Continuity of Care: Why Hypnobirthing Teachers and Birth Partners Matter

Pregnancy and birth are often described as a "journey" – but let’s be honest, sometimes it feels more like a rollercoaster. There’s so much advice. Some is unsolicited – yes, I’m looking at you, Joe Bloggs, who decided it was necessary to tell me my home birth preference was “crazy” and that I’d be better off in hospital… eyeroll. Plus, there’s all the prep and planning. But one thing many people don’t truly realise until they’re on this journey is just how vital continuity of care really is. 

Midwives are absolute superheroes and they play a massive, irreplaceable role in the birth process. But the reality is, no matter how skilled or dedicated they are, NHS midwives just can’t always give you the continuous, one-on-one support that your birth partner and hypnobirthing teacher can. 

When I went into labour with my first baby, my wonderful NHS midwife – the one I’d been seeing throughout pregnancy – was on a two-week holiday. I still remember her joking at my last appointment, saying, “Don’t have this baby whilst I’m away! I want to be at your home birth”. So of course… that’s exactly when my waters broke. Baby boy didn’t even give me a full day of maternity leave! 

Even if she hadn’t been away on holiday, the chances of her being on shift when I went into labour were pretty low. NHS midwives work unbelievably hard, but they’re on rotas and care for many people. It was one of my first real glimpses into just how hard it is to get that magical thing... continuity. Unless you hire an independent midwife, it’s often out of your hands. 

On average, NHS midwives spend about 4.5 hours with you across all your antenatal appointments. If it’s your second or third baby, it’s often less than that. That’s not a lot of time to get to know you properly – your preferences, your worries and your Birth Plan A, B and C. 

This is why I’m so passionate about hypnobirthing. It gives you the tools and confidence to make the most of the time you do get. You go to your appointments informed, ready with questions and with a clearer idea of what you want (and don’t want). Antenatal hypnobirthing classes help you figure out your preferences, provide you with evidence and logic-based information, and help you to find your voice – which is SO important.  

And there’s another layer to it: continuity. When you book a hypnobirthing course with me, we work together across four sessions (more if you’d like!) during your pregnancy – with check-ins along the way, signposting to helpful resources and support right up to birth. Whilst I’m not part of your clinical care team, that ongoing relationship offers a steady thread of emotional and informational support – a different, but incredibly valuable, kind of continuity. 

With my first baby, I’d planned a home birth with a birth pool. But of course, things didn’t go to plan. Whilst I was in maternity triage at Colchester Hospital to confirm if my waters had broken, DPD tried to deliver the pool. I wasn’t home to sign for it, so they couldn’t leave it. Brilliant. 

So, plan B it was – the maternity-led unit at Colchester Hospital. 

Thankfully, all the hypnobirthing antenatal prep that I’d done meant I was prepared for a change in plan. I knew this could happen and I felt happy with my plan B. 

I ended up being looked after by two lovely midwives – both called Sarah, funnily enough (maybe even that little detail helped me feel more at ease). One of them, who’d been with me since triage, even stayed past the end of her shift to support me right through to the end. That kind of continuity made a huge difference and meant so much. 

Fast forward to baby number two – this time, my home birth actually happened, and the same midwife who’d completed all my antenatal appointments was on shift. Opening the door and seeing her familiar, smiling face was amazing. She wasn’t on holiday this time – woohoo! Her being there, knowing my preferences and my journey so far, made me feel so calm and safe. That kind of consistent support is something we all deserve – but, sadly, don’t always get.

And it’s not just about feeling more supported. Continuity of care has been shown to improve clinical outcomes too. Research shows that when you’re cared for by the same midwife throughout pregnancy and birth, there’s a lower chance of preterm birth and fewer interventions (e.g., instrumental or caesarean birth). 

Although I didn’t have a dedicated hypnobirthing teacher for my first birth, I used a mix of books, audio relaxations and an online course to prepare myself – and I’m so glad I did. That prep gave me real tools to stay calm, breathe through the contractions and trust my body. I felt in control. 

From home to the midwifery-led unit at Colchester Hospital, that mindset travelled with me. It was one of the few things that stayed consistent (as well as my husband!) when everything else was shifting around me. 

Whilst hypnobirthing teachers aren't part of the clinical team, having someone who sees you regularly, understands your mindset and helps you prepare from a place of calm and confidence offers a different, but incredibly valuable, kind of continuity. 

And if I'm being totally honest? It wasn’t until I started formally teaching hypnobirthing that I truly appreciated just how much the mind influences birth. Our subconscious and unconscious minds are so powerful – sometimes, it’s our conscious mind that gets in the way. Instinct is primal. Your instinct lives in the unconscious mind – it's the part that knows how to give birth without being told. But whether you trust that instinct? That’s shaped by the subconscious – the beliefs, fears and stories you’ve been exposed to influence how you respond to that instinct. 

Hypnobirthing helps you to unlearn fear, rewire unhelpful patterns, and reconnect with the deeper part of your mind. It teaches you how language and words can either empower or unsettle you, and how this influences your body and birth experience. 

I love this quote by Rudyard Kipling: “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." 

In birth, that couldn’t be more true. 

Now, let’s talk about birth partners. For me, it was my husband – my rock, my reminder to breathe, the calm in the chaos (he’s also just generally annoyingly calm in everyday life!). He quietly reassured me, gently waved a Lucozade bottle in my face to keep me hydrated (as you do) and knew what I needed without me having to ask. 

He’d practised hypnobirthing with me. He helped write our birth preferences. When I was in the zone and midwives were asking me questions, he was right there to back me up and advocate for me. 

Birth partners aren’t just there for moral support – they’re your anchor. Your safe space. Often the only person who’s with you from start to finish (apart from your baby!). 

In fact, a 2024 study published in Evolution, Medicine, & Public Health found that having a trusted person with you during labour – for example a partner or doula – can massively reduce stress and help you feel more in control. Unlike your midwife (who may be an unfamiliar face and may change during your labour), your birth partner is always there. That matters. 

Let me be absolutely clear... NHS midwives are incredible. Compassionate, deeply skilled and often go above and beyond. But they’re also working within a system that doesn’t always allow them to give you the continuity you deserve. 

Take my first birth – midwife Sarah didn’t have to stay. Her shift was over. She could’ve handed me over to someone else. But she chose to stay, because she cared and she didn’t have any urgent commitments. That meant so much to me. 

But the truth is, the guaranteed constants during my labours were the mindset I’d built through hypnobirthing and the support of my husband. That’s what kept me calm, confident and in control. 

Continuity of care doesn’t come from just one person. It comes from your whole antenatal/birth "village". Your midwives (especially the incredible ones who go above and beyond), your hypnobirthing teacher and your hypnobirthing toolkit, and your birth partner. And don’t forget your baby is part of that team too. 

Before anything else, ask yourself: “Who’s really in charge of how I give birth?”  

It’s YOU! 

That was a huge mindset shift for me. Taking responsibility meant doing the prep, putting in the practise (you obviously can't practise birth, but you can practise techniques to help you), and showing up as an active part of the process – not just hoping for a “good” birth, but creating the conditions for one. 

It wasn’t about trying to control every detail, but about being informed enough to use my BRAINS: weighing up the Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, checking what Information was available, tuning into my Instinct, considering if Nothing needed to be done – and remembering to Smile. A positive mindset is so important. 

Now, I have the absolute privilege of helping others tap into that same confidence. 

So, build your team. Prepare your mind. Seek out evidence-based information. Trust your instincts.  

You’ve got this.