Does Hypnobirthing Work? A Midwife’s Honest Answer

With celebrities praising it and more hospitals recognising its impact, you might be wondering: does hypnobirthing really work?

The NHS has recently announced plans to train more midwives in hypnobirthing – and I think that’s amazing. As a midwife myself who trained in hypnobirthing, I wholeheartedly welcome this move.

Let’s dive into the evidence, the mindset, and the practical tools that make hypnobirthing such a powerful part of birth preparation.

👉 If you’re new to the concept, start with What Is Hypnobirthing? A Midwife’s Guide.

🧘‍♀️ Why Hypnobirthing Makes Sense

I often tell people, you wouldn’t run a marathon without training. Birth is just as monumental. It’s a day you’ll remember forever, and it lays the emotional foundation for your journey into parenthood.

Here’s why I believe hypnobirthing and antenatal education are so essential.

1️⃣ It Reduces Fear

Fear is one of the biggest barriers to a smooth, positive birth. Hypnobirthing is designed to reduce fear by:

• Teaching how your body works in labour
• Offering calming tools and routines
• Reframing your beliefs about birth

One of the simplest techniques is birth affirmations. These aren’t fluff, they’re based on psychology. What we repeat, we believe. It’s called the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Examples:

• My contractions aren’t bigger than me, they are me
• I breathe calm and exhale tension
• I can do anything for 60 seconds
• My partner is my biggest source of oxytocin

These simple phrases can shape your mindset, reduce anxiety, and replace panic with calm.

2️⃣ You Understand What’s Happening in Your Body

Hypnobirthing teaches the why behind your contractions, your hormones, and the stages of labour. That knowledge helps you feel:

• More in control
• Less likely to panic
• Better able to cope when things intensify

Every contraction is doing something important. Understanding that helps you work with your body, not against it.

3️⃣ You Learn Practical Ways to Stack the Odds in Your Favour

Hypnobirthing isn’t just mindset, it’s practical. Inside The Birth Chapter, we cover:

• How to optimise your baby’s position using biomechanics
• Breathing techniques for every stage of labour
• How to create a birth space that boosts oxytocin and reduces adrenaline

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re powerful, proven tools that help labour progress more smoothly.

4️⃣ It Prepares You for Interventions and the Unexpected

Birth doesn’t always follow the plan. Hypnobirthing includes antenatal education to help you:

• Understand procedures like inductions, caesareans, and episiotomies
• Learn what to expect, and how to stay calm if things change
• Hear positive birth stories where things deviated from plan—and still felt empowering

This means your “worst-case scenario” might not feel so scary after all.

5️⃣ You Learn How to Make Informed Decisions

We teach the EBRAN tool so you can stay in control:

• E – Is it an emergency?
• B – What are the benefits?
• R – What are the risks?
• A – Are there alternatives?
• N – What if we do nothing?

This tool helps you ask the right questions, understand your options, and make decisions that feel right for you.

💬 So, Does Hypnobirthing Work?

I’ve seen it work countless times as a midwife, and in my own births. Hypnobirthing doesn’t promise perfection. It gives you tools, understanding, and confidence so that however your birth unfolds, you feel calm, capable, and connected.

🎓 The Birth Chapter course is just £39 because I believe this kind of support should be accessible to everyone. It’s midwife-led, rooted in evidence, and includes hypnobirthing, antenatal education, and biomechanics.

✨ [Get started with immediate access to The Birth Chapter] and begin your journey to a calmer, more confident birth.