Let’s talk about hypnobirthing, and more importantly, whether it will or will not work for you. Because hypnobirthing has become one of those topics that people tend to have strong opinions about, often without really knowing what it is actually about.

Some people picture hypnobirthing as being very quiet, very calm, very zen. They imagine whispering affirmations, breathing gently, and floating through labour in total peace. And while that can be part of it for some people, that picture alone is not what hypnobirthing really is.

Hypnobirthing is not about being silent or serene or coping perfectly. It is about creating the right conditions for your body and your hormones to do what they are designed to do in labour. To decide whether hypnobirthing is for you, it really helps to understand what is actually happening in your body during birth.

At the centre of labour is a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is the hormone that causes contractions. Your body releases it in high levels during labour to help the uterus contract and bring your baby down and out. Oxytocin is also the hormone linked to bonding, love, and feelings of safety and connection. And one of the most important things to know about oxytocin is that it is shy.

Oxytocin thrives when you feel safe, calm, and unobserved. It rises when your body feels protected and supported. On the other hand, bright lights, feeling watched, feeling rushed, fear, or anxiety can cause oxytocin levels to drop. When oxytocin drops, contractions can become less effective. This is not a failure of your body. It is simply biology.

This is why people sometimes hear phrases like go home and relax when labour seems to stall. It is not random advice or a brush off. It is rooted in hormonal physiology. When fear reduces, oxytocin often increases. When oxytocin increases, contractions tend to become more coordinated and effective.

This is where hypnobirthing starts to make sense. Hypnobirthing techniques such as breathing, relaxation, visualisation, and understanding what is happening in your body are designed to reduce fear and increase feelings of safety. Less fear allows oxytocin to flow more freely. More oxytocin supports labour to progress more effectively. That is the foundation of hypnobirthing, and it is firmly grounded in how the body works.

But there is more going on than oxytocin alone. We also need to talk about adrenaline. Adrenaline is one of your survival hormones. When you feel anxious, scared, or under threat, your body releases adrenaline to help you respond to danger. This is incredibly helpful if you need to run away from something, but during labour, high levels of adrenaline can slow or even temporarily stall contractions.

From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. If a birthing person sensed danger, it would not have been safe for labour to continue. The body’s response was to pause until safety returned. That same response still exists in our bodies today, even though danger now might look like unfamiliar environments, bright hospital lights, lots of people coming in and out, or language that makes you feel frightened or rushed.

Hypnobirthing works with this understanding. By helping you feel calmer and more informed, it supports your nervous system to stay in a state where adrenaline is lower and oxytocin can continue to rise. This is not about forcing relaxation. It is about reducing unnecessary stress so your body does not slip into fight or flight when it does not need to.

As labour intensifies, something else incredible happens. Your body begins to release endorphins. Endorphins are natural pain relieving hormones. They work in a similar way to opioids and help you cope with the intensity of contractions. Endorphins do not remove sensation, but they change how pain is perceived. They can help you feel more focused, more inward, and better able to ride the waves of labour.

Endorphins, like oxytocin, are supported by feelings of safety and trust. When you feel supported, when you understand what is happening, and when you feel emotionally secure, endorphins are more likely to flow. This is one of the reasons why environment, language, and emotional safety matter so much in birth. This hormonal pathway is well known physiology. It is not a belief system or a mindset trick. It is how the body works.

So when people ask whether hypnobirthing works, the more helpful question is often what does it work for. Hypnobirthing works to support your biology. It works to support your nervous system. It works to help you feel calmer, more informed, and more confident as labour unfolds. It does not promise a pain free birth or a specific outcome, and anyone suggesting that it does is missing the point.

Hypnobirthing does not stop birth from being intense. It does not remove unpredictability. What it can do is help you meet that intensity with less fear and more understanding. And that matters, regardless of how your birth unfolds.

It is also important to say that hypnobirthing is not only useful for unmedicated or physiological births. Even when birth needs medical help, feeling informed and safe still matters enormously. Understanding what is happening, why decisions are being suggested, and how your body responds to stress does not stop being relevant just because interventions are involved.

People who feel informed and involved in their care tend to report more positive birth experiences, even when plans change. Hypnobirthing tools can help with this by encouraging questions, supporting communication, and helping you stay grounded when things feel intense or unexpected.

The real power of hypnobirthing is not about staying calm at all costs. It is about supporting your body and mind to work together as effectively as possible. It is about recognising that fear, environment, and language all influence how labour unfolds, and that you deserve support that takes those things seriously.

Hypnobirthing will not look the same for everyone. Some people love affirmations, others find them irritating. Some people connect deeply with visualisation, others prefer factual understanding. That does not mean hypnobirthing is not for you. It simply means it should be adapted to fit you, not the other way around.

At its heart, hypnobirthing is about knowledge, preparation, and emotional safety. It is about trusting your body while also understanding it. It is about knowing that your hormones are not random, and that the way you feel in labour really does matter.

If you are pregnant and curious about hypnobirthing, you do not need to decide whether it will work for you based on stereotypes or social media portrayals. You are allowed to take what feels helpful and leave the rest. You are allowed to approach it with curiosity rather than pressure.

And if you are pregnant, make sure you are heading to The Baby Show at ExCeL from the 6th to the 8th of March. I will be there sharing more pregnancy, birth, and postpartum tips, and having honest, supportive conversations about all of this. I would love to see you there.

Birth is complex, powerful, and deeply human. Supporting your hormones, your nervous system, and your sense of safety is never a waste of time. And that is what hypnobirthing is really about.