My Hypnobirthing style

KGHypnobirthing with me

It is awesome that you are considering using KGHypnobirthing to prepare for the birth of your baby! By exploring your options you are already getting information needed to make the best choices for you, your baby and your partner.

In late 2011, I was in your shoes. Pregnant. Hormonal. Loving my bump and feeling uncomfortable and restless! Somewhere along to lines I started to think about the kind of birth I wanted, amidst a lifetime’s worth of social conditioning that birth was something to fear, an undignified medical emergency, painful and messy.

Googling YouTube videos for an alternative, I distinctly remember what was the game changer for me. I'll never forget it, and still watch the videos that changed my views of birth, today!

I came across two particular birth videos that completely challenged my socially conditioned idea of what childbirth was like. Instead of seeing a labouring woman feeling passive, ill-informed, uncomfortable, exposed and vulnerable, I saw for the first time, the polar opposite. A woman, in labour. Grounded. Calm. In control. Peaceful. Sitting on a bed at home. Holding her huge pregnant belly, and singing a hymn (so beautifully) during her contractions. Singing! Her older daughter was filming while her partner played guitar, and her midwife looked on. This was the first video I ever saw that showed me that a labouring woman is strong and has great inner strength and beauty to cope with the sensations. It showed me that labour can be a spiritual, creative, family event. The second video by contrast was a couple in a birth pool. It was peaceful, quiet and dark. They were caressing, stroking and being loving, until she seemed to breathe her baby out into the water. What this showed me was that birth can be a sensual, romantic and intimate event.

These two different videos not only challenged my preconceived view of birth itself, but my preconceived view of birthing people. No matter how our birth unfolds, we are the ones doing the birthing. No one else. Therefore, we can choose to get informed. We can choose to be the decision makers. We can choose to empower ourselves. We can choose body autonomy. We can choose to demand information. We can choose to have faith. We can choose to be strong and resilient. We can choose to trust our choices. We can choose who we invite into our birth space. We can choose to our support circle. We can choose to take the right steps for us to build the confidence we need to birth like the people we are.  Like I said, these videos were my most definite game changers!

I used hypnobirthing at both my births. For my first, I learnt some self-taught hypnobirthing techniques from a book as there were no courses in Wellington. It was just about enough to get me through his straight forward 12 hour (from earliest twinge to babe in arms) labour and birth. You can read this birth story here.  I vowed to support as many other parents (and usually sceptical partners) as I could, and while pregnant with my second baby, I trained to become a KGHypnobirthing teacher. My second birth was very different to my first (longer and harder due to baby's positioning), and I KNOW that with my new found knowledge and increased understanding as a KGH teacher, it was the KGHypnobirthing that got me through. You can read this birth story here.

I teach KGHypnobirthing with passion for empowered births and good perinatal emotional health.  I KNOW what a difference it can make to birth. Not just from my own experience mine, but from the parents I support too. No matter how birth unfolds (because I don't pretend birth is smooth sailing), it can always make a difference.

So why should you do a KGH course with me?

• Through information and evidence you will begin to trust your decision making and your intution.
• You will understand the physiology of birth, what happens to your body during labour and birth, and build trust.
• You will feel empowered to make the choices you are happy with.
• You will learn a about birth trauma, and how to emerge from birth feeling emotionally safe.
• I keep it real. I don't make promises and will never guarantee you a pain free, or even your dream birth (sorry!) and won’t tell you to rule out pain relief (although you may feel like you don’t need it). BUT - I will give you techniques and information to help re-frame your understanding of 'pain', how to respond to it, and leave you feel equipped to manage.
• You will be provided with the tools and support so you feel informed and equipped to deal with however you birth.
• I don't teach about the a plan A birth, but rather a plan A, B, C and D. I keep it real. We will acknowledge that birth can be unpredictable. There are no guarantees in birth (just like life!). But you will be encouraged to think about how you will deal with the unexpected, and how to use KGH technniques for all births.
• You will understand the mind and body connection and how you can create the conditions you need for a comfortable and efficient labour.
• You will understand about procedures or interventions that may be offered to you, and how to get information to make the right decisions and birth your baby in the best way, based on the circumstances you are in at the time, and how to avoid unnecessary (aka without a strong medical need) interventions.
• You will understand the importance of your birth partner and that a KGHypnobirth takes a team effort.
• Your partner will feel confident and have a central and active role in the birth for a truly shared and loving experience.
• You will understand that you and your baby are a team, working together in birth
• You will realise that birth is your responsibility and something YOU do (not something that is done TO you).

To hear an empowered birth story from KGHypnobirthing parent Ella Mills from Deliciously Ella, check out her latest podcast here. They welcomed their beautiful baby, Skye, at home in a birthing pool in July 2019, with Ella saying she had never felt so powerful.

AND SOME MORE!

Retired Birth doula, birth trauma supporter, antenatal teacher... I am expereinced, passionate and knowledgeable. I am constantly learning, reflecting, improving and enhancing my course. I am eager to share it with you!

I am well connected within the wider Wellington birth scene and community, as well as with international and national renowned birth workers (Claire Eccleston, Kelly Spriggs, Katharine Graves, Milli Hill, Mark Harris, Penny Simpkin, Kicki Hansard, and my own midwife, Liz Knightingale, to name a few). If I can’t answer your question or help with something, I know someone who can.

Have a look around my website and be sure to check out the testimonials from other parents who have KGHypnobirthed with me. Any questions, just ask.

To check out the course dates for 2024 hop over the the Hypnobirthing services page.

Warm wishes,

Anna x