When I found out I was pregnant, I was absolutely over the moon. My husband and I had dreamed of starting a family for a long time, and after two, very long and very traumatic years of trying and starting to lose hope…. it finally happened.
But alongside the absolute elation, I suddenly found that there was also a very real wave of fear and anxiety…mainly about the whole giving birth part. I was beyond excited to become a mom, but the actual logistics of getting the baby out?…. Slightly terrifying. Especially when I started tracking the baby’s growth and kept reading things like: “Your baby is now the size of a melon.”
Honestly, comparing babies to fruit didn’t help my nerves. A watermelon?! Coming out of my where, how and what now?! That was less “reassuring milestone” and more “mild psychological terror!”
I had always hoped for a natural birth as long as it was safe,and felt drawn to approaches that supported the body and mind working together. In the past, I’d turned to meditation to manage pain, especially during a severe eczema flare a few years earlier. At the time, my skin was raw and constantly cracking, and meditation became a lifeline that helped me cope when even existing felt unbearable. That experience made me wonder: could the same techniques help me through birth?
I vaguely recalled reading about Fearne Cotton’s powerful birth experience using hypnotherapy. Curious and inspired, I decided to explore it further.
Here’s everything I discovered, how I put it into practice, and how you can use it to support your own birth journey.
What is hypnobirthing?
When people hear the word “hypno,” it often brings to mind images of swinging watches or something a bit mystical or “hippy.” But hypnobirthing isn’t about being hypnotised in the traditional sense. It’s actually a practical, evidence-based approach to childbirth, used by medical professionals, that focuses on deep relaxation, breathing techniques, visualisation, and a positive mindset.
At its core, hypnobirthing is about removing fear and tension from the birthing process, because fear creates stress, and stress can make birth more difficult. By learning how to stay calm and centered, many people find that they’re able to work with their body rather than against it, making labour feel more manageable and, for some, even empowering.
It doesn’t mean you’re in a trance or that you’re refusing medical help, it’s about having tools that support you, whatever kind of birth you have.
Why does stress make birth more difficult?
- Stress increases adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones), which interfere with the natural labour process.
- These hormones can inhibit the release of oxytocin, the hormone that drives uterine contractions and supports labour progression.
- Without sufficient oxytocin, contractions can become irregular, weak, or stop altogether.
- Stress causes muscle tension, including in the uterus, pelvic floor, and surrounding muscles.
- Tense muscles can make it harder for the baby to descend through the birth canal and increase pain.
How Does Hypnobirthing Help?
Hypnobirthing is all about helping you approach birth with calm, confidence, and a sense of control. One of its core principles is replacing fear with confidence. When you understand what’s happening in your body and have practical tools to manage it, the fear and tension often associated with birth melt away.
Using focused breathing and mental techniques, hypnobirthing helps you stay relaxed and grounded through each stage of labour. This relaxation is key as it helps your body work more efficiently, allows your muscles to soften and open, and supports the natural release of oxytocin (the hormone that drives labour).
Language is also a big part of the approach. Hypnobirthing encourages the use of gentle, positive terms, for example, referring to a “surge” instead of a “contraction.” While it might sound small, this shift in language can have a big effect on how you perceive and experience labour. Visualisation techniques, like imagining waves or blooming flowers with each surge, can also help you stay focused, calm, and connected to your body’s natural rhythm.
Creating the right ambience in the birthing room is also a key part of the hypnobirthing approach. A calm, dimly lit, quiet space can help you feel safe and supported which is essential for your body to produce oxytocin and progress naturally through labour. Think soft lighting, music or calming sounds, familiar smells, and minimal interruptions. The goal is to create a space that feels more like home and less like a clinical environment, so your body can do what it was designed to do.
I actually created my own playlist of songs that made me happy, relaxed or helped to make me feel powerful to try and increase oxytocin.
Another practical benefit of hypnobirthing is guidance on physical positions during labour. Rather than lying flat on your back, you’re encouraged to move and find positions that work with your body and gravity. I personally found standing during much of my labour made a big difference.
Hypnobirthing also involves the birthing partner/s in a meaningful way, which I think my husband and my mom found really made their experience of the birth even more special. Partners are taught how to guide breathing, use calming touch or calming words, and create a peaceful environment all of which help reduce stress, increase oxytocin, and make you feel supported and less alone.
There’s growing evidence, both from studies and countless birth stories, that hypnobirthing can lead to shorter labours, a reduced need for medical pain relief, fewer interventions, and higher satisfaction with the overall birth experience.
- In extreme cases, stress can trigger a “fight or flight” response.
- Blood is diverted away from the uterus toward essential organs and muscles for survival.
- This slows or even halts labour as the body senses it’s not a safe time or place to give birth.
Does It Really Work?
The hypnobirthing course I took, from The Positive Birth Company, guided me through every stage of labour in a way that made the whole experience feel far less intimidating. By the time I’d finished the course, I genuinely wasn’t afraid of giving birth anymore. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of my birthing choices. For example, I knew I wanted to avoid unnecessary interventions and that I wanted to wait until the cord had finished pulsing before it was cut.
Understanding what was happening in my body at each stage gave me a real sense of calm and confidence. It took the mystery out of labour and replaced fear with knowledge and that in itself was incredibly empowering.
Did I follow every single suggestion or technique? Honestly, no. I ended up being induced — something hypnobirthing generally recommends delaying unless there’s a medical reason. But at 40+6 weeks, very uncomfortable, and being over 40, I chose what felt right for me and my baby. And that’s exactly what hypnobirthing encourages – making your own informed, empowered choices.
During the early stages of labour, I used the breathing techniques to manage the pain and visualised waves moving through my body. It really helped me stay focused. Don’t get me wrong — I was still in a lot of pain — but I felt more able to manage it and ride it out, rather than panic or tense up. ( I do remember at one point getting irritated with my husband calling my contractions surges!! I have no idea why!)
I also stayed upright and standing for as much of my labour as possible to work with gravity —something hypnobirthing encourages, and I used music to help me stay in the right mindset. That, along with the tools I’d learned, helped me talk myself through each moment and stay mentally strong.
My labour was long!! And I was chronically constipated which caused issues that made everything harder. At the end of it I just wanted to be done annd I was physically annd mentally exhausted and was just getting frustrated I think I stopped caring about trying to apply hypnobirthing teachings. But I am so glad that I did it and used some of the tools . I think it made my labour a “magical” experience if you can call it that and I look back on it with fondness in my heart for the experience that I went through.
I would whole heartedly recommend checking out the course.