When should I start practicing Hypnobirthing?
To find the answer to this question, we first need to talk about what hypnobirthing is.
Hypnobirthing is full antenatal education. It is a course that includes:
Understanding how your body and brain works.
The stages of labour.
How to help cope with labour.
What to expect depending on what kind of birth you want.
Insight into your rights.
Breathing techniques and why these really work.
...amongst a whole host of other things too!
So back to your question, when should you start? Whenever. Honestly, you can begin to learn about birth and your body whenever the heck you like! It is also never too early to be practicing all the things a hypnobirthing course can teach you. If you are already pregnant and are wondering if it is too early, you might find that starting by your second trimester gives you plenty of time to get into the nitty gritty of the science behind hypnobirthing and putting the techniques into practice. The more you practice the tricks, the more confident you will feel when baby decides to make an appearance. Group hypnobirthing courses also provide you with a small community of people going through similar things and it is never too early to make connections and feel supported on your journey.
But what if you're already in your third trimester, is it too late? No!
Depending on where you are at, you might find a mini course more suitable for your situation, but you can absolutely do a full course and benefit from it. Doing this at this time rather than earlier on might not give you time to practice more, but it gives you the benefit of it being so recent in your mind that it is fresh and ready to be used.
If ever in doubt, chat to an instructor about your circumstances and your individual needs.
Want to learn more about hypnobirthing and how to choose the right instructor for you? Read my blog on that!