Birth the way you need to.

There is no one way to give birth.

As you are individual so your labour will be individual.

When we teach hypnobirthing we hope to ingrain calm, confidence and relaxation. We want you to understand the evidence and your rights in birth. But we keep moving back to you as an individual. You have not been created on a converyor belt - 40 weeks for every pregnancy and just the same amount of gas and air for all.

So why should you labour and birth like anyone else?

If you need to talk in labour then do it. Yes, I will teach that engaging in conversation will bring you up into your thinking brain as opposed to that mammalian brain supplying the oxytocin and endorphins.. but so what? If you need to talk at any point you should feel safe and happy to do so.

You want to roar? Go ahead.

You want to laugh...or cry? Be my guest.

It's your party after all.

I never forget in an ante-natal yoga class when I was heavily pregnant with the twins watching the teacher talking about the best position for birth, which just so happened to be an incredibly flexible, low lunge...with a lovely little sway. All I could think was 'you're kidding right?? I can't do that!!'. But the truth is that I didn't need to. That would have suited me as much as lying back and putting my feet in stirrups - which you couldn't pay me to do.

We are our own people... from top to toe.

So please don't let your learning constrict you. Let it engage both you and your birth partner. Let it enrich your experience.

Understand hypnosis and calm as a way of owning your labour, but don't fear gas & air, pethidine or epidural. Plan your birth as you see fit, but never be afraid of changing path as you travel along.

If all of the decisions made along the way have been yours or fully understood and agreed to by you, then you will have your own birth and I trust a positive birth experience as well.

Super powerful photo courtesy of @artshapedphotography on Instagram.