Hypnobirthing Class Breakdown (Hippo Hynobirthing with Hannah)

Like promised last week, this week I want to talk about exactly what is included in the 4 classes, if you choose to book a full hypnobirthing course, either 1-on-1 or as a group. 

Also, I thought I would briefly start by discussing the current classes and how they are being run online. A lot of people have questions on this and would prefer to wait until in person teaching resumes, however, I plan to stick to online teaching for the foreseeable future. This is for one of two reasons, with the first being that the pregnant population are not currently being vaccinated for Covid-19, unless they are otherwise high risk because of the unknown side effects. For this reason, I think it would be unwise to bring a group of at risk women together physically and staying at home, online means it stays safe. 

The other is because of the positive feedback that has come from having classes online itself. Simply put, practically it's much more accessible for more people because there is no worry about rushing to get to a specific location, no travel time needed and no childcare required for other siblings. It also fits into lifestyle better with fitting in around tea time, so you can eat before. On top of that, people feel more comfortable at home, where they can wear comfier clothes, relax more and feel more safe. Another benefit is that classes are no longer limited to local audiences as can have a global reach, whilst still remaining intimate classes where you can meet other likeminded people. 

Onto the actual classes...

For understanding. Class One is designed to open your mind to a different way of thinking and if your partner is sceptical somewhat then they will enjoy learning the science behind it all in this class. You and your birth partner will gain a great foundation upon which to grow in confidence. 

Each class has a specific script that we will utilise alongside, and for this one it is the Cloak of Protection. Hearing and watching negative stories has the potential to create fear which can then cause a negative impact on your birthing experience. This script will help you become more aware of your inner strengths, confidence, and skills that makes you feel powerful. The cloak is then able to protect you, shielding you from any negativity, causing it to bounce off of you and preventing negative messages about birth from impacting on you going forward. It can also be used for non-birthing processes, by keeping you surrounded in positivity.

We will also introduce Relax with Nature, which is the main recording that you will listen to. It introduces you to your ‘cottage by the sea’ and sets the scene for two further scripts. It works with colour and nature, both of which are proven to promote emotional positivity. Positive suggestions are woven throughout all the sessions to inspire confidence for birthing. Listening regularly helps to provide reassurance and will help you to focus on your baby’s birth in a positive way.

The session aims to remove negative thoughts surrounding birth, whilst getting comfortable with what we mean by hypnosis. We go through the physiology of birth to allow you to become more familiar with the process, and gain an understanding of how your body will work to give birth and interpret pain. We will begin to learn technique to calm your mind, become more positive and reduce anxiety.

For relaxation. Class Two is to help you feel calm, relaxed and in control in the lead up to and during your baby’s birth. We will focus on the techniques that will help you stay calm and how your birth partner can support you with that. This includes breathing exercises, anchors for boosts in positivity, distraction use to avoid loosing focus and practicing effectively in difficult circumstances. 

Bond and Breathe is the chosen script for this class. It is a lovely progressive relaxation with the added twist of teaching a useful technique for calming the mind and promoting comfort in the body. This technique provides a great way to ensure that you are relaxed and calm between surges whilst birthing.  It also provides a very quick way for your birth partner to bring you back into a deep state of relaxation should something upset you at any time.

Following on from that, the Birth Partners script is also introduced in class so that your birth partner is able to support you with your Wise Hippo practice, bringing all the techniques that you have learnt together. This written script is in your Wise Hippo manual for you to practice in your own time as well. 

For preparation. Class Three is all about learning to connect with your emotions and bonding with your baby. You will need to take time to consider what is important to you when you are birth planning and know what options are available to you. Whilst it's important to recognise that birth plans can change due to circumstances, having a goal will help with realisation and picturing the day. Also, regardless of the end experience, some choices will be transferable to all. We will cover emotional and physical connections, alongside planning for your birth. The latter component includes options, preferences and environment, plus pelvic floor and perineal massage exercises. 

The script in this session is Cove of Confidence is a very gentle emotional release. It forms part of the fear and negative emotion release work that you will do in class, to ensure that there is no conflict for you, and you feel able to focus positively on your baby’s birth. It is designed to do exactly as it says….build your confidence in you!

For practice. Class Four is to bring it all together so that you feel confident, ready and prepared for your very special day. We provide information for your birth partner so that they can be the best support that they can be for you on the day. This class will help you both make informed decisions on the day. Partners often feel out of place and lost so making sure they fully understand how you want them to support you on the day is important. We will talk about birthing positions to encourage faster and less painful labour and delivery, learn birth humming and teach soothing strokes. It's also important for you to keep informed and understand decisions that are made throughout your labour so we will talk about a specific technique, providing a structure way to ask questions to professionals. 

To finish the course, we have a beautiful Sea of Serenity script which is the perfect birth rehearsal. As with the others, it has lots of suggestions about birth being a positive experience but this time with more of a focus on the labour itself and using the waves of the sea to link with the imagery used for breathing through your surges, seeing them as waves of relaxation. Whilst any of the scripts can be listened to whilst birthing, Sea of Serenity has been specifically written for this purpose.

The classes all lead lovely into each other and each builds upon the other, with understanding the physiology, learning the basics and planning for birth, being concluded with an overall practice session, bringing it all together.