There can be lots of confusion over what kind of antenatal education you should be investing your hard-earned money in. Here I break down what you can expect from a hypnobirthing course versus a traditional antenatal course to help you decide what is right for you.
Hypnobirthing is a type of antenatal education
Despite its misleading name, hypnobirthing is a type of antenatal education. What do I mean by that? Well, good antenatal education prepares you for birth. You should learn about the physiological process of birth, pain relief options, birth place options and possible interventions at the very least. Both traditional antenatal courses, such as those offered by NCT, and the hypnobirthing courses that I offer, will give you this information.
How hypnobirthing differs from traditional antenatal courses
The key difference between a hypnobirthing course and a traditional antenatal course is that hypnobirthing will give you mindset tools and an antenatal course will give you more information about the postpartum period.
Course content
During a hypnobirthing course you will learn about the mind and its connection to your body. You will gain tools and strategies for preparing yourself mentally for labour and birth. Practical techniques to use during labour itself are also an important part of any hypnobirthing course. The mindset tools you learn during a hypnobirthing course will also set you up brilliantly for the challenges you will face in parenthood.
Traditional antenatal courses are less likely to place such an important focus on your mindset. Instead, they will dedicate part of the course to preparing you for the postpartum period. They are likely to cover feeding, baby care, and perhaps baby first aid.
Class sizes
Generally speaking, antenatal course class sizes tend to be larger than hypnobirthing class sizes. You can expect 4 to 5 couples in a hypnobirthing class, versus 8 to 10, or even as many as 14, couples in an antenatal class.
Summary
In the table below, I have laid out the principle features of antenatal courses and hypnobirthing courses so that you can see for yourself what is covered. Please note that the list is non-exhaustive and that the exact content will depend on the course provider.
| Hypnobirthing course | Traditional antenatal course | |
|---|---|---|
| Class size | 4-5 couples | 8-14 couples |
| Course length | 6-10 hours | 10-15 hours |
| Focus | Mindset, antenatal period, labour and birth | Labour, birth and postnatal period |
| Birth physiology | Yes | Yes |
| Birth hormones | Yes | Yes |
| Hypnosis for birth | Yes | No |
| Mindset techniques | Yes | No |
| Pain management | Yes | Yes |
| Birth environment | Yes | Yes |
| Birth partner role | Yes | Yes |
| Comfort measures (massage, breathing etc.) | Yes | Maybe |
| Interventions | Yes | Yes |
| Baby care | No | Yes |
| Feeding | No | Yes |
| Infant first aid | No | Maybe |
This post should have given you a better understanding of the similarities and differences between a hypnobirthing course and a traditional antenatal course.
If in depth preparation for birth that covers both your mind and your body is what you are looking for then take a look at my range of comprehensive hypnobirthing courses here.