Ania Hughes

I felt empowered, calm and excited for the day:

Ania has helped both my husband and I through two wonderful birth experiences. I was hugely sceptical at the start and it was my husband who persuaded me to take part the first time round. The sessions were wonderful preparation for how to deal with the events that were coming our way as every birth is different and you never know what is coming your way. Even though both my births were relatively simple, there were hurdles to overcome and surprises round each corner. The hypnobirth program Ania gave us prepared us brilliantly for these, allowing me to stay calm and controlled throughout the experience. My first birth was in a maternity unit and thanks to a hypnobirthing coach who was the midwife coordinator buying us a little more time, I was able to avoid the impending drip induction and still feel that I was not risking my babies health. My second was a home birth which was wonderful and after a few false starts very quick and complication free.

Before I started with Ania, I was convinced that childbirth was a horribly painful experience that just had to be endured and feared. After the course and the top up before my second I felt empowered, calm and excited for the day. If you commit to the course it can help you get the best experience possible. It may not give you an uncomplicated journey, but you will be better prepared for what is coming your way. I advise all my friends to do hypnobirthing and if they can afford it to use a 1 on 1 coach as this gives you so much more.

Erica, Battersea

A partners perspective:

When my partner said she was keen to explore 'HypnoBirthing' as part of our birth plans I was initially very sceptical of the term. I quickly discovered though this has little to do with hypnotism and far more to do with relaxation, comfort and feeling happy and prepared for the big day.

Ania took us through informal but focused sessions that quickly dispensed with the preoccupation of 'controlling everything in advance', and instead helped us enjoy the changes taking place leading up to our new arrival. Little D and Mum are well, and looking back the sessions with Ania were a relaxed few hours of feeling together at a really busy time. Quite a few of the phrases and techniques are pretty helpful during early morning nappy changes too!

Matt, Chiswick

I completely trusted my body:

I still can't thank you enough for how beneficial your sessions were for me, I went from being terrified to completely trusting my body and just knowing everything would be perfect if I kept my brain out of the way!

In the end labour was a 4 hour power house of a delivery. As soon as contractions started I climbed into bed and put on the Rainbow Relaxation and did everything I could to just relax and get some rest. Contractions quickly ramped up and B put the tens machine on my back, I tried a bath but after two contractions in the bath and a "I'm not sure I can do this" moment B decided it was time to go to hospital!

We arrived and because I was breathing and just staying in my own place we were left in triage. I was too far in my own zone to really speak. So after 30 mins of entering hospital I turned to B and promptly announced that "baby's here"! To which he didn't believe me, but by that point I was holding her head! So B delivered his little girl.

So labour was great and I have a gorgeous healthy little girl. I can't thank you enough for getting me in the right head space to allow a quick and easy birth. I recommend hypnobirthing courses to everyone now!

Petra, Richmond

I was able to enjoy the experience of watching my baby being born, without any fear:

When I heard about HypnoBirthing during my first pregnancy I have to admit I was sceptical, but so many of my friends had such positive experiences of labour and birth having used the techniques that I decided to give it a go. I was so impressed with how much I learnt in my first session with Ania. She immediately put me at my ease and was very informative about how to work with your body during labour, much more so than any antenatal class I have ever been to.

I think the best part of the course for me was the HypnoMothering session which I cannot recommend highly enough. It was fantastic to have some practical advice and suggestions about how to stay calm when you have a newborn and a three year old to care for at home on your own.

In the end, I didn't have the water birth at home that I was hoping for, however this meant that I needed the relaxation techniques I learnt from Ania even more as they helped me feel in control as I was being wheeled down to theatre for an emergency c section. As a result of the course, I was truly able to enjoy the experience of watching my baby being born, without any fear.

Kate, Isleworth

Very different to the experience with my eldest

I was talking to my friend who is pregnant and telling her how wonderful your course is. When I realised that I forgot to email you with my baby news!!! We had a beautiful baby boy. He’s almost 6 months old now. I opted for a c-section in the end. But was able to use the techniques you gave us to calm my anxiety. I also used a lot of your techniques during my pregnancy and D is the calmest, most chilled out baby ever! Very different to our experience with my eldest (but that was a very stressful pregnancy). So I’m pretty sure the hypnobirthing techniques had something to do with it. I also used a lot of your techniques during my pregnancy, especially during the horrible heat wave, to help me relax and fall asleep. So better late than never ...but thank you so much!!

Ash, Hillingdon

So quick that it actually took the staff by surprise:

As promised, here are some pictures of our baby Daughter, A. She was born 2 weeks early last Friday at 1.41am, weighing 3.1kg. We are back home and she is doing great!

The labour was nothing like we had expected and planned for unfortunately as I had to be induced as an emergency due to pre-eclampsia that they discovered at my 38 weeks routine check. I went in hospital last Tuesday and was induced on Thursday so I didn't get the birth centre and had to give birth in the labour ward and delivery room instead.

However, the labour itself was very quick lasting a total of 6 hours from 1cm dilated to actually giving birth! And 12hrs in total from the first contractions. It was so quick and so unexpected actually that it took the staff at Queen Charlotte by surprise and I ended up doing my entire labour with no pain relief beyond gas and air and a birthing ball… And I also got to experiment hypnobirthing techniques on the labour ward. Despite the conditions being opposite to our birth preferences, I was able to go through the whole process with no pain relief and completely naturally and have an entirely natural birth purely by using the breathing techniques you had showed me as well as the relaxation techniques and affirmations in my head!

So I wanted to say a huge thank you again! I couldn't have done it in these conditions without our sessions before, they proved really helpful and got me through it all, especially the breathing which was brilliant and really worked for me! I was also able to shut away everyone else and the noise in the ward and deeply relax thanks to all our exercises and preparations. It was really helpful and absolutely worked for me! I also absolutely fell in love with the birthing ball which caused my water to break naturally. They tried to get me to lie on a bed several times to monitor me better but I refused and stuck to the ball until I was ready to push… Best decision I've ever made! :-)

All in all, I somewhat strangely loved my birthing experience, came out feeling really empowered and proud of myself and had a great experience despite everything and our healthy baby girl is a reminder of it too.

P and I wanted to say a big thank you for the great sessions we had with you, which played such a key role in my ️️️️labour. We have become strong advocates of hypnobirthing. It really works and really helps, no matter the circumstances!

Virginie, Chiswick

HypnoBirthing with twins:

After a brilliant natural birth with my first baby I wasn't sure what hypnobirthing would add to my birth experience but I couldn't have been more wrong. This time things were a bit more complicated — it was twins!

The hypnobirthing course with Ania was brilliant. She was very thoughtful in her approach and always tailored everything to our specific needs. My husband was very sceptical but even he felt that the course was completely accessible and he never felt alienated. I was hoping for another natural birth but twin one was a footling breech and I was feeling sad that I wouldn't get to use my new-found skills, so I was overjoyed when I went in to labour naturally. There was a long waiting list for the theatre and I got to use all the hypnobirthing techniques Ania had taught me going from 0-10cm in record time with an absolute minimum of pain and a feeling of complete control. It was a revelation. When I was finally rushed in for my unavoidable caesarian the theatre staff were in amazement at my demeanour.

I cannot speak highly enough of the whole experience. If you're in any doubt just do it!

Yvonne, Whitton