I first learned about visualization back in 2009 when I watched The Secret. It sounded cool, but honestly? It felt a bit "woo-woo" to me. I’ve always been a "get-it-done" type of person, so sitting around thinking about how I wanted life to go felt unproductive.
Fast forward to 2015 when I was pregnant with my second baby. After a traumatic first birth experience, I was determined to have a better one this time. I discovered Hypnobabies—a program that completely changed how I approached childbirth.
To give you some backstory, my first birth at 20 was rough. I was extremely sick (likely hyperemesis), stuck on the couch watching dramatic TLC birth shows full of chaos and emergencies. When I went into labor, my son’s heart rate kept dropping, and I narrowly avoided a c-section. I pushed him out in one contraction but ended up with severe tearing and a long hospital stay. He was born covered in meconium and not breathing. It was overwhelming and scary.
This time, I wanted different. Hypnobabies encouraged me to visualize my ideal birth, playing it out in my mind like a movie while listening to meditations every night. I was skeptical at first, but I was desperate for a better experience.
Here’s what I visualized: I’d wake up early, labor in the tub at home, send my son to school, then head to the hospital and deliver in the tub by early afternoon. A beautiful, calm water birth.
And guess what? That’s almost exactly what happened.
I woke up at 6:15 a.m. with noticeable contractions and got into the tub. By 8 a.m., I knew it was labor. My husband dropped my son off at school, came back, and called the midwife. We arrived at the hospital around 11 a.m., and I labored in the tub. At 1:05 p.m., my daughter was born—peacefully, in the water.
That experience made me a firm believer in visualization. I even realized I’d unintentionally done it with my first baby, but in a negative way. All those chaotic TLC birth stories I watched? They mirrored my first birth: heart rate issues, fast labor, meconium. Unintentional visualization had worked against me.
Now, I encourage all my clients to visualize their births intentionally. It only takes 10-15 minutes before bed, and there’s even science to back it up. Visualization is powerful—why not use it to your advantage?
If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes for you!