Using hypnobirthing in a hospital setting

So, you have decided to birth on the labour ward and you are wondering how you can make it feel a little less clinical. We know that labour can be facilitated by making sure our environment feels FAMILIAR, PRIVATE, SAFE, QUIET and DARK, it’s just the way that our birthing hormones like things to be. Think about other mammals, they instinctively head off to the shed at the bottom of the garden, on their own, at night to give birth. Now, I’m not suggesting we birth in a shed, but we do know that the labour ward can sometimes be loud, bright, medical and busy, we want the opposite of this. 

 Transform the room using hypnobirthing

Never fear, there are plenty of things that we can do to transform your room on the labour ward to make it feel familiar, private, safe, quiet and dark (everything another mammal would instinctively look for.) First things first, that room is yours and you can pretty much do whatever you want to it (within reason). This is where your birth partner comes into play, it is their job to make this room look and feel like a spa (or as close as possible). 

Here’s 5 top tips (and an added extra) to make your labour room as calm and relaxing as possible:

·      Turn off the lights – get rid of the harsh strip lighting and switch off the lights. Set up some battery-operated LED candles or fairy lights. Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for initiating contractions and maintaining them loves dim lighting.

·      Put your hypnobirthing tracks on loudspeaker – This will help to drown out any external noises and help you to enter into a deeper state of relaxation, especially if you have been listening to your hypnobirthing tracks throughout pregnancy. *Did you know that I send out 4 hypnobirthing tracks as soon as someone has paid their deposit to book a course with me. This means they can start listening to the tracks straight away.

·      Hide the clock – If there is a clock in the room, take it off the wall or cover it up. You don’t need to know the time, ‘a watched clock never moves.’

·      Use essential oils – Spray the room with an essential oil that you have been using during pregnancy.* This will help to mask the smell of the hospital and will help create a sense of familiarity, not to mention it will be a great trigger for hypnosis. 

·      Move the bed – Get your birth partner to push the bed to the side of the room and empty the contents of your bag on it. This is going to help resist the urge to lay down, we know that being upright and mobile can help to create up to 30% more space in the pelvis (of course if you do feel like you need a rest you can still use it). Moving the bed will also create more space in the room for you to pace up and down in if you wish.

An extra hypnobirthing tip

Remember that all of your hypnobirthing techniques to help keep you calm, feeling in control and confident can be used no matter where you give birth. Every single tool that you have been practising throughout pregnancy can be used in a hospital setting.

There are plenty of other things that you can do too to transform that room. Why not join one of my hypnobirthing courses so that you and your birth partner feel fully prepared for your upcoming birth.

You can also read a positive hospital birth story below, this couple really made the best out of the labour ward, putting their affirmation cards and tea light candles on the bed and using the bed as a tool to lean on.

It’s important to know that it’s your choice to decide if the labour ward is the right place for you to give birth. Sometimes it is presented to us as our only option but we can consider a birth centre or home birth instead. All of them have their pros and cons, it’s a good idea to see what suits you best. 

If you live local in either Wakefield or Leeds, why not check out the below blog post to see what options you have in terms of where to give birth.

 *before using any essential oils during pregnancy and labour, please check with a professional that they are safe to use.

Hannah x