5 reasons birth doulas should consider learning hypnobirthing
Is hypnobirthing a useful skill for doulas? Yes! Here's why.
Researching how to become a birth doula? Doula work has become a prominent field in the last 5 years and that's really exciting! Well-trained doulas make a huge impact on improving healthcare outcomes. There are a variety of ways to act in the doula role. Supporting labor & birth is the most common. As such, birth doula training is a popular choice for those interested in reproductive health. So while it could seem like a bit of a stretch to say that doulas should learn hypnobirthing, we want to share some reasons we believe this skillset should be commonplace!
#1 Hypnobirthing brings support and comfort to the labor process
When you discover how to become a birth doula one of the first lessons you will probably learn is that it is hard work! At HelloBirth, one of our goals is to lighten the load for birth doulas by offering our set of specialized skills. Hypnosis for birth is something that many individuals learn easily. Even if particular challenges are encountered, the majority of people who learn these skills benefit from them in some form or fashion. Most people who learn and practice hypnobirthing gain self-empowerment as they experience more comfort and ease during their labor and birth processes, which in turn, supports their birth doula as they facilitate a positive atmosphere. The doula can focus more on protecting your space rather than creating it for the client. The client, through hypnobirthing, creates their own experience more readily and has skills to create comfort sensations in the body! Amazing!
#2 Becoming a hypnobirthing doula can bring you more clients
Hypnobirthing classes are popular. If you choose to learn hypnobirthing, maybe even before your birth doula training, you'll be able to start quickly attracting birth doula clients who are choosing hypnobirthing as their birth preparation.
#3 Becoming a hypnobirthing instructor can bring you more clients
One of our favorite things about teaching hypnobirthing classes is the relationships we get to form with our students and their partners. When I host a class for 5 or 6 families, usually around half of them invite me to serve as their birth doula. I absolutely love serving in both roles together. It makes for a rich experience for both of us! I get to witness their preparation process unfolding and then I get to see how it plays out in the real world. It makes my teaching easier too when I have the opportunity to connect the dots between preparation and real life. Moreover, many people are searching for education before they even know about the doula role or before they have had a chance to begin interviewing doulas. So you'll likely capture people earlier in their process if you are offering classes.
#4 Studying hypnobirthing before your birth doula training is a great start to building your knowledge base
Most hypnobirthing classes provide full childbirth education as a part of the offering, so not only are you gaining cool hypnosis for birth skills and learning how to prepare your mind for labor, but you're also learning about preparing your body during pregnancy, how the stages of labor unfold, how to support your needs throughout the labor process, how to navigate the healthcare system and speaking with your healthcare providers regarding your needs, birth plans vs preferences, Cesarean birth, preparing for postpartum, and basic newborn care and feeding practices. In fact, one of the things to know about how to become a birth doula is that practically all doula trainings require you to attend a birthing class and document your experience as a part of your certification requirements. So hypnobirthing can be a fantastic way to check that box!
#5 You'll feel more prepared as a birth doula
It's pretty much guaranteed that you'll work with at least some clients who've prepared using hypnobirthing or you'll be asked to step in as a back-up doula for someone who has. So it's wonderful to be prepared, even if you don't plan to actively seek hypnobirthing clients. As much as we love hypnosis for birth, we do have to place the disclaimer that not all hypnobirthing classes are created equal. So be sure to fully vet the class you plan to attend to make sure that it's going to offer the students comprehensive practice schedules, high-quality learning materials, and well-researched, therapeutic grade techniques.