mindfulness for Childbirth.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is the being in a state of consciousness in which one seemingly loses the power of voluntary action. Furthermore they are highly responsive to suggestion or direction. The recipient is always in control of how deep the hypnosis goes and will only accept suggestions/changes which they are willing to make.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of mind where you are aware and live ‘in the moment’. You are paying attention to the here and now. Your awareness is in the present moment while you are calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and sensations.

Mindful Hypnobirthing combines both self-hypnosis as well as mindfulness techniques to enable you and your partner to have an empowered, calm and positive birth experience. I am offering 1:1 mindful hypnobirthing sessions online and in the comfort of your own home.

Mindful Hypnobirthing in Bingham and online with Tina Gibbs
positive birth affirmations
positive birth affirmations