Hypnosis to help you through childbirth
Hypnobirthing is a really valuable way of preparing yourself for labour and childbirth. It means you’ll be fully prepared (however the birth goes…), in control – and most certainly less fearful. And partners have an active role through the birthing process. Serena Williams of Bump and Glide is The Hub’s hypnobirthing expert, a passionate advocate of approaching birth in a positive frame of mind. Here’s what some of her past clients say about her work.
‘We are so thankful we came to your hypnobirthing session, Serena. We could not have been without it during labour. Steve was amazing at reading my affirmations, talking for me, so I could concentrate on my breathing, creating my nest and staying calm throughout the whole process. Knowing what his role was worked wonders. We were a team, we didn’t need anyone else. Just like you spoke of – yes, we had intervention, but we felt incredibly informed about every process. Thank you.’
‘I was a bit fearful about the birth of my second child after my daughter’s delivery didn’t quite go to “plan”, so I decided to give hypnobirthing a go. I initially tried to immerse myself in a book but found I wasn’t gelling with the technique, so after much Google-searching I stumbled upon Serena at Bump and Glide.
She came to our house for a condensed course over two weeks, and I can only sing her praises. Serena has a very calming presence and I found the information she gave my husband and I very factual and reassuring, especially when she drew on her own experiences. By the end of the course I felt incredibly empowered about the birth choices this time around and was ready to attempt another pain relief-free delivery.
Unfortunately, as is often the way, things veered off-course when I became ill at the end of my pregnancy and we also found that the baby was footling breech. The breathing techniques were put to use during a failed ECV (to turn the baby) – the obstetrician even commented on how relaxed my stomach muscles were during what I can confirm was a very painful experience! I then went into labour naturally – my contractions were two minutes apart and lasted more than a minute, but I managed to hypnobirth through them all and refused the offered pain relief.
Unfortunately, my labour didn’t progress and I had to stay in hospital due to the risk to me and the baby. My pregnancy ended in a C-section at 37+3 weeks, not at all what I had hoped for, but again the techniques I learned from Serena helped me get through what I found to be quite a scary situation.
When our son was then admitted to hospital a couple of days later my husband and I drew on the skills Serena taught us about asking questions of the medical staff and challenging decisions that were made.
I cannot recommend Serena highly enough. She is incredibly kind and caring and passionate about the work she does. She empowers couples to understand their options for the birth of their child, even when things aren’t necessarily straightforward. I am really glad we found her!’