Birth Right Hypnobirthing

04/04/2026

A fantastic article published this month by the incredibly knowledgeable and respected midwife, Maureen Collins. Think hypnobirthing is all airy fairy? Think again!

Hypnobirthing More than Parent Education Authors Maureen Collins MSc, BA(Hons), RM, RN Midwifery Consultant Hypnobirthing Teacher/Trainer, UK Author DOI: https://doi.org/10.47363/JWHMR/2026(5)135 Keywords: Hypnobirthing Abstract Hypnobirthing is a combination of hypnotherapy techniques and birth pre...

27/03/2026

25/03/2026

One of the biggest myths about hypnobirthing is this:

“If you’re doing hypnobirthing, you’re not allowed pain relief.”

Let me be very clear.

That is absolute nonsense.

Hypnobirthing is about helping parents feel comfortable, however their birth unfolds.

Comfort might look like:

Breathing and relaxation techniques

Movement and positioning

Water

Gas and air

Opiates

An epidural

All of these are options.
All of them come with benefits and risks.
And none of them mean you’ve “failed”.

Comfort is personal.

Part of hypnobirthing is exploring:

What comfort means to you

Your beliefs around pain

The language you use about birth

How to make informed decisions if plans change

Your birth doesn’t have to look a certain way to be positive.

It just needs to feel right for you.

And feeling comfortable is deeply linked to something else…

✨ Communication

15/03/2026

Happy mother's day to all the mums, mums-to-be and mums in waiting! ###

13/03/2026

Let's bust a HUGE myth about hypnobirthing today.
The Stereotype
People think hypnobirthing means:

🕯️ Candles and whale sounds
🤫 Total silence
🧘‍♀️ Sitting cross-legged doing "ohmmm"
😌 Serene smile while breathing through contractions

The Reality
Some hypnobirths look like that. Many DON'T. And that's totally fine.
What We Actually Mean by "Calm"
INNER calm.
Not "what it looks like to everyone else" calm.
Inner Calm Comes From:

Knowing you're making the right choices for YOU
Feeling confident in your body
Being in control of your experience

What Inner Calm Looks Like in Practice
When you've got that deep inner calm, you can listen to what YOUR body needs.
And your body might tell you to:

🦁 ROAR like a lioness
💃 Dance through every surge
🔊 Make loud, powerful sounds
🏃‍♀️ Move however feels right..or yes, breathe quietly if that's your jam

There's No "Right Way" to Birth
Loud? Valid.
Quiet? Valid.
Somewhere in between? Also valid.
The goal isn't to look calm to everyone else. The goal is to FEEL calm inside so you can trust your body and do your thing.
Your Birth, Your Volume Control 🔊
Some people use hypnobirthing and look zen AF to outsiders. Cool for them!
But that's not the measuring stick.
Your success = Staying connected to YOUR body, however that looks.

24/02/2026

The 7 C's of Hypnobirthing #3: CONFIDENCE

You know you have choices. But do you have the confidence to find out what they are and actually choose?

The Three Types of Confidence:

1. Confidence in Your Body

Your body took TWO CELLS and built an entire human. Without you consciously directing which bit becomes a toenail or a nostril.
Your body doesn't get to labour and suddenly go "Oh sh**, what now?" It's got this.

2. Confidence to Ask Questions

Talking to people in white coats makes our brain go: "Don't be rude! Don't look stupid!"

Reality check: You didn't train as a midwife or doctor. Asking questions isn't rude - it's smart.

3. Confidence in Your Caregivers

Studies prove it: When you have caregivers who actually get you, who listen, who know you - outcomes are better.

You deserve someone who supports YOUR vision and helps you achieve what YOU want.

When you've got all three? You can be calm. (More on that next time!)

💙

Want to learn more and prepare for the best birth? There is still a space on my March course, and a couple on my April one. Book one now!

24/02/2026

We're working on our Birth Information Update email this week.

It'll be in your inbox soon so keep an eye out.

For anybody who doesn't know what I'm talking about, we have a free email list which you’re welcome to subscribe to.

We send regular emails, including our Birth Information Update email at the end of each month.

Our emails are packed with links to the most interesting and useful birth-related research and thinking.

I also add a bit of chat, links to my best blog posts and sometimes I pick one study to look at a bit more closely.

Some of the info isn’t available anywhere else.

If you’re not on our mailing list but would like to be, pop to https://www.sarawickham.com and look for the blue sign-up box.

There's also a link in my insta bio, or you can visit https://www.tinyurl.com/saranews

Our newsletter folks also get advance and insider knowledge of books, courses and events that I’m involved with.

So if you'd like to get updated with less effort, fly on over and sign up now!