Why Pay For HypnoBirthing? The True Cost Of Healthcare

By Marina Colville

10 Jan 2012

1 Comment

In Britain we see healthcare as something that should be free. We enjoy access to world class medics and technology simply by walking off the street into the correct building. And we defend our right to this service vociferously. But of course, nothing is actually free in life. Healthcare is only free at the point of delivery; it is paid for through taxes and on top of that many people choose to pay for private healthcare simply to have their problems dealt with more quickly or in a more comfortable environment.

As maternity care has become more medicalised – i.e. the intervention rates have risen, in particular caesarean-sections – the costs have risen without a corresponding rise in funding and so the easy ‘extras’ have been cut. A good example is that every Trust in the UK has reduced or cut antenatal education. It is seen as an unnecessary expenditure – even though evidence shows good antenatal education improves pregnancy and birth outcomes including reducing the (expensive) intervention rate.

When Trusts do offer antenatal education it is usually provided by committed midwives who believe it is an important part of the care they offer. There are guidelines about topics to cover but style and content are really left to the individual. This produces a postcode lottery; some areas are better off than others (the National Health Service is not a nationally equal provider of services.)

Why Pay For HypnoBirthing?

So despite our belief that we should be able to access the free healthcare that the NHS is duty bound to provide, the reality is that every area is different in quality and quantity of service provision and antenatal education is a long way down the list of priorities of most Trusts. Therefore, anyone taking an active interest in their maternity care should take a long hard look at what HypnoBirthing has to offer. It has the best evidence supporting proven outcomes from its techniques; i.e. statistically HypnoBirthing is the most beneficial form of antenatal education. Because HypnoBirthing starts from a totally different premise from any other theory (birth does not have to be painful) the content and outcome is almost incomparable to any other class.

Re-Considering The Cost Of Antenatal Preparation

Many people feel that there are a lot of costs associated with becoming new parents. Nursery furniture, pregnancy clothes, baby clothes, prams, car seats – the list is as long as you want to make it. HypnoBirthing is seen as a ‘nice if you can’ rather than an essential, it is often considered expensive – too expensive.

However, when you think about the cost of an antenatal course put it in the context of what else you are spending on preparing to have a baby. It is very easy to be led by our consumer driven society to believe that baby has to have all sorts of new, smart looking comforts. Many are actually superfluous and quickly outgrown. Consider alternatives; slings (free if made from an old sheet) instead of a pram, co-sleeping instead of a cot, second hand baby clothes etc. Also, baby expenses can be covered as baby’s needs become clear; contrary to the belief of most parents, shops do not shut as baby is born.

However, you only get one shot at the pregnancy / birth bit. You can’t shop for a better outcome postnatally. The education for the antenatal period is, in effect, priceless because the impact of the birth will have physical repercussions for the mother and baby for the rest of their lives.

Evidence supports the old wives tale that ‘calm mothers have calm babies’. Evidence also shows that calm, gentle births are better for baby’s long term health and well being improving immediate feeding and sleeping ability, aiding educational attainment and reducing the risk of long term problems caused by the use of drugs at birth.

So, if you really want to find out what you should spend your money on talk to other new parents. Find out what price people put on a calm, contented baby that doesn’t cry much? What price a happy mother with a positive birth story? What price a joyful start to parenting? Baby doesn’t care about things you buy in shops and after a while you won’t either. But you will care very much about the outcome of the birth, about the long term health and well being of the mother and baby.

Relatively, HypnoBirthing is not expensive. It is a prudent investment in the future of mother and baby and not a luxury but a necessity.