What is hypnobirthing?
Hypnobirthing Explained: The key to calm, confident birth experiences
Hypnobirthing is about building trust in your body, your instincts, and your ability to birth."
Jilly Clarke
Hypnobirthing has become a widely recognised term in the birthing world. With its popularity rising, it’s not uncommon to hear about celebrities using these techniques to achieve calm and positive birth experiences. But what exactly is hypnobirthing, and how can it make a difference to your birth?
Let’s break it down and explore how it works, the science behind it, and why The Birth and Baby Company's hypnobirthing course - available through your employee benefits package - can help transform your approach to birth.
What is hypnobirthing?
Contrary to what the name might suggest, hypnobirthing doesn’t involve being hypnotised or losing control. Instead, it refers to a series of evidence-based techniques designed to help reduce fear, tension, and discomfort during birth. These methods combine deep relaxation, breathing exercises, visualisations, and affirmations to re-train your brain to stay calm, focused, and in control during labour.
At its core, hypnobirthing equips you with tools to better understand the birth process, work with your body, and manage the sensations of labour effectively. It’s not about achieving a specific type of birth but about feeling empowered to navigate your unique experience.
The science behind hypnobirthing
Hypnobirthing takes elements of neuroscience, psychology, and the mind-body connection and uses them to take the mind off of troubling sensations.
“Hypnosis is defined as an induced state of consciousness, where the focus is on directed attention towards something, and thus diverted from peripheral stimuli.” (Women’s experiences with hypnobirth – A qualitative study - ScienceDirect). This 2023 study found that people who participated in hypnobirthing "replaced uncertainty with a sense of security and control, subsequently fostering a heightened sense of coping."
Techniques help the brain to focus on the techniques and staying relaxed so less focus is placed on the sensations of labour. The techniques promote calm and relaxation, to counteract any stress or tension in the body.
Hypnobirthing works with the understanding that birth works with hormones, which are naturally produced in the body under the right circumstances. Instinctively, as animals, we have a natural fight or flight response to danger. If we are scared, worried or anxious, our bodies produce a cocktail of hormones to help us deal with whatever situation we find ourselves in; if we’re about to be attacked by a tiger, we’re going to need to act quickly. These hormones kick us into action. They shut down all non-essential processes in the body such as digestion and the immune system – and birth (its not safe to birth a baby if they might be attacked by a tiger). They raise our heart rate and blood pressure.
Oxygen is diverted to our essential organs – our limbs to flee, our lungs to breathe and our brain to remain alert to the danger. Producing adrenaline slows down the production of oxytocin, and we need oxytocin production to rise to make our contractions more effective and to birth baby. There is more evidence coming out all the time in relation to the impact of hypnobirthing techniques and how effective they can be during birth. This 2024 analysis of studies reports that "Hypnosis therapy can be a good resource to improve the birth experience and reduce fear of childbirth."
The impact of hypnobirthing can be a tricky one to study, because all birth experiences are different and results are often reported afterwards from the opinion of the person giving birth. But as a method of self-help and to be used alongside movement, and medical offerings if desired, then it can work as a useful tool for birth. It certainly can't hurt.
Why is hypnobirthing important?
In today’s birthing landscape, with rising rates of medical interventions and a more medical approach to birth, it’s more important than ever to feel confident and informed about the process. Hypnobirthing provides an opportunity to take control of more of what you can during birth.
Understanding how your body works, recognising the importance of hormones in labour, and practising relaxation techniques can help create a calmer, smoother birth experience. Hypnobirthing is about building trust in your body, your instincts, and your ability to birth.
Hypnobirthing at The Birth and Baby Company
The Birth and Baby Company’s hypnobirthing course is included in your employee benefit programme, offering expert-led education to help you prepare for birth. Our Active Hypnobirthing Antenatal Course combines traditional hypnobirthing techniques with movement, pregnancy yoga, and partner-focused strategies.
Here’s what sets our courses apart:
Practical techniques: Learn breathing, relaxation, and visualisation exercises to stay calm and focused during labour.
Active birth principles: Discover how movement, biomechanics, and positioning can support your body during labour. And, how it can all work with hypnobirthing.
Partner involvement: Equip your birth partner with tools to confidently support you.
Comprehensive preparation: Understand the stages of labour, what to expect, pain relief options and how they can work with hypnobirthing. And most importantly, how to make informed decisions that feel right for you.
Our unique approach blends hypnobirthing with active birth principles, helping you feel connected to your body and empowered to work with it during pregnancy and birth.
How to get started with hypnobirthing
The techniques taught in our hypnobirthing course are most effective when practised regularly throughout pregnancy. Just 5-10 minutes a day focusing on breathing, relaxation, and visualisation can make a significant difference in your mindset and physical preparation for labour.
By taking The Birth and Baby Company’s hypnobirthing course, you’ll gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills to approach birth with calmness and clarity. Whether your birth involves a natural labour, an induction, or a planned C-section, these tools are designed to support you in every scenario.
A tool for every birth
Every birth is unique, and hypnobirthing is designed to complement all types of births, from home births to hospital births, midwife-led to consultant-led care. The focus is not on achieving a specific birth outcome but on helping you feel prepared, confident, and empowered throughout the process.
With The Birth and Baby Company, you’ll gain the knowledge and techniques to navigate your birth experience with ease. Our hypnobirthing course is part of a wider antenatal education programme available through your employee benefits, giving you access to high-quality, expert-led resources to support your pregnancy journey.
By learning hypnobirthing techniques, you’ll discover how to stay calm, trust your body, and embrace the transformative experience of birth with confidence.
The Birth and Baby Company can help
Our on-demand antenatal courses, exercise videos and support programs provide expecting parents with the knowledge and confidence they need for a smooth pregnancy, birth, and transition to parenthood. Our range of packages can provide 1:1 support, regular Q&As. Crucially, all packages provide education on communication with healthcare professionals, understanding risks and options, knowledge on physically supporting themselves through pregnancy, birth and recovery, and advocating for their preferences.
Contact us today to learn how we can help your company support its most valuable asset – its people.
Home | About Us | Contact| Blog | Login | Corporate
© Copyright 2025 The Birth and Baby Company Ltd. All rights reserved. The Birth and Baby Company Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales.
Company Registration Number: 15655287 | Our registered address is: 27 Wilshere Road, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, AL6 9PU