What is hypnobirthing? How pain management technique used by the Duchess of Cambridge while pregnant with George, Charlotte and Louis can help severe morning sickness with deep breathing and meditation
- Hypnobirthing also involves imaging holding a new baby to help relax the mind
- Kate Middleton, 38, used deep breathing and meditation proposed by method
- Avant-garde method is designed to reduce pain during labour and births
Hypnobirthing was used by Kate Middleton during her pregnancies with George, Charlotte and Louis to help her fight severe morning sickness and overcome her fear of childbirth.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, revealed she used deep breathing and meditation put forward by the technique to help relax herself in an interview with podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby hosted by Giovanna Fletcher.
The avant-garde method, which also involves imaging holding a new baby for the first time, is meant to help reduce pain during labour and birth.
The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, revealed she used deep breathing and meditation in an interview with podcast Happy Mum Happy Baby
Kate said she used the method during all three of her pregnancies. She is pictured left with son Prince George in July 2013 and right with Princess Charlotte in May 2015. Both births took place at the Lido Wing at St Mary’s hospital
The Duchess revealed in the interview that she decided to use hypnobirthing after realising the importance of ‘mind over the body’ and when other methods failed.
‘I’m not going to say that William was standing there sort of, chanting sweet nothings at me,’ she said.
‘He definitely wasn’t. I didn’t even ask him about it, but it was just something I wanted to do for myself.
‘I saw the power of it really, the meditation and the deep breathing and things like that, that they teach you in hypnobirthing, when I was really sick and actually I realised that this was something I could take control of, I suppose, during labour. It was hugely powerful.’
Hypnobirthing aims to distract the mother-to-be by getting her to focus on her body and the birth of her baby, according to the UK’s leading baby charity Tommy’s.
Kate smiles while holding baby Louis outside the Lido Wing of St Mary’s Hospital, London, in April 2018
Kate Middleton pictured talking to locals in Aberdeen, Scotland, earlier this week
The technique also uses deep relaxation techniques to get expectant parents to block out noise from around them.
It aims to get women into a relaxed but focused state which could lead to them feeling less pain and having an easier birth.
It is thought the method reduces levels of stress hormones, such as adrenalin, which could lead to a ‘calmer birth’.
However, a 2013 NHS study on the method involving 680 women did not conclusively show that it was effective.
Hypnotherapy can be taught in classes either privately, in a group, or online.
Kate pictured with her husband and all three of her children during the Trooping of the Colour last year. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry also attended
Georgina, who tried hypnobirthing, told Tommy’s: ‘My husband made me a relaxation album to use through labour and pregnancy. It really helped me to find calm serenity in the clinical hospital environment.
‘I used hypnobirthing when having both my children. In my first pregnancy I had a lot of pre-labour, with my body slowly getting ready for the big event. Using hypnobirthing techniques helped me to feel empowered when my labour properly started.
‘My second was completely drug free with no interventions. I had the most positive experiences at both births but my second was so amazing because of being able to relax throughout and be present and enjoy the experience drug free. I’m also convinced it helped me to recover faster too.’