Hypnobirthing Explained: A Gentle Path to Confident Birth
Q&A with Katharine Graves
What inspired you to become a hypnobirthing practitioner and create
KG Hypnobirthing?
I became inspired by hypnobirthing during my training. The only reason I went to the training was that I had to complete additional training to maintain my registration as a hypnotherapist—but my goodness, I’m glad I did. It has changed my life, and the lives of many other people too. I was blown away by how amazing the course is.
It is the greatest privilege and delight to be a Katherine Graves Hypnobirthing teacher and to see the difference it makes in the lives of the thousands of women who have taken the course, either in person or online.
I started KG Hypnobirthing out of necessity. I was removed from the organisation I originally trained with for teaching the course over one weekend instead of in four separate parts over four weeks. As this was how I earned my living, I had to quickly launch KG Hypnobirthing in order not to be in breach of copyright. I wrote The Hypnobirthing Book as the handbook for the course. It is also a standalone book in its own right and has become a bestseller on Amazon.
The KG Hypnobirthing course is generally considered the authority on hypnobirthing in the UK, and in many other countries too. We have trained thousands of teachers worldwide, as the KG Hypnobirthing teacher training courses are now available via Zoom. Some of these teachers have gone on to develop their own methods. Many of the other hypnobirthing methods offered in the UK are run by people who were originally trained by me.
How would you explain hypnobirthing to someone completely new to the concept?
I don’t know, because hypnobirthing is a word used for a wide range of courses and products, so it is meaningless. I’m sure they all give some benefit, but how much? You need to do your research and make sure you are choosing the best. I can only talk about KG Hypnobirthing.
Many people think of hypnobirthing as a rather hippy-ish optional extra; a bit of breathing and relaxation that, with a bit of luck, might make a slight difference when they give birth. That is a grave misconception. People are sceptical of hypnobirthing because of the word “hypno,” and why shouldn’t they be? It is a course with a funny name that they know nothing about. Scepticism is a reasonable approach. I encourage scepticism. I want people to be sceptical and ask questions. Everything we say in KG Hypnobirthing is logical and evidence-based. All I ask is that people apply the same degree of scepticism and questioning to all their care outside the KGH course.
If I hear a woman say, “I did hypnobirthing, but it didn’t work,” I would want to know exactly what she did. Did she listen to an audio during birth? Did she go to a short course where she learnt some breathing and relaxation? Did she do an antenatal course that she was told included hypnobirthing? Did she listen to an audio during birth?
Or did she attend a 12-hour course covering all the skills and information, ideally with her husband or partner? Did they do daily practice? Did she reinforce what she had learnt on the course by reading The Hypnobirthing Book? That is what I call hypnobirthing. That is what I teach. That is what I am proud to commend to every pregnant woman for its effectiveness.
What key benefits does hypnobirthing provide for mothers, babies and birth partners?
The benefits will vary for individual women. The benefit she gets from the course will depend on what she puts into it and also on taking responsibility for the logical choices she makes. All the information is there for her in the course.
She experiences the benefits of KG Hypnobirthing during her pregnancy as well as at the birth of her baby.
A woman who does the KGH understands her:
Choices – The choices she makes put her in
Control – When she is in control, she feels
Confident – When she feels confident, her mind is
Calm – When her mind is calm, her hormones make birth more Comfortable
Benefits:
Knowledge. Shorter birth. More comfortable birth.
She is equipped to understand interventions that may be offered, particularly induction of labour, and the scare tactics that may be used to get her to agree to an intervention she had previously said she did not want.
She learns the questions to ask to assess the interventions that are routinely offered.
She learns how to remain positive about her pregnancy when she is being subjected on all sides to stress and worry, by using “bonus time” to maintain her positivity.
When she feels positive, she produces oxytocin, the hormone that facilitates the progress of labour.
Benefits for the partner:
The partner becomes an important and useful part of pregnancy and birth. It brings a couple closer together through the practice they do. I’m sure it brings the father closer to his child because he knows he has been a useful part in how that baby enters the world.
Benefits for the baby:
Many KGH babies don’t cry at birth because they have had a gentle transition into the world. There is a serenity and poise about them that is difficult to define but frequently observed. This quality seems to remain with them as they grow. I cannot give evidence for this. All babies are different, of course, but I’m often told that KGH babies sleep better at night. Sadly, we can’t guarantee it!
What are the most common misconceptions about hypnobirthing that you would like to clarify?
One of the most common misconceptions about hypnobirthing is that it’s a “nice-to-have” or a slightly flaky add-on to pregnancy—something you can skip, especially when money feels tight.
In reality, hypnobirthing shouldn’t be anything but optional. It’s a practical, evidence-informed tool that helps you understand how your body works in birth, reduce fear, and support both your baby and yourself during one of the most intense experiences of your life.
And it doesn’t have to be expensive. The KG Hypnobirthing online course costs just $55 in the US or £45 in the UK—making it one of the most accessible and valuable investments you can make for your pregnancy, birth, and your baby’s lifelong wellbeing.
When during pregnancy is the best time to start hypnobirthing classes, and why?
It really doesn’t matter when you do the course. It works whenever you do it. I would prefer a couple to take the course together in the second trimester. Then there is plenty of time to practise and enjoy the benefits in your pregnancy as well as at the birth of your baby. I have taught couples from 12 to 41 weeks and they have all derived benefit at the birth. Most couples seem to come early in the third trimester.
Can you share one or two simple techniques parents can begin practicing today to prepare for birth?
Here is a free audio for you to download. Listen to it each night as you fall asleep, so you and your baby can both benefit. The effects are cumulative. You can also play it quietly in the background during birth.
You may expect me to say this, but it’s genuinely true: the KG Hypnobirthing online course is something you need. Most people take it during their first pregnancy, while others come to it after a difficult or traumatic first birth, when finding the courage to become pregnant again. Those parents are often the most surprised by how much of a difference it truly makes.
The course provides the knowledge—but it’s the daily practice that creates real change. Just 10 minutes a day, practiced together until birth, is the most important part. You won’t be able to “prove” it’s working until the moment it does—when you experience a calmer, more empowered birth because of the choices you made and the practice you committed to.
How can birth partners actively support the hypnobirthing process?
Men are useless at giving birth . Women are very good at it. They’ve been doing it for millennia. But men are very good at protection. It’s instinctive . Your partner’s role is to protect you, It is to protect you from any negative and keep you in an impenetrable bubble of positivity so you can produce positive hormones as you grow your baby. He needs to be well informed to do this, particularly when it comes to the birth itself.
The partners role is not to tell mum what to do. She knows. It is to protect her from other people who want to interfere. I have known thousands of women who want to give birth at home but he doesn’t want her to so she goes to hospital. How dare he subject her potentially to pain and trauma because of his misinformation and fears. His role is to protect.
How can women (+partner) learn more or enrol in your courses to deepen their hypnobirthing practice?
Every woman everywhere can book on the KG hypnobirthing online course. It is very reasonably priced. Here are the details
In the USA: kghb.org/usonline $55
In the UK and other countries kghb.org/kgonline £45
I teach the course in person in London Every month which covers the same material as the online course. The link is kghb.org/parents
Katharine Graves
Katharine Graves, bestselling author of The Hypnobirthing Book, is the founder of KG Hypnobirthing and a UK-based expert and educator who gives parents and professionals knowledge and techniques for calm, positive birth experiences.
If you want to add more, I have also served in the following capacities:
- Trustee of the birth charity AIMS (The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services)
- Member of the Council of the Maternity and Newborn Forum of the Royal Society of Medicine
We are offering a 15% discount for the KG Hypnobirthing online course to your subscribers.
Short link: kghb.org/nestbaby
Discount code: NestBabyKGH
