You've heard about others taking these classes. You may have perused a book in Waterstones once.

You may even have been told about hypnobirthing by your midwife.

But why on earth should you book?

It is said that you will never forget the births of your children… and I believe that to be true. The act of birth is the very start of your transition into motherhood. It therefore deserves to be the very best start for you both.

Labour and birth have had a chequered past. Each century has delivered its fair share of huge improvements but added risks to the women involved. There is absolutely no denying that women in developed countries are far safer now, as are their babies, and have more choice than they have ever had before, but there are still problems.

As a hypnotherapist and EFT practitioner I treat many women who have been suffering from birth trauma. There are many correlations between each of these women. Predominantly they are fear, a loss of control, not understanding what was happening, pain, feeling unsupported and alone, losing their autonomy and the way they were spoken to and treated by their care-givers.

So how does this fit in with the birth practice of hypnobirthing? Well, hypnobirthing is a sum of many differing parts. But its main aim is to teach the woman and her birth partner how to remain calm, how to be flexible and resilient, how to question and understand and how to navigate their birth without fear or frustration.

A hypnobirthing class aims to teach you why the language of birth needs changing.

How fear is responsible for pain… and then pain is responsible for fear and how to break that pattern.

How the birth partner can take on a meaningful and helpful role during labour and birth.

How using hypnosis can change our embedded blue prints about birth that we have held unconsciously.

How breathing and using visualisations will assist with all the stages of labour and how knowledge truly is empowering.

On top of this you are also taught about inductions, c-sections and other interventions that may take place in your treatment and how they may be of use to you. Your class will also cover post-natal issues such as the Baby Blues and Post Natal Depression.

Most importantly though I trust that learning hypnobirthing will help to give you your own better birth story. Remembering that a better birth is not necessarily just a physiological vaginal birth, it is a birth where both the mother and her birth partner felt in control of what was happening. Where they felt listened to. And where they felt that they had the skills to physically navigate a positive birth experience.

If this sounds good to you then book a class. Put your maternity spending where it really counts. I often say to new parents that although they will never forget the birth of their children they will rarely every remember that expensive Moses basket and stand they purchased!

Better Birth Stories teaches a group class in SW London on the last Sunday of every month with occasional over-flow classes during our busier months. It would be our pleasure to teach you.

(…beautiful birth photo courtesy of the_wild_heart_studio over on Instagram.)