What is Hypnobirthing?
Quite simply, Hypnobirthing is a complete antenatal education programme. But unlike regular antenatal courses, it teaches simple but specific relaxation, breathing techniques and self hypnosis for labour and birth. Hypnobirthing is as much a philosophy of birth as it is a technique for achieving a satisfying, calm and stress-free method of birthing.
I am an independent Hypnobirthing practitioner, but I originally trained with the Marie Mongan Hypnobirthing Institute. I also bring in knowledge from my antenatal educator and birth doula qualifications and experience, and my personal experience as a Hypnobirthing mother.
My course is not a 'fluffy' course. It is factual, truthful, practical and empowering.
During the course you will learn how to tune in to your natural instincts; be supported in writing a detailed birth plan. You will also work on eliminating your fears and enter your birthing with calm confidence. You will learn about the importance of informed decision making, informed consent and your birthing and human rights in Childbirth.
When birthers are properly prepared for childbirth, and when their mind and body are in harmony, the body is free to function with the perfect physiology as nature intended.
"HypnoBirthing helps you to frame a positive expectation and to prepare for birth by developing a trust and belief in your own body and in nature's undeniable orchestration of birthing."
Marie Mongan- Founder and creator of The HypnoBirthing Institute
Benefits of Hypnobirthing
Less Pain
Hypnobirthing isn't about eliminating pain, it's about understanding it, reframing it, reducing fear about it, and having a whole load of tools and techniques to help you manage it. Hypnobirthing can most definitely support with reducing pain, but it's more about learning to embrace it and use it to birth in your power!
Shorter Labour
By working with your body in labour, rather than resisting it, there is research to show you can potentially shorten your labour (think, body working at it's most effective = get things done efficiently)
Empowerment
The feeling of confidence and empowerment from taking control of your birth is priceless. Learning to trust in your body and your ability to accomplish anything you put your mind to gives you added confidence that stays with you for a lifetime. There is no feeling that comes close to birthing like the absolute badass that you are!
Life Skills
You will gain understanding of the power of your thoughts to create both positive and negative change in your life. This knowledge, along with the relaxation and breathing techniques taught in the course, are invaluable tool for relieving stress in everyday life.
Confidence to avoid unnecessary interventions
By choosing the right care provider and birth environment, asking the right questions at the right time, and feeling in control of your choices, Hypnobirthing families are able to avoid any interventions that are not in the best interest of themselves or their babies. In the event that intervention is necessary, you are confident in the knowledge that you've explored the options and alternatives. This in turn means birthers are often more satisfied with their birth experience as a result of making decisions that are right for them.
Calm Baby
Your unborn baby is picking up cues about the world well before they are born. Practising self-hypnosis, breathing and relaxation techniques during your pregnancy can reduce the amount of stress hormones your baby is exposed to, leading to a calmer baby. Being born calmly and gently can also play a huge role in a baby's temperament
Teamwork
One sometimes unexpected side-effect of Hypnobirthing is the additional closeness you feel with your partner. Fathers/partners/other parents play a major role in Hypnobirthing, both leading up to, and during the birth. Working together to bring your baby into the world in the most gentle and calm way possible is the ultimate in teamwork, and sets the stage well for the ultimate team challenge – raising a child.
Drug Free Baby
You have spent nine months avoiding any substances that could harm your growing baby, why change that during the birth? Using Hypnobirthing during pregnancy and labour helps birthing people avoid the need to use pain medications, and make informed decisions if they decide to.
Drug Free Mother/ Birther
The body of a womb barer is perfectly designed to create life, grow and nurture your unborn baby, and give birth. Natural labour sets in motion a chain of events and chemical responses in the body that promotes natural labour, quick recovery, easier breastfeeding and deep, instant bonding with your baby. By eliminating fear, understanding how your body works and how to work with it, birthers can often avoid using pain relief medications that can interrupt these finely tuned processes.
Stop the cycle of painful birth
We know that fear and anxiety about childbirth increase woman/birthing person’s actual experiences of pain. Share your experience of gentle and positive birth and help counteract the negative birth stories out there that perpetuate this cycle of fear and painful childbirth. Check out my Birth Stories page for many cycle breaking, inspirational birth stories!
Hypnobirthing Course Details
The Hypnobirthing course can be delivered in 2 ways - A one-to-one session in the comfort of your own home or in my specially designed therapy room in my home in Newquay; or a group class at a venue in Newquay. With the private course the course can be structured in 2 ways - e.g. 3x 3 hour sessions or 2x 4.5 hour sessions. There is no right or wrong time to start the course; anywhere between 17-35 weeks pregnant, depending on your needs and my availability. Around 20 weeks seems to be the most popular and works well.
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Partners will play a key role in your birthing, so I believe that they should be part of the process leading up to it; they are much more than mere bystanders; they are invited to attend the full course with you so that you can learn together. However, I have worked with a number of pregnant people on their own, so it can be done with just you, but hopefully your partner will want to be involved if they can. If you do not have a partner but will be having a friend or a member of your family with you whilst giving birth then it would be great if they could attend the sessions with you.
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I offer free travel for anywhere up to 15 miles outside of Newquay which is where I'm based. Every mile after that is charged at 45p per mile and is invoiced at the end of the course. As part of the course fee you will get 10x Hypnobirthing MP3's to download and keep, Birthing Affirmations, and a Cornwall Hypnobirthing PDF handbook (almost 100 pages!) which includes resources, scripts, positive visual images and much more to aid your Hypnobirthing experience. Also, you get full access to my online Client Hub - a password protected portal with all the information you need, from extra reading, birth plan downloads, affirmation colouring pages, links to recommended website sites , birth videos and so much more.
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More Feedback from
Hypnobirthing Course Clients
Sian - 1st time mum
"A brilliant informative and educational course. Worth while for all birthing people and birthing partners. Really worth it!"
Josie & Andrew - 1st time
parents
"A massive thank you for creating such a well balanced holistic course, that considers all types of births and champions the fact no one way is right. Also that with the right skills and knowledge you can and should have a positive birth whatever the journey."
1st time dad
"A completely unexpected and eye-opening learning experience. I was initially apprehensive as 'hypnobirthing' didn't sound like something I could relate to, but I agreed to attend for my partner. I have come away thinking that perhaps all pregnancy/birthing education should be like this! It was such a positive experience. Thank you Terri."
Sarah - 2nd time mum
"The course was informative and practical and the recordings were helpful. It's given us a very different view to the previous NCT course we did with our last pregnancy. Terri was very clear and passionate. "
Rosee - 2nd time mum
"Absolutely amazing! Very in detail about how the mind andbody work. I feel so much more educated and excited for my birth . Very happy, thank you."
Greta & Daryosh- 1st time
parents
"This course has made me feel confident to make well informed choices and know that its ok to be vocal about what me and my partner want. It was so enlightening on how I can help and impact on a positive birth experience."
Chris & Steph - 1st time parents
"I found the Hypnobirthing course to be very informative It gives a great insight in to how you can choose to give birth without being told what you should do. I found the breathing techniques helpful even though I'm not the one giving birth! … I now feel much calmer, at ease and confident to have the positive birth experience I envisioned. Hypnobirthing has given me the knowledge I need to have a positive outlook on my future birthing day."
Bryony - 1st time mum
"The Hypnobirthing course is based on evidence, theory and techniques and has allowed me to feel 100% more informed about the birth processes and the options we have. I now feel confident, ready and excited to experience the birth and empowerment. Thank you."
Clanjo - 1st time mum
"Amazing class and course. Definietly changed my view of how I want to have my natural birth. Took away lots of fear and gave me so much information. Thank you so much Terri!"
Claire - 1st time mum
"Highly recommend HypnoBirthing group course with Terri. The classes are small and Terri is really engaging. HypnoBirthing makes so much sense, I'm really looking forward to my birth now.
I even feel I am prepared if things don't go the way we plan, which I didn't realise would of upset me until we discussed alternative births with Terri - what if I'm overdue, what if they offer me xyz, what if I end up having to have a c section - but these don't worry me as much either now as I feel confident in my choices.
Iv enjoyed learning the breathing techniques which also help when you need to nap or if I want to encourage baby to move.
My partner took some serious persuading to join me on the first session as he was worried about it being very "hippy" however he also thoroughly enjoyed it and came to every session. I feel confident that he has an understanding of why I want to do this and how he can help and be apart of it too.
Really nice to meet a few new people who I have things in common with. I’m looking forward to sharing birth stories with them and exchanging methods we try, and just having someone to chat to at 3am as potentially we’ll all be up feeding at the same time. It's really funny how sad it is when the classes are over, but we have already arranged our next tea and cake meet up though!"
Susie - 1st time mum
"I had read and heard a bit about Hypnobirthing so knew it was something I wanted to know a bit more about once we found out we were expecting. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find any support in Cornwall, but a quick search and I found Cornwall Hypnobirthing. Terri has been a delight from the very beginning answering my random emails asking about classes and what to expect all the way through to the actual course. My husband joined me and we both thoroughly enjoyed every week. We both feel so much more at ease about what's happening to my body, our baby and the birth. I'm actually excited to give birth now knowing that Terri has given me the tools to do so calmly and with confidence. The class was a small group which was lovely as it gave us time to get to know the other parents-to-be and we're all staying in touch which is great. I would definitely recommend attending one of Terri's courses or even a taster session or relaxation class if you're unsure. You'll soon feel so proud to be pregnant and in control of your birth no matter which way the path turns. Plus the birth partners feel much more part of the whole experience which is super. The course is definitely one of the best decisions we've made in preparation of becoming parents. Thank you Terri!"
1st time parents
"Terri was incredibly easy to talk to/ask questions etc, it felt like you could ask her anything and never feel silly. We didn’t really know what to expect entering this course but we have left feeling empowered and calm. We have lots of reading to do but feel happy knowing Terri is still there if we hit a hurdle.
​Its one of the best things we have ever signed up to and we would highly recommend.​ We are heading in to birthing later this month and are feeling excited, confident and united as a team thanks to Terri. We’ve been able to make informed choices this far and feel prepared."