How will using Hypnobirthing help me create a positive mindset during pregnancy, labour and birth?

For those of us who have been through pregnancy, we have all been there. Excitedly announce the impending arrival to family and friends and then next thing we know, we are barraged with horror stories of horrendous births, unbearable pain and complete lack of control of how the birth plays out. From these kinds of stories from people we know, to television and film portrayals of birthers on their backs with legs in stirrups and screaming blue murder, it is hard wired into our society that child birth is something that we should fear, not trust our bodies to do on their own, and is sold to us as one of the most horrendous things we will experience in our lifetime. But is this fear mongering warranted? Is birth inherently traumatic?

The short answer? No. If birth physiology is nurtured, an overwhelmingly large proportion of healthy birthers would likely go thorough labour acknowledging that it is bloody hard work (and yes, painful) but if birth choices are respected and physiology is left to do it's thing, it is likely they wouldn't be looking back at the experience through a traumatic lens.

This of course isn't to poo, poo the existence of birth trauma. Birth trauma is a very, very real problem with an estimated 1 in 3 birthers experiencing it to some extent. But what is it that is causing this birth trauma? Is it the act of childbirth itself? In a large proportion of cases, the root cause of birth trauma isn't the physical act birth, but the way in which a birther is treated within the maternity system.. Many birthers report not feeling listened to, being coerced into care they did not feel they fully consented to and not being fully informed about what was happening to them and what their different care options were.

So how does this all relate to positive mindset during pregnancy, labour and birth? The answer is rooted in a human beings physiological response to fear and perceived danger and how this impacts our hormones and our bodies natural ability to function normally.

Now for a bit of science. It is likely that you have heard of the bodies fight or flight response. Put simply, when our brains perceive something as dangerous (even if they have never experienced it first hand) our sympathetic nervous system lets our body know that it needs to enter the fight or flight state. When activated, our body shuts down our normal bodily functions (like our digestive system) and prepares the body for danger. This means increased heart rate and blood pressure, dilated pupils that let in more light and the release of the hormone adrenaline.

Your probably wondering how all of this has anything to do with birth but the truth is, it has EVERYTHING to do with birth and is the reason why positive mindset is so important. Society has taught us that birth is something we should be terrified of. That means, even if we haven't experienced birth before, our brains immediately perceive it as a threat. Therefore, when labour starts, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and our body shuts down its normal functions. The biggest issue? That includes our bodies reproductive functions meaning the hormones etc, needed to progress labour, aren't released. We then see labours stalling, interventions starting and the whole process of birth becoming a lot more complicated and medicalised. It also means that our bodies are filled with tension.

You might have heard of the fear, tension, pain cycle. Put quite simply, when our bodies are tense, we feel pain more intensely (think about having a piercing or injection - they always tell you to relax your body before hand. This is why!). If we go into labour tense, our very early contractions will be far more painful than they need to be. This creates a cycle as it confirms our earlier fears of labour being painful and with each contraction will come more fear and more intense pain.

I'm not stating that labour and birth is pain free (and I always say if you come across a Hypnobirthing teacher that claims this then run a fucking mile). What I am saying, is that if we go into labour and birth not fearing the process, the pain we experience can be lessened as our bodies are not filled with tension. Not fearing birth also means that when labour begins, our sympathetic nervous system doesn't automatically trigger our flight or fight response but instead stays in it's parasympathetic state where our body and its birthing ability and hormones is able to function normally meaning that we should see labour progressing as it should, without the need for medical intervention or assistance thus leading to a more positive birth experience.

So how do we go about creating a positive mindset? Although our brains need re-wiring in the way in which we perceive labour and childbirth, with the right education and effort on your part it, is absolutely possible change how our brains perceive the process. Getting yourself properly educated about the physiology of birth, the maternity system, birth rights and how to use Hypnobirthing (which is based around positive mindset) techniques is vital so get yourself enrolled in comprehensive, local Hypnobirthing antenatal course which covers all of these things in depth. Absorb yourself in positive birth stories, birth affirmations and guided pregnancy relaxation and meditation. Plan your birth - write down what your preferences are, how you would like the environment, what labour positions you would like to use and whilst your planning it, visualise it happening. Get excited for the bad ass birthing goddess warrior princess you are going to be.

And finally, stop listening to the horror stories - trust me on this one.