A MOTHER from Mold says she is dispelling the ‘hippy dippy’ label attached to the practice of hypnobirthing after successfully guiding local couples to enjoy more positive births.

Tutor Lindy Davies turned to the practice, which uses relaxation techniques to reduce anxieties, after she herself underwent a traumatic time when she gave birth to her first child 14 years ago.

Her second birth using the method proved a very different calm and natural experience.

She was keen to spread the message that labour does not have to be racked with fear and stress and after undergoing training with leading training body KGH she launched group courses in North Wales and is currently holding weekly classes in Mold.

Many couples who have passed through Lindy’s capable hands include first time parents and also those who have suffered traumatic birthing experiences before.

Adele, from Borras Park, Wrexham, went through a gruelling 40-hour labour first time around. Afterwards she and her husband Aled vowed never to repeat it and signed up for Lindy’s hypnobirthing course.

Thanks to acquiring a series of breathing and relaxation methods they were better prepared to return to Wrexham Maelor Hospital for the birth of their second child, son, Rhun.

Adele even took a visualisation board the couple had composed into the labour ward to make her feel more at home.

“It was traumatic when our first baby was born back-to-back and Adele suffered from Postnatal Depression afterwards,” recalled Aled. “We said that wasn’t going to happen again. This time she was breathing right and was able to remain calm and relaxed.

“We had a water birth that lasted only two hours and 15 minutes and it was an amazing experience. The course helped to prepare us for the mental side of things – we did breathing exercises every evening for three months and spent time listening to relaxation music.”

Adele admitted: “My biggest fear was the hospital itself, so I tried to take my home environment into the hospital.

”We used a visualisation board and in my birth plan I made it very clear what we would be doing and how we would like to be supported by the midwife and staff.

”This worked out brilliantly, the support and respect of the midwives were amazing and they were all in awe and excited to see a calm hypnobirth.

“For example. I didn’t want anyone to speak to me, apart from Aled, during birth. It opened up the realisation that I could be in control of the situation.

”For my second birth I didn’t have any pain relief at all. I didn’t open my eyes from the moment I went into labour until I picked up my baby.”

The couple say that their hypnobirthing training meant they had the insight and knowledge to communicate confidently with hospital staff and ensured they were more in control of the birth.

Hypnobirthing teachers believe that most pain during labour is a fear response that can be avoided by tuition in breathing and relaxation methods, which help the body relax and go through the natural process of giving birth without tensing up.

Hypnobirthing techniques are based on established anatomy, physiology and psychology.

“It is not rocket science, but it is a tool kit for birth to help you and your partner to be more informed about your birth choices. Most people think it is a hippy dippy thing, but it is about reprogramming the mind and body to allow the mother to birth calmly,” outlined Lindy.

“It is a complete antenatal training programme designed to help women and their partners and birth partners enjoy a more positive, calm and natural experience of childbirth.

“We use simple effective relaxation, breathing and self-hypnosis techniques to help women to feel more in control and to release any anxiety or fears. It is about working with your body, not against it, and having the best birth for you.

“Remember that childbirth is something to be celebrated and hypnobirthing makes a massive difference to any birth whether at home or in hospital, natural or medical, even caesarean.”

It ensured that Amy Cheetham, of Rossett, was able to have a very swift home birth and in fact husband Dan caught baby Rupert and helped to bring him into the world before the midwives arrived.

The confidence they gained along with the tools and skills learned on the course were invaluable and helped them both to remain calm and relaxed.

Lindy, who runs Serenity Hypnobirthing, is now on her third group of mums and dads with classes held regularly at Breathing Space, a lottery-funded communitty room at Mold’s Alun School.

“The groups are no bigger than three or four couples,” she added. “It is all about planning the best birth for you.

“We have helped a range of couples, some of whom have suffered difficult births.

“Each birth is different. I’ve worked with couples who’ve had home births, natural breech births in hospital, more medical births and those who have used birthing pools.”

As did satisfied mum, Wendy Nulty, of Clocaenog, when she gave birth to Sam.

She recalled: “I had a chest infection at the time my waters broke, but as a health visitor I knew the medical side of things and hoped to have a natural birth.

”After labouring in water for some time, things became more medical than we’d wanted.

”But with fantastic support from our midwives and using our hypnobirthing breathing we avoided a C-section and still had a natural and positive birth.

“I think hypnobirthing should be standard for all antenatal classes.”

There has been a surge in interest in hypnobirthing and it received backing from Radio 2’s Chris Evans. Serenity Hypnobirthing also run one-to-one sessions in the home. See serenityhypnobirthing.co.uk or ring 07958 584700. Lindy and her friend Bethan Williams also facilitate free monthly meetings of the Positive Birth Movement North East Wales at Theatr Clwyd.