Hypnobirthing. Career change. Grandmother.

I was halfway through my training as a clinical hypno-psychotherapist when my daughter and son-in-law told me they were pregnant. I had planned to do a hypnobirthing instructor course as part of my professional development but I thought this would be after I’d qualified as a hypno-psychotherapist.

The news that my daughter was going to have a baby changed my plans. I decided that I would go on a training course as soon as I could - just another thing to add to all the psychotherapy study and research I was doing! I wanted to find out if it could really help my daughter during labour and she and her husband could be my case study.

The easibirthing® course I enrolled on is only available to clinical hypno-psychotherapists. I learned so much and, coupled with my hypno-psychotherapy studies, I was very excited to complete my training and start to travel my new career path.

As all was well with the pregnancy, my daughter and son-in-law opted for a home birth with a birthing pool, using the hypnobirthing techniques I had taught them. I was privileged to also be at the birth.

Early labour began at 4am in the morning and my daughter, with the help of her husband, managed her contractions really well throughout the day, using her hypnobirthing experience. By the time the midwives arrived (the dream team of Hayley, Kath and student Hayley - thank you to the wonderful NHS Bristol), labour was well established and the birthing pool was being used. It’s often a good idea to change positions or take walk around during labour; walking helps the baby to move down into position and push on the opening of the cervix.

My daughter was advised to take a short walk so she crab-stepped upstairs to move events along a bit more. And Baby Boy was born on the landing! X will forever mark the spot!

My daughter was awesome – a lioness – calm, confident and in control of her whole birth. It was an amazing experience and such a joy to be a part of.

We all want the very best for our children and, if I thought for one minute that hypnobirthing wasn’t going to work, I wouldn’t have persuaded my daughter to use it in her labour and I wouldn’t have decided to become a hypnobirthing instructor. I am now qualified in clinical hypno-psychotherapy, which will be of great use in helping women who have had previous birth trauma and with parents coming to terms with their new role. The massive benefits of hypnobirthing and seeing how calm and confident my daughter was during her labour convinced me that, even as a grandmother, I can be a powerful hypnobirthing teacher.