Learn About Birth Education: HypnoBirthing vs Hypnobabies

Learning about childbirth will make a difference in your birth experience, but consider your options before you invest because courses can be very different from one another.

In a new series, we will give a primer on the most popular birth education methods with links to more resources. Most of these methods will have group classes available and online formats available. 

Learn about HypnoBirthing and Hypnobabies. Next, we will describe Lamaze and Birthing from Within.

No matter what you choose, remember that a lot of the info will go out the window as soon as that first contraction hits because #adrenaline. The Birth Deck will support all the methods listed below and can be used as a reminder of many of the techniques you will learn in your class and more!

xoxo

HypnoBirthing- Lauded for its efficacy in all types of labor, HypnoBirthing uses affirmations and visualizations paired with breathing techniques to interrupt the fear-tension-pain cycle. The meditative techniques utilized in hypnosis have been widely studied and proven to reduce the need for pain medication generally, not only in labor. HypnoBirthing does not discuss pain in labor, instead asserting that pain is not a necessary part of labor and can be avoided altogether with hypnosis techniques for relaxation. HypnoBirthing classes are most effective when completed by the end of second trimester, giving you plenty of time to study the relaxation techniques before birth. Courses are around 12 hours total and most courses are offered in-person only with supporting CDs an MP3s for homework.

Hypnobabies- The founder of this popular birth education method was originally a HypnoBirthing instructor who felt that there were elements missing from the course. As a result, Hypnobabies includes medical hypno-anesthesia techniques adopted specifically to childbirth. Unlike HypnoBirthing, Hypnobabies explicitly discusses the pain of labor and builds coping skills to manage it. Like HypnoBirthing, Hypnobabies teaches a comprehensive birth education course that includes the physiology of labor, the general course of labor and potential complications. Courses are 18 hours total and remote home-study options are widely available.