Module 1: Choice

Let's start at the very beginning. The birth of your baby should be a special and exciting event, and preparing and planning for the big day is a key part of the hypnobirthing process. There are lots of choices available to you regarding how you approach the birth of your baby. Being informed and knowledgeable about the options available to you will help you remain in control of any situations that may arise and is more likely to lead to a positive experience for you and your partner.

Whatever stage of your pregnancy you are, it's never too soon to start looking at these options and start thinking about what choices are right for you and your partner to help you have the birth that you want. There are several key questions that you need to start asking yourself to help you make informed choices about your preferences:

• What would you like your birth to be like?
• Where would you like the birth to take place?
• Who would you like to be there with you to support you? 
• What options are available to you?

Using images to create a visual birth plan can be a quick, easy and clear way of communicating your choices to your midwife/medical team. It can also come in handy if there is a language barrier of any kind.

You can download some fabulous images courtesy of Milli Hill's 'Positive Birth Book', free of charge, by clicking the button below.

Every pregnant woman is different. Every baby is different. Every birth is different and, even though every Mum-to-be would desperately love to know exactly what will happen and what course her birth will take, there is no crystal ball and no way of predicting how your birth will go.

What you can do though is be informed and know your options so that you can make the right choices to give you the best birth experience possible.

As you write your birth plan, try not to be too fixed on exactly what you want. Leave room for different circumstances and consider what you would choose for different situations and outcomes. Think of this process as creating a list of your birth preferences rather than a detailed plan of exactly what you want happen. Be prepared for different eventualities and discuss your options with your partner so that, if for any reason events take you away from your birth plan, you still remain in control and know what your choices and preferences are for that situation.

You can print out 'notes for Birth Plan' and use it to make your notes and help finalise your decisions (click link below). 

These are some of the key things that you should be thinking about:

Where would you like to give birth if all goes according to plan? You should have several options available to you so find out what services are available to you locally. What facilities are available at your local hospital? Are home births supported?

Most hospitals offer tours and it's definitely worth going for a look around if you can. Be open minded and look at the birth centre (or midwife led unit) and hospital labour suite so that you have seen everything. Even if you have decided that you would definitely like to go with the birth centre, have a look at the labour suites as well as labour can be unpredictable and you can't guarantee that everything will go exactly as you hope on the day.

Find out what facilities are available - do they have birth balls you can use? Do they have music docking stations/special lighting features? Is there a birth pool available? It helps to be familiar with the place and to know where you're going in advance (it can remove some stress on the big day).

Birth centres/Midwife led units are usually very supportive of hypnobirthing techniques and set up to help create a relaxing environment for your birth (we'll be talking about this again later in the course). The labour suites tend to be more medicalised (more medical equipment in the room and no special features like mood lighting) and can feel more 'hospital like'. Think about what feels right for you.

How would you and your partner both feel about a home birth? This is ultimately your decision, it is so important that you feel comfortable with your chosen location, but you will need to be supported by your partner throughout so it's important that they are on board with what you decide. Many first time couples and partners find the idea of a homebirth quite daunting, and prefer the perceived security of having a full medical team only minutes away in a hospital or birth centre setting.

Statistically though, homebirth is one of the safest options and, as it's your own surroundings, you are more likely to be able to relax more easily. There are also lots of benefits to homebirth - being able to control who comes into your space, unlimited refreshments, having your own belongings around you (rather than being limited to what you can fit in your hospital bag), and being able to have children/pets present if you want.

If you are really keen on a homebirth but your partner is not as enthusiastic there are some excellent and supportive forums available on Facebook and many hospitals run homebirth workshops where you can find out more about what's involved and speak to couples who have had homebirths. Get your partner involved and let them hear the positive experiences of others and this will help the process of them understanding why it’s so important to you.

The most important part of making choices is understanding the options that are available to you. You may have very strong opininons about pain relief, whether that's for or against. The fact that you are doing this course suggests that you are keen on keeping things natural. That's fantastic and this course will provide you with all the knowledge and skills that you need to prepare yourself for the best birth experience possible (we'll look at natural comfort measures later in the course). You don't however know how you'll feel on the day, how you'll cope with sensations, and if there will be any complications along the way. One of the main misconceptions about hypnobirthing is that it is only compatible with natural birth and therefore the goal should always be to keep things pain relief free. This isn't the case at all though and what is most important is that you are as comfortable as possible throughout the labour. Hypnobirthing can help you have a more positive birth experience whatever path your birth takes, including induction and ceasarean births.

Ultimately there's no medal for declining pain relief if you really feel like you need some help. I would always advise looking into your options, and discussing them in depth with your partner so that they have a clear idea of what you want.

Click on the button below to find out more information about the pain relief and the many pros and cons for each one, to help you make informed decisions should you need to.

In the UK 15% of expectant mothers have a planned caesarean, or c-section, and about 19% of pregnant women have an unplanned caesarean, according to NHS statistics (January 2022). This seems to be on the increase and locally c-section rates are totalling 40-50% of all births in their monthly statistics, meaning at least 1 in every 3 births is by caesarean.

The World Health Organisation recommends that the ideal rate of caesareans is 10-15% and it is far from the easy option that the 'too posh to push' label may have left us thinking.

When medically necessary though, a caesarean can effectively prevent maternal and newborn mortality. It quite literally saves lives.

Some women find the idea of a caesarean quite daunting and don't want to dwell on the prospect. If you would like a little more information though, you can click on the button below to find out more about why a caesarean may be necessary and what is involved.

Caesarean may not be your first choice but for some women it is medically necessary and therefore the only choice. If you find yourself in this category then there are options available to you to make your caesarean as near to a natural birth and as positive an experience as possible. This is known as a 'gentle caesarean'. You will need to discuss your options with the medical team supporting you but you can refer to the gentle caesarean birth plan template below to help you understand the options that should be available to you and how they can be beneficial for both you and your baby.

Hypnobirthing can turn a scary and clinical experience into a safe and empowering one – knowing how to have a calm, confident and informed c-section experience allows you to feel some of the benefits of a natural birth and have a positive birth experience, even if your birth takes an unexpected turn. This 'How to have a Positive C-section' handout covers ways that you can make a c-section into a positive birth experience, whether or not it was part of your original birth plan.

If you feel that you need more support in this area, I also offer face-to-face 'Positive Caesarean' workshops. This is a 3 hour class which helps you prepare for a positive caesarean birth and is offered as a group or private option. You can find out more details by clickingon the link below.

It can be a daunting prospect to face a c-section if it wasn’t part of your birth plan. This 'Preparing for a caesarean' visualisation technique is something that you can try to help you prepare mentally for it.