The goal of hypnobirthing is to give pregnant women a positive view of birth and the belief that childbirth does not have to be painful. The aim is a shorter, more comfortable, easier labour, with less need for intervention or pain relief.

How does hypnobirthing work?

Hypnosis focuses on preparing a woman for birth by reframing the representation of labour from a painful and difficult experience to a positive one.

Women's experience of labour pain can vary in intensity; but fear, tension and anxiety can worsen it and the mental and physical activities practised through hypnobirthing can lessen this.

So can it really work – what’s the evidence?

A systematic review of hypnosis-based interventions during pregnancy found that it improved childbirth experience by reducing fear and pain and enhancing a sense of control. 

It improved women's emotional experience and outlook towards birth with less anxiety, increased satisfaction, fewer birth interventions, more postnatal wellbeing and a better childbirth experience overall. Other research has found that self-hypnosis promoted 'feelings of calmness, confidence and empowerment.'

(see below for references)

If I try hypnobirthing will I be aware of what is happening?

A common misconception about hypnobirthing, and indeed all hypnotherapy, is that women lose control of their thoughts and actions in a hypnotic state. In fact, women who learn hypnobirthing use it to be less aware of external stimuli. They also learn to have a more focused attention and responsiveness to verbal or non-verbal suggestions. The idea is that these suggestions might make her feel safer, more relaxed and comfortable, and give her some relief from her pain.

Women who use self-hypnosis during labour are fully in control and aware of what is happening to them and to those around them. What hypnobirthing actually aims to do is help a woman focus and enhance her birthing experience.

References

Catsaros S, Wendland J. (2020) Hypnosis-based interventions during pregnancy and childbirth and their impact on women’s childbirth experience: A systematic review. Midwifery. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2020.102666 

Downe S, Finlayson K, Melvin C, Spiby H, Ali S, Diggle P, et al. (2015) Self-hypnosis for intrapartum pain management in pregnant nulliparous women: a randomised controlled trial of clinical effectiveness. BJOG. 122(9):1226-1234. Available at: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1471-0528.13433 

Finlayson, K., Downe, S., Hinder, S. et al. Unexpected consequences: women’s experiences of a self-hypnosis intervention to help with pain relief during labour. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 15, 229 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-015-0659-0 

Madden K, Middleton P, Cyna AM, Matthewson M, Jones L. (2016) Hypnosis for pain management during labour and childbirth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (5):CD009356. Available at: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD009356.pub3/full 

NICE. (2014) Intrapartum care for healthy women and babies. Available at:  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg190 

RCM. (2014) How to support hypnobirthing. Midwives. 5:34-35. Available at: https://www.rcm.org.uk/sites/default/files/34-35_0.pdf 

Semple A, Newburn M; NCT. (2011) Research overview: self-hypnosis for labour and birth. Perspective. December: 16-20. https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/Research%20overview-%20Self%20hypnosis%20for%20labour%20and%20birth%20%282011%29_2.pdf

Tommy’s (2018) What is hypnobirthing? Available at: https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/labour-birth/pain-relief-labour/hypnobirthing 

Varner CA. (2015) Comparison of the Bradley method and HypnoBirthing childbirth education classes. J Perinata Educ. 24(2): 128-136. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744344/ 

Which? (2018) What is hypnobirthing? Available at: https://www.which.co.uk/birth-choice/coping-with-pain-in-labour/what-is-hypnobirthing