Hypnobirthing in hospital: What I learned from Juniper's birth

We talk so much about your labour environment, taking control of your birth story, owning your decisions. But if you’re planning to give birth in hospital, you might be feeling like this is all a bit out of reach. Like these things are in someone else’s hands… Perhaps more relevant to a homebirth.

I had Juniper in hospital and I've attended countless hospital births as a doula. And my stand out advice is to work WITH your birth setting, not against it.  

Here are my top recommendations for giving birth in a hospital setting:

1. Bring your own environment

At home you can dim the lights and light a candle. You often can't do that in hospital and you don’t want to be putting energy into fighting against this. So first of all, visualise what your hospital birth is going to look like. We have so many gorgeous photos of hospital births. If this is going to be you, picture this for yourself. And bring what you need, but keep it simple:

1. Relaxing or uplifting essential oils rather than a candle

2. An eye mask, or sunglasses, if the lights are too much

3. Headphones, so your ears are full of the tracks you practised with 

Above all, don’t get distracted by the setting, learn to focus in on your body instead.

      2. Give yourself permission to be loud

In hospital, you can hear loud noises in the next room and that can make you feel like you need to be quiet, so you’re not overheard. Scrap this notion. 

Birth is wild, it’s visceral, nobody gives birth silently, even though Instagram videos might make it look serene. And even though you’re in a clinical setting, it doesn’t mean you should behave in a clinical way. Use sound to control your breathing, to release the intensity and to communicate what you’re feeling. Give yourself permission to be LOUD. 

     3. Watch for the shift change

When hospital staff change shifts, all of a sudden there are new faces, new suggestions…the energy in the room changes.

Your birth partner's job here is to brief the new midwife or OB. What's working, what isn't, what needs to stay the same. I recommend you stick your birth plan somewhere for every new person to read. 

4. Know what to do in an interruption

   
   

Wherever you give birth, distractions will happen. Big or small. Perhaps someone walking in the room, asking you a question, offering an examination, or larger worries or moments of doubt.

What you need is to be able to meet these moments and bring yourself back to your calm. And when I say calm, I don’t mean silence or stillness, I mean the feeling of working WITH your labour and not against it.

In Birth Box, I teach the return and it’s one of the most valuable techniques for a hospital birth. When you’re distracted, interrupted, or feel yourself beginning to panic, use this technique to meet the moment and return to calm. It uses a combination of up-breathing, a rescue breath and the affirmation: I Can Meet This.

Practice while you’re pregnant, it’s also a brilliant technique for pregnancy anxiety. Birth Box will teach you the full technique.

5. Practice advocacy before you need it

   
   

Hospitals are busy, and often more medical than the birth you pictured for yourself. Advocating for yourself is an important part of making your birth experience your own. This doesn’t mean sticking to your plan at all costs, it means getting the information you need to make decisions, being listened to and feeling in control.

This is a skill and it’s often uncomfortable. Learning how to advocate without feeling intimidated, confrontational or ignored is hard. 

So practise it now. Asking for time to think. Asking for more information. Saying no, calmly, without justifying it. It's a big part of what we work on inside Birth Box. Or listen to this podcast on How to Advocate for Yourself in Labour and Birth.

Work WITH labour, not against it

I hope these thoughts help you to plan for your hospital birth, and if you need any further guidance, I always use the same mantra - work WITH labour, not against it.

If you're ready to step up your birth prep, Birth Box is my complete online Hypnobirthing course. It includes the Oxytocin Bubble, your complete relaxation, meditation and affirmation audios for labour. Sign up today for instant, lifetimes access. From the USA? Click here.