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Hypnobirthing

The Natural Approach to a Calm and Positive Birth - Yes, it’s possible!
Here is all you need to know!

questions

How are you feeling?

  • Are you terrified of giving birth?

  • Are you afraid of the pain of childbirth?

  • Despite attending antenatal classes, you are still feeling unprepared?

  • Are you looking for tools and techniques to help ease your worries, understand the physiology of birth and what to expect?

  • Would you love to learn what ‘birth’ hormones are and how they are involved in YOUR birth experience?

  • Do you want to be fully informed and empowered to make your own choices - where is the best place for you to give birth? Home, birthing unit or hospital? Waterbirth? Midwife or OB?

  • What about pain relief? Do you fully understand BOTH the risks and benefits for all options?

  • Are you eager to invite visualisation and affirmations into your daily practice in preparation for your birth….. how do does this work?

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DETAILS:

Interested?

Where: Whitford Community Hall, 1 Whitford-Maraetai Road, Whitford 2571

Course length: Every Tuesday 6:15pm - 8:45pm for 5 weeks

NEXT INTAKES:

24 March, 5 May, 9 June

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DISCOVER

Class rundown

read here

Read here to see what is covered in each class.

HypnoBirthing book (received at first class)

Find out what is included in the book.

read here 
HYPNOBIRTHING CLASSES

Classes return for 2026!

My classes involve a warm and relaxed atmosphere in which you will be taught how a physiological birth unfolds and what is required to allow this to occur, the importance of your environment/your care-provider and support team, the power behind positive thoughts, visualisation tools, breathing techniques, physical support tools: positioning for labour and birth - what supports birth? Pain-relieving comfort measures - massage, acupressure, hip squeezes, the use of rebozo. How can your support person best help you?

Holistically trained - I’ll share WHAT WORKS. Crampy legs? Try Mag phos tissue salts. Shaky and trembly legs in labour? Feeling weak? Try the homeopathic remedy, Gelsemium. Need constant reassurance and lots of tears in labour? Try the homeopathic remedy, Pulsatilla.

Classes are small and interactive, you’ll get to meet other mums-to-be (and their partners/support person) who are at/around the same stage of pregnancy as you are. Many of my couples form quick friendships that extend throughout the postpartum stage - helping you to feel even more supported in parenthood.

At the end of the five weeks, you will feel LESS fearful, MORE inspired AND have more confidence than you ever thought possible in yourself and your body to give birth. Let me show you that a positive birth without fear IS POSSIBLE.

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HYPNOBIRTHING CLASSES

What will I learn?

Childbirth Education created for comfortable birthing in the way that most mirrors nature. A rewarding, stress-free method of birthing based on the belief that all babies should come into the world in an atmosphere of gentility, calm and joy.

HypnoBirthing is based on the belief that severe discomfort does not need to be a natural accompaniment of birthing when a woman is properly prepared and trusts her birthing body.

HypnoBirthing - A method of pain management which can be utilised during labour and birth. Using a mixture of methods including visualisation, relaxation and deep breathing techniques, HypnoBirthing can be added to your birth plan to help you stay calm, and reduce discomfort during labour and birth. How?

  1. Visualisation: This is the practice of imagining the birth of your baby and what you want to see happen unfold in your mind. It can be general or very specific, right down to the ‘feelings’ you want to experience. A good example is rehearsing in your mind how it will feel to hold your baby skin to skin for the first time.

  2. Deep Relaxation/Meditation: Meditation when practiced throughout your pregnancy can help you to concentrate on your body and baby during labour, helping to ‘switch off’ or ‘shut out’ any noise going on around you.

  3. Deep & Controlled Breathing Techniques: By learning the techniques of deep and controlled breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, you will be much more likely to feel calm which in turn reduces discomfort. It also helps you to focus your attention away from discomforts.

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Hypnobirthing testimonials

What do past HypnoBirthing class participants have to say?

I found helping my partner with HypnoBirthing techniques we had learnt in classes over a period of time to be very rewarding. I could talk her through the wave of each surge (contraction) by reminding her to stay focused, relaxed and to help her feel in control of her birth experience. It made such a difference to be able to support her and to do something positive rather than feel like it was just her going through the birth.

— Josh (HypnoBirthing Support Partner for Leah)

Hi Angela - Our little girl is born tonight at 1 am ☺️ and I can say that the course did work amazingly!!! I didn’t use any epidural. With Davide amazing support were able to apply all the techniques you thought us! Everyone was very impressed that it was even possible and so focused on the respiration!!! 

We really want to thanks you so much again for your amazing guide…

— Federica, first baby

I was sceptical about the name HypnoBirthing, but by the end of the first class I couldn’t wait to learn more. Angela’s classes equipped my partner, Zac and myself to fully embrace my first birth experience which was traumatic and gave us a renewed sense of hope for the birth of our second baby. She delivers the information without giving her personal opinion, but has a way of getting you to absorb information and supports you to make the best decisions. We had planned to have our second baby in hospital again (just in case!) but after the third class we both felt confident to find a midwife that supported home birth. We had a healing, life-changing waterbirth and I am so grateful for HypnoBirthing and Angela’s experience and classes that helped us make it happen. I’ll recommend her to all my birthing friends!

— Selena, second baby

I’d heard about HypnoBirthing and after reading the HypnoBirthing book and my mum paid for the course for me as I am without a partner. Angela was tone of the warmest, most supportive people I have met. She made everyone feel welcome and by the end of the first class, we were so looking forward to learning more. For me, the visualisation techniques, massage and support positions are what helped me to get through my birth… that and also because I was very lucky to have Angela as my doula at my birth. I had my baby at Birthcare and Angela was with me by my side. I could not have got through without her or the HypnoBirthing techniques - especially the breathing. When I felt scared, Angela reminded me that what I was feeling was normal and not to be afraid. If you are lucky enough to get into Angela’s classes, I know you will be equipped for the best birth possible.

— Maddy, first baby

Even when it doesn’t go to plan (it seldom does…) - know in your heart you were fully prepared, you made informed choices without coercion and you gave your body and your baby the best chance possible. Feeling pressured into decisions can come from a lack of preparation - know yourself, your body, your choices, know your birth rights.

Featured at the Baby Show 2023 & 2024

Birth is truly transforming.
Let’s try to eliminate a traumatic experience.

What will I learn

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You don’t have to bring anyone to class if you don’t want to. You are very welcome to bring a sibling, family member or friend - but do think of someone who can practice with you what you have learnt in class and may be able attend your birth.

  • You will still be able to incorporate your visualisation/relaxation techniques if you have a caesarean section (planned or emergency) - ask your HypnoBirthing educator about this.

  • You can begin hypnobirthing at any time, but I recommend that the optimal time to start your course is between 20 and 30 weeks. This gives you sufficient time to practise the self-hypnosis, relaxation and other effective techniques for gentle, easy birthing but also ensures that the course is still fresh in your mind.

    If you are outside of that range please don’t worry, you can definitely still attend the classes! Please don’t hesitate me directly about options if you are further along in your pregnancy.

  • HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method is the original Practitioner training and carries a Gold Seal Approval which is recognised in 45 countries. The Gold Seal Approval assures the general public that the practitioner is of the highest standing and has passed their certification review and has agreed to the Codes of Ethics and Standards as set out by the HypnoBirthing® Institute. It is the most comprehensive program available and as such is recognised as the leading program here in New Zealand.

  • Other methods of childbirth education tend to teach you how to cope with and manage pain. Hypnobirthing education is based on the premise that a healthy woman, with an uncomplicated healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, should be able to birth without unnecessary interventions.

    Hypnobirthing focuses on the joy of birth and positively anticipate our birthing day. When women understand that pain is caused by constrictor hormones - cortisol - (created by fear), they learn to release this fear and create endorphins. Endorphins are the ‘feel good hormones’ that we naturally produce when we are calm and happy.

    Hypnobirthing teaches you to change your perception. Instead of thinking of a ‘long, painful labour’ – it is entirely possible to replace this thought with expectations of a more comfortable birthing. Rather than exhausting, shallow breathing and the distraction techniques of typical “prepared childbirth” programs; hypnobirthing parents learn deep abdominal breathing and total relaxation, enabling us to work in harmony with our body and baby. This allows us to achieve an often shorter labour for mum and baby.

  • Here are some reasons that you might consider whether HypnoBirthing is right for you:

    • HypnoBirthing can help you to manage stress hormones (e.g. adrenaline) and feelings of anxiety. Oxytocin, a chemical your body produces during labour is affected by stress hormones, which in turn may make your labour longer. However, oxytocin helps labour to progress. In short - remove the stress hormones = help labour progress. Some studies have shown HypnoBirthing has made labour shorter.

    • Practicing HypnoBirthing may help you to feel more prepared and therefore more control once labour begins.

    • HypnoBirthing may reduce the need for medical intervention and request for pain relief (note: you can still request pain relief if you feel it’s best for you).

    • You can use HypnoBirthing techniques whether you choose to birth at home, a birthing centre or hospital.

    • There is some evidence that HypnoBirthing may benefit you after the birth of your baby, as you can instil the techniques you have learnt into the post-partum period (help support feelings of anxiety/overwhelm).

    • HypnoBirthing can help your birth partner play a more active role during your labour and birth by helping and supporting you with the techniques you have learnt and practiced throughout your pregnancy.

    • By just turning up to the classes is not going to be beneficial……You will be expected to read your HypnoBirthing book, practice your relaxation/visualisation techniques as well as developing a birth plan along the way. Put into practice what you have been taught by your educator - we give you all the necessary tools - it is in your hands what you wish to do with it once you complete your classes.

    ** Practicing HypnoBirthing does not mean unexpected things won’t happen as a birth free from medical interventions or complications can never be a guarantee. HypnoBirthing techniques will however be able to help you to relax, stay calm and feel in control during labour in the event that things don’t end up going to plan.

  • You can begin hypnobirthing at any time, but I recommend that the optimal time to start your course is between 20 and 30 weeks. This gives you sufficient time to practise the self-hypnosis, relaxation and other effective techniques for gentle, easy birthing but also ensures that the course is still fresh in your mind.

    If you are outside of that range please don’t worry, you can definitely still attend the classes! Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly about options if you are further along in your pregnancy.

The results

Show me the evidence…..

  • A qualitative study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37541096/

    Results: The women changed their perspective on birth and got to know their inherent resources. They acquired various coping strategies and techniques that enhanced their sense of control. The women gained ownership of their birth and found their active participation to be meaningful. They were informed of different options concerning their birth which made it possible to make informed decisions. The participation in hypnobirth classes, and personal experience from giving birth, made women wish for integration of mental birth preparation in the public health service, thus strengthening women's trust in ther ability to give birth, which was pivotal to the participants' birth satisfaction. Conclusion: The participants experienced an empowered birth because of the knowledge, coping strategies and mental training they gained from hypnobirth classes.

  • A Randomized Controlled Trial: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10547738211073394

    Abstract: We aimed to determine the effect of Hypnobirthing training on fear of childbirth (FOC), birth pain, birth satisfaction and birth outcomes. This randomized controlled trial study was conducted with 80 nulliparous pregnant who were divided into two groups (experimental group n = 40 and control n = 40) in a maternity hospital. The couples received the training in groups(4 weeks, once a week, 3-hour, group session). The mean score of hypnobirthing group for the whole Wijma Birth Expectancy/Experience Scale was significantly lower than that of the routine care group (p < .001).In the latent, active, and transitional phases of labor, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)scores of the experimental groups were found to be significantly lower than those of the control group (p < .001).The experimental group’s rates of birth intervention were significantly lower and their deliveries period were shorter, than those that of the routine control group (p < .001).In addition, the vaginal delivery rates (p = .037)and the scores for the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) were also found to be higher than those of the control group (p < .001).

    Unexpected consequences: Women’s experiences of self-hypnosis intervention to help with pain relief during labour. Conclusion from this study suggests that: “The women in this study generally appreciated antenatal self-hypnosis training and found it to be beneficial during labour and birth. The state of focused relaxation experienced by women using the technique needs to be recognized by providers if the intervention is to be implemented into the maternity service”‍ ‍https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26407981/

  • A systematic review: Background: “Many women would like to avoid pharmacological or invasive methods of pain management in labour and this may contribute towards the popularity of complementary methods of pain management. This review examined currently available evidence supporting the use of alternative and complementary therapies for pain management in labour” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17054175/

  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15190731/

    Abstract: Prior research by the author showed that psychosocial factors distinguished complicated from uncomplicated birth outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine if prenatal hypnosis could facilitate uncomplicated birth. Following a psychosocial assessment, 520 pregnant women in their first or second trimester of pregnancy were randomized to receiving prenatal hypnosis or attention-only groups. The author provided all of the hypnosis in a manner similar to that taught by David Cheek. The goal was to reduce fear of birth and parenthood; to reduce anxiety; to reduce stress; to identify specific fears that might complicate the labor process (addressing them whenever possible); and to prepare women for the experience of labor. The attention-only group was matched to a no-contact comparison group. Women receiving prenatal hypnosis had significantly better outcomes than women who did not. Further assessment suggested that hypnosis worked by preventing negative emotional factors from leading to an complicated birth outcome. Attention only was associated with minimal differences in outcome over the no-contact group. The routine prenatal use of hypnosis could improve obstetric outcome.

  • A pilot study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16913343/

    Abstract: In our institution we have used antenatal training in self-hypnosis for over three years as a tool to provide relaxation, anxiolysis and analgesia for women in labour. To assess the effects of hypnotherapy, we prospectively collected data related to the use of hypnosis in preparation for childbirth, and compared the birth outcomes of women experiencing antenatal hypnosis with parity and gestational age matched controls.

    Methods: Prospective data about women taught self-hypnosis in preparation for childbirth were collected between August 2002 and August 2004. Birth outcome data of women using hypnosis were compared with routinely collected retrospective data from parity and gestational age matched women delivering after 37 weeks gestation during 2003.

    Results: Seventy-seven antenatal women consecutively taught self-hypnosis in preparation for childbirth were compared with 3,249 parity and gestational age matched controls. Of the women taught antenatal self-hypnosis, nulliparous parturients used fewer epidurals: 36% (18/50) compared with 53% (765/1436) of controls (RR 0.68 [95%CI 0.47-0.98]); and required less augmentation: 18% (9/50) vs 36% (523/1436) (RR 0.48 [95%CI 0.27-0.90]).

    Conclusions: Our clinical findings are consistent with recent meta-analyses showing beneficial outcomes associated with the use of hypnosis in childbirth. Adequately powered, randomized trials are required to further elucidate the effects of hypnosis preparation for childbirth.

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