By Gwen Gould | Retired NHS Midwife & Certified Hypnotherapist
After 35 years as an NHS midwife, I’ve held the hands of thousands of mothers during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives: giving birth.
Some of those mothers felt calm and empowered. Others felt terrified and out of control.
And over the decades, I noticed a pattern.
The difference wasn’t the type of birth they had. It was how prepared they felt going into it.
That realisation changed everything for me — and it’s why I became a certified hypnotherapist and wrote The Hypnobirthing Blueprint: From Pregnancy to Empowered Birth.
The Problem With Fear-Based Birth Preparation
In the UK, we talk about birth like it’s something to survive rather than something to trust.
Pregnant women are bombarded with horror stories:
- “The pain is unbearable.”
- “You’ll lose all control.”
- “Just get the epidural immediately.”
While medical intervention absolutely has its place (and I’m grateful for it when needed), this fear-based narrative creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When you’re terrified, your body tenses. When your body tenses, labour becomes harder. When labour becomes harder, you feel more afraid.
The cycle continues.
What Hypnobirthing Actually Is (And Isn’t)
Let me clear something up: Hypnobirthing isn’t about having a “pain-free” or “natural” birth with no medical intervention.
It’s about feeling calm, informed, and in control — regardless of what type of birth you have.
Whether you’re planning:
- A home birth
- A hospital birth
- An elective caesarean
- Or you simply don’t know what will happen
Hypnobirthing gives you mental and emotional tools to work with your body instead of fighting against it.
The core principles include:
✨ Breathing techniques that activate your parasympathetic nervous system (your body’s natural “calm down” response)
✨ Visualisation practices that help you stay grounded and focused during contractions
✨ Self-hypnosis methods to manage discomfort and reduce anxiety
✨ Reframing language — calling contractions “surges,” for example, to remove negative associations
✨ Birth partner support so your loved one knows exactly how to help you
Why I Combined Midwifery With Hypnotherapy
During my decades in maternity care, I watched mothers who used hypnobirthing techniques have profoundly different birth experiences than those who didn’t.
They weren’t necessarily having “easier” births. But they were:
- More present
- Less panicked
- Better able to advocate for themselves
- More likely to feel positive about their birth afterward — even when things didn’t go to plan
I saw this so consistently that after I retired from the NHS, I trained as a certified hypnotherapist and Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) practitioner.
I wanted to help even more mothers access these tools.
What’s Inside The Hypnobirthing Blueprint
This book is the result of everything I learned caring for mothers over 35+ years, combined with modern hypnotherapy techniques.
Inside, you’ll discover:
Chapter 1: Understanding Hypnobirthing
- What it is (and what it’s not)
- How it works with your body’s natural instincts
- Why fear makes birth harder
Chapter 2: Breathing & Relaxation Techniques
- The “calm breath” for early labour
- The “birth breath” for pushing
- How to use breath to manage intensity
Chapter 3: Visualisation & Self-Hypnosis
- Guided imagery for labour
- How to create your “safe place”
- Self-hypnosis scripts you can use anytime
Chapter 4: Releasing Fear
- Identifying where your birth anxiety comes from
- How to reframe fear into confidence
- Working through past trauma or difficult births
Chapter 5: Your Birth Partner’s Role
- What they need to know to truly support you
- Practical ways they can help during labour
- How to communicate your needs clearly
Chapter 6: Preparing for Every Scenario
- Creating a flexible birth plan
- Staying empowered if intervention is needed
- Emotional preparation for the unexpected
Who This Book Is For
The Hypnobirthing Blueprint is for you if:
✅ You’re pregnant and feeling anxious about birth
✅ You want to feel more in control during labour
✅ You’re a first-time parent and don’t know what to expect
✅ You had a difficult previous birth and want a better experience this time
✅ You’re planning any type of birth (home, hospital, caesarean) and want mental preparation tools
✅ Your birth partner wants to know how to actually help you
What Readers Are Saying
“As a first-time mum, I was terrified of labour. This book gave me practical tools I could actually use — not just theory. I felt so much more prepared.” — Sarah M.
“I wish I’d had this book for my first birth. The breathing techniques alone made such a difference. Highly recommend.” — Emma L.
“Written by someone who’s actually been in the delivery room thousands of times. You can feel her experience and compassion on every page.” — Claire T.
My Hope For You
I don’t want you to just “get through” birth.
I want you to feel:
- Calm instead of panicked
- Confident instead of terrified
- Empowered instead of helpless
- Informed instead of confused
You deserve to look back on your birth experience — whatever it looks like — and feel proud of yourself.
That’s what The Hypnobirthing Blueprint is here to help you achieve.
Get Your Copy Today
The Hypnobirthing Blueprint: From Pregnancy to Empowered Birth is available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format.
Need More Support?
If you’d like personalised hypnotherapy support for your pregnancy and birth preparation, I offer one-to-one RTT sessions via Zoom and face-to-face appointments in Thurso every Thursday.
Or join my free email community for weekly tips on pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.
Wishing you a calm, confident, and empowered birth,
Gwen Gould
Retired NHS Midwife (35+ years)
Certified Hypnotherapist & RTT Practitioner
Author of The Hypnobirthing Blueprint