Hypnobirth Antenatal

Hypnobirthing can guide you to a serene and confident birthing experience, helping you to feel in control and in touch with your body and the natural processes of labour.

Nicky Mercer and Elaine Rudkin are both certified hypnobirthing practitioners. Led by Elaine, an experienced midwife with over 30 years in the field, and Nurse Nicky, skilled traditional acupuncturists, this course goes beyond typical hypnobirthing. It’s about more than just birth—it’s about your overall well-being.

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Positive Birth Hypnobirthing Course

Introducing the Positive Birth Hypnobirthing Course – a practical, step-by-step framework designed to empower you for a smoother birthing experience. This course refrains from advocating for a specific birth method. Its essence lies in aiding couples to foster a positive birthing experience, irrespective of the manner in which the birth journey transpires.

Different from standard antenatal courses, the Positive Birth Hypnobirthing Course:

Educates you about the birthing process, helping you work harmoniously with your body.
Assists you in crafting a birth experience that resonates with your unique preferences.
Encourages your confidence and control throughout your birth journey, ensuring your decisions are firmly in your hands.
Provides lifelong tools applicable beyond birth – managing stress, staying calm during parenting, work, or daily challenges. These techniques are invaluable!

Course Highlights:

🇳🇿 Positive Birth Program: Helen Bartrom’s NZ-developed expertise since 2007
✨ Empowering Affirmation Cards and Comprehensive Course Manual
🤝 Includes a free copy of the Positive Birth book and audiotrack library

Plus:

💆 Yoga Classes for Mind-Body Harmony
👶 Comprehensive Birth Preparation
🤝 Navigating the Role of Your Support Person
💆 Acupressure Techniques for Labor
🤱 Navigating the Fourth Trimester

Your birthing journey is unique, and we’re here to support you through every step. Let’s create a positive birth experience together! Our classes are accompanied by sharing company with a cuppa: try our Mother Blend Tea or Karamalz malt beverage alongside regular tea and coffee!

Upcoming Course

Course location: Papakura Maternity Hospital, 9 Youngs Road, Papakura

Course dates:

Feb 22nd, Feb 29th, March 7th

April 18th, April 24th, May 2nd

June 6th, June 13th, June 20th

Details: 12.5 hours, 4 hours each week= 1 hour practical session plus cuppa and 3 hours on demand, 7 to 8pm Thursdays.

Price: $190 per couple

To enquire or book:

How Can This Help Me Birth Better?

The advantages of being well-prepared with the Positive Birth Hypnobirthing Course extend to you and your baby in the following ways:

Birthing can become less painful as relaxation triggers the release of endorphins, which are remarkably effective, thought to be up to 200 times more potent than morphine, in alleviating pain sensations. The presence of endorphins can often render the birthing experience comfortable, and at times, even painless, for both you and your baby.
The birthing process may be shorter when you allow your body to relax during birth, your pelvic muscles can open more freely, progressing your labor more swiftly and smoothly.
Decreased likelihood of medical intervention, tension and fear can cause opposing tension in your birthing muscles, intensifying pain and impeding the birthing process. This frequently necessitates medical intervention to aid relaxation and progress.
A positive inception of life for your baby during pregnancy, your baby readies itself for the external world. In fact, many neuroscientists posit that 50% of a baby’s personality develops prenatally. Your serene and optimistic approach to birth positively impacts your baby. This experience signifies your home as secure and joyful, fostering a serene and composed disposition in your baby as they embark on life.
A surge of empowerment experiencing the strength of your body during birth and allowing it to unfold naturally fills you with a profound sense of accomplishment. Welcoming your baby into your arms becomes an exhilarating moment, a testament to your abilities, and a cherished memory forever.

When to start the Hypnobirthing course?

This can be started any time over your pregnancy. Give yourself time to practice the techniques and prepare for your birth with confidence.

What does the science say?

For over a century, childbirth hypnosis has been employed as a technique. This method typically entails a hypnotist and an individual being hypnotized, leading to altered sensations, perceptions, or thoughts. This process is occasionally termed ‘hetero-hypnosis’ as it involves multiple individuals. Self-hypnosis, on the other hand, empowers an individual to modify their own state of consciousness, dampening the awareness of typically felt experiences like pain or minimizing their impact. Utilizing concentrated attention and relaxation, hypnosis cultivates heightened responsiveness to both spoken and unspoken cues, commonly known as ‘suggestions’. These constructive statements are employed to accomplish distinct therapeutic objectives.

There exists a widespread misconception that when under hypnosis, an individual relinquishes control over their thoughts and actions, potentially compromising personal autonomy. However, women employing self-hypnosis during labor and childbirth remain fully in command and cognizant of their surroundings. Instead of inducing a loss of control or memory impairment, it’s widely accepted that hypnosis aids women in concentrating their attention and enriching their birthing experience.

In a Cochrane review conducted by Semple in 2011, encompassing five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and involving 749 women, findings emerged to suggest that hypnosis could potentially reduce the need for pharmacological pain relief during labor, including a diminished requirement for epidurals. Furthermore, this approach was associated with decreased labor augmentation and an increased occurrence of spontaneous vaginal deliveries.

Additionally, the utilization of hypnosis is linked to improved maternal emotional well-being and contentment. Although the available evidence is limited, there are indications that hypnosis might yield positive effects on neonatal outcomes.

In a recent meta-analysis by Gueguen and Huas 2021 of both qualitative and quantitative studies found that there were no adverse event reported in any of the studies analyzed. This analysis further supported the benefits of using self hypnosis to achieve a positive birthing experience.

Research on Hypnobirthing

What does it cost?

Positive Birth Hypnobirthing course is run in two ways. Both ways deliver the full 12.5 hours of comprehensive hypnobirthing training and its over to you how you learn best.

For $395 per couple, the In Person course includes five x 2.5 hour face to face sessions, the Positive Birth Book by Helen Bartrom, a course workbook and beautiful affirmation cards. You can also view this course from the comfort of your own home through zoom.

For $190 per couple, our Blended Learning Class offers you the complete 12.5-hour Positive Birth Training Course experience in a flexible format. Over the course of 3 to 4 weeks, you’ll participate in 3 practical 1-hour sessions accompanied by a cozy cuppa, fostering a supportive environment with other couples that attend. Additionally, you’ll be able to learn the on-demand content from the comfort of your own home, allowing you to learn at your own pace. This comprehensive experience, which retains the full content of the traditional course, is available at discounted price. It’s designed to accommodate your schedule while ensuring you receive the same valuable insights and guidance for your birthing journey.