Hypnobabies classes differ from hospital or other traditional natural childbirth classes in several key ways:
Most childbirth classes teach that pain–excruciating pain, even–during childbirth is inevitable. They give you ways to cope with the pain. Hypnobabies classes teach you that pain during childbirth is not inevitable. While most childbirth classes teach that the more relaxed you are, the less pain you will have, Hypnobabies classes teach you how to actually create and control your own hypno-anesthesia, which will reduce or even eliminate pain while birthing. Although the Hypnobabies success rate is the best that exists in the childbirth hypnosis field, I cannot promise you a completely pain-free birth experience. Around 70% of moms who use Hypnobabies report painless/very comfortable birthings. These moms worked the program, so the program worked for them.
Independent Hypnobabies classes teach you how to plan the birth you want, not the birth that someone else might expect you to have. We teach you to remember that this is your experience and your baby’s one and only birth. Hypnobabies covers a lot of consumer information, including the benefits and risks of the more common medical interventions in American birth today. Women who have full information about their prospective choices will make informed decisions. If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any!
Hypnobabies works wonderfully with a “coach” (we call them Birth Partners) or alone. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis and your own personal commitment and practice as the one giving birth will have the greatest impact on your experience. With Hypnobabies your Birth Partner(s) will be very knowledgeable and experienced in aiding your comfort and hypno-anesthesia. If you do not have a partner (or friend or sister or mom) to attend classes with you, consider hiring a doula (professional labor support person) to be with you during your birthing time. I will be more than happy to help your doula to understand how best to help you as a hypno-mom and your doula is welcome (and encouraged) to attend classes with you.
I, as an independent childbirth educator, am not employed by a hospital and can therefore teach facts that may or may not be in line with hospital policy. The hospital can’t fire me as a childbirth educator because I’m hired by you, not them.