Giving birth without a partner might give you some headaches about how to prepare for birth as a single mum. Hypnobirthing is a well-known method to prepare you as a pregnant woman positively for the birth together with your partner. Your birth partner can support you and take an active role in the birth. In this way, you form a team as parents or as a couple and experience the special experience of birthing together. But did you know that you can also do without?
Who to choose as birth partner as single mom?
Your birth partner can be the father of your baby, but also someone else. A good friend, an aunt, a neighbour or a birth coach/doula. The point is to choose someone you feel comfortable with so that together you can create as much peace and calm around the birth as possible so that nature can do its work. You can also give birth without a partner. In that case, your midwife is your support and will take on similar tasks.
What is the role of the birth partner?
As a single pregnant woman, you will work with a variety of hypnobirthing exercises, such as breathing techniques, visualisations, affirmations and scripts. Because your birth partner is present during the course and receives an explanation of these techniques, he or she can better understand you and encourage you to work with them at home. You will also learn which touches and anchors your partner can use to help ground you as a mother during childbirth. Your partner can also take care of the space where you give birth, so that it becomes a nice and welcoming environment for your baby. By following the Hypnobirthing Pro-course together, you become a real team. If you are on your own, you can discuss the division of tasks with your midwife and examine how you can carry out the exercises yourself.
Here some additional tips for the birth partner.
When you give birth while your partner is not there (for a while)
No partner (nearby) or giving birth single? It may happen that it is difficult or impossible to participate in a hypnobirthing course with your partner. This can be the case in the following situations:
- If you have a partner abroad who has to stay there for a while. This can happen in the context of immigration law or work
- If you are having a child with a homosexual couple
- If you are pregnant on your own with or without IVF.
- Or if you are a surrogate mother.
In all these situations, it is possible to prepare positively for the birth with hypnobirthing, so you can go into labour full of peace and confidence. I myself have also made such preparations. My partner was awaiting a visa and was finally able to travel into the country two weeks before the birth. We made the best of it from a distance by video-calling and doing exercises that did not require physical contact. In the end, he was there and I look back on the delivery positively, despite the perhaps somewhat exceptional preparation. I also asked a good friend to be there.
Single antenatal classes or doula?
If you want to attend the hypnobirthing course alone without partner, I can understand that well. Much is possible, also without a partner. Together we will look for what suits you best. In the preparation for the birth on your own and during the birth. Who knows, maybe you would like someone to be involved after all. Everything is allowed, nothing is necessary.
- Are there more women who want to take the course alone at the same time? Then we plan a mama-only group course.
- In my opinion, you can also join a group course with couples to experience the group dynamics (I chose that myself and found it very pleasant).
- Or you choose the online Hypnobirthing Pro-course, then you can do everything in your own time without a partner.
- Or the online course supplemented with a private session of 3 hours, with me as your personal support and anchor. You are also welcome for additional pregnancy counselling including a childbirth massage during delivery for the doula effect.
Questions? Please do not hesitate to contact me!