What are Hypnobirthing Anchors? The Complete Guide

If Hypnobirthing makes your birth better? Hypnobirthing Anchors can make it worthy of a Oscar!

So whether you’re doing one of my group online hypnobirthing courses or have invested in private hypnobirthing classes you’ll be told about Hypnobirthing Anchors.

But  have you been told all of it?

Hypnobirthing Anchors have super powers!

So what are Hypnobirthing Anchors? How do they help your Hypnobirthing practise? And how can you make them work for you?

Pregnant parent? Or a Hypnobirthing Teacher?

This guide can deepen your knowledge, improve you skills & take your hypnobirthing to a whole new level.

You can feel good as well.

Even stress heads and worriers can find deep relaxation & hypnosis easy. And using your anchors helps!

Before we talk Hypnobirthing Anchors

Let’s just check we’re on the same wavelength.

Put VERY simply – childbirth is just your body getting your baby out. And your body does this by releasing hormones that makes your muscles move.

EASY

Your birth hormones (like Oxytocin & Endorphins) are calm, nurturing, Parasympathetic Nervous System hormones. You produce these hormones when you are calm & relaxed. They make you feel calm & relaxed. And wow do they make your birthing muscles move!

So YES. Giving birth should be straight forward. 

But with the bombardment of birth fear in mainstream media. And our natural ability to talk about the negative, instead of the positive. Most of us think that giving birth is scary. 

Hypnobirthing helps mummies & couples level this up. They become birth confident. Birth calm. And birth ready.

Hypnobirthing teaches you to support your Parasympathetic Nervous System. So your birth hormones can flow. You can focus your mind on what you want. So your body & mind can work at their best.

And your hypnotic Hypnobirthing anchors? They help.

Table of Contents

What are Hypnobirthing Anchors?

• What are Anchors?
• What are Hypnobirthing Anchors?
• Common Anchors
• Anchors vs Triggers – are they the same?
• How do Hypnobirthing Anchors Help?
• Tips for Deeper Anchorage
• The 5 types of Anchors
• Easiest Anchor
• Do you have to use them all?!
• One last important thing

Use this handy navigation to move around this page!

Let’s just check we’re on the same wavelength.

Put VERY simply – childbirth is just your body getting your baby out. And your body does this by releasing hormones that makes your muscles move.

EASY

Your birth hormones (like Oxytocin & Endorphins) are calm, nurturing, Parasympathetic Nervous System hormones. You produce these hormones when you are calm & relaxed. They make you feel calm & relaxed. And wow do they make your birthing muscles move!

So YES. Giving birth should be straight forward. 

But with the bombardment of birth fear in mainstream media. And our natural ability to talk about the negative, instead of the positive. Most of us think that giving birth is scary. 

Hypnobirthing helps mummies & couples level this up. They become birth confident. Birth calm. And birth ready.

Hypnobirthing teaches you to support your Parasympathetic Nervous System. So your birth hormones can flow. You can focus your mind on what you want. So your body & mind can work at their best.

And your hypnotic Hypnobirthing anchors? They help.

What are Anchors?

Hypnosis Anchors, most commonly consisting of the 5 senses, trigger a deep and automatic connection to a pleasant memory, feeling or sense of place. Anchors have a key role in Hypnotherapy, Hypnosis for birth, and Hypnobirthing.

And some anchors can be so automatic, you might not even realise you are using one!

If I asked you to think of your pregnancy yoga class? Do you feel yourself relaxing as you imagine the room? Can you see the room? Hear the calming music or smell the essential oils?

And talking about smell… Do you go a bit gooey when you notice your partner is wearing his or her favourite perfume? Does it take you back to when you first met? Can you imagine it now? Where you where? What they looked like? And that smell of perfume…again…?

So these anchors take our minds, emotions & senses off, to a very lovely – real or imagined place. To specific calm & relaxing feelings. They can add depth & detail to our perceptions. And in some cases a specific sensation.

Anchors can occur naturally but can also be created!

Hypnotherapists like me, use anchors throughout their work and build tailor made anchors with each client. But as we’ve just seen, we can create Anchors from everyday things ourselves – without even meaning to! What this means is that before you even start your Hypnobirthing course – you will already have some natural Hypnobirthing anchors to use!

Anchors include our senses such as:

• Sight
• Sound
• Smell
• Taste
• Touch

And the more of these senses you use the better. The stronger the association will be and the easier it will be to get there.

What are Hypnobirthing Anchors?

(Hypnobirthing anchors trigger a deep and automatic connection to a pleasant memory, feeling or sense of place.

So they are the same as the Hypnotic Anchors within Hypnotherapy! The only difference is that Hypnobirthing anchors are very specific to birth & your birthing body.

The most common Hypnobirthing Anchors:

•  Hypnobirthing MP3 music
• Hypnobirthing teachers voice
• Your hypnotic ‘safe place’
• Hand stroking
• Hand on tummy
• Hand dropping
• Hand in ‘ice bucket’ or walking into the sea
• Colour
• Essential oils
• Breathing for birth, like Up Breathing
• Specifially focused anchor words e.g. soften
• Subtle repeated words or phrases within your Hypnobirthing scripts & MP3s e.g. calm, comfort, relax, confidence, all is well

Extra Hypnobirthing Anchors you may not have considered:

•  Your Hypnobirthing MP3’s music
• Calm music you already listen to regularly
• Your partner’s voice
• Rectangular breathing or your pregnancy yoga breath
• The place where you practice Hypnobirthing relaxations
• The position in which you practice Hypnobirthing relaxations
• Room spray, essential oil or incense already in regular use (that are safe to use now that you’re pregnant!)

Are Hypnobirthing Anchors the same as Triggers?

Some Hypnobirthing books refer to Hypnobirthing Triggers rather than Anchors. So Hypnobirthing Trigger means Hypnobirthing Anchor. Perhaps they think Trigger is an easier word for us?

But as a Clinical Hypnotherapists who helps lift trauma – calling Anchors ‘Triggers’ is a pet hate.

If you’ve expereinced a birth trauma or been diagnosed with PTSD you’ll know that both Triggers & Anchors take your mind off to memorable places & feelings. But an Anchor takes you to a calm & relaxing hypnotic space and a Trigger takes you back to a trauma. And if you struggling, it’s worth knowing that a therapy like the Rewind Technique can help surprisingly quickly, and without the need to discuss details of the event.

How do Hypnobirthing Anchors help?

They take you to your Good Place!

Your good place (aka safe place) might be a lovely memory or that gorgeous place that your mind goes to when you’re deeply relaxed listening to your birth relaxations or meditations. You mind might be taken to a a river or a sea, a garden or a forest. You might be surrounded by colourful butterflies, flowers or rainbows, perhaps holding your baby or imagining your birth waves on a beach beach or the flow of a river.

But crucially you relax and you feel GOOD. Your brain waves change. Your body rests, relaxes & softens and your breathing slows & steadies (if not that’s a subject for another blog!) but with regular hypnobirthing practice you should find you can drift deeply into calm relaxation.

The secret to this is how you FEEL. The more you practice your relaxations (or Hypnobirthing MP3) the easier it will be to visualise your safe place and bring forward all those wonderful feelings you associate with it.

And it’s those feelings that matter most.

The anchors you use whilst feeling so relaxed will become strongly associated with that feeling.

Top tips for deeper anchorage:

• Up Breathing – continue your usual practise of up breathing whilst think & visualising ‘Up’. But in addition – starting using the breath (and just the breath) whilst listening to your hypnobirthing MP3.

• Colour – if your anchor colour is in a separate hypnobirthing script (aka relaxation or MP3) start deepening your association of it by imagining it within your Safe Place as well. Or use your Hypnobirthing Teachers guidance to bring it into other relaxation techniques. Get a blanket, cushion, scarf or soft toy that matches your anchor colour. You partner could even wear this colour in labour!

• Your Partner’s voice – you already associate his or her voice with trust & love! So asking them to record the Hypnobirthing relaxation MP3s can enhance the relaxing effect of them & even increase the sense of peace you have when your partner speaks! 

• Calm music you already listen to – relaxing & familiar, this has a head start on your Hypnobirthing MP3 backing track. So use it as background music whilst your partner reads your Hypnobirthing scripts to you (use a lyric free version!)

• The place you practice Hypnobirthing  – This place will very quickly become a reassuring anchor so be flexible on where you practice your hypnobirthing relaxations. Variety is helpful. On a personal note, during my first pregnancy I only practiced hypnosis in my warm & cosy bed. During birth, I confidently relaxed into established labour snuggled in bed, but found myself unable to keep my hypnosis going whilst in the car or at the maternity unit (but had my baby in under a hour anyway).

• The position in which you practice Hypnobirthing – as above, variety in pregnancy will give you flexibility in labour. Bed at bedtime is easiest, but also practice on a birthing ball, on the sofa, even in the car (headphones on & NOT driving). And TBH, practice at different times of day! Whilst most women labour during the hours of darkness, there are always exceptions – and it might just be you!

• Smell – keep reading for the fascinating truth about smell!

Types of Anchors

Touch Anchors

Hypnobirthing touch anchors are hypnotic anchors that associate a deep and automatic connection between your chosen touch anchor and a chosen feeling or sense of being. And they are most commonly associated with natural pain relief!

Discover my 9 Best Hypnobirthing Techniques for Pain here

A simple touch when used within your hypnobirthing practice and birth relaxations or hypnosis can bring back a wonderful (and instant) feeling of deep calm, contentment or even a doubling of relaxation or hypnosis.

Common touch anchors include:

• a partners hand on your shoulder, bump or hand.
• your hand on your baby bump
• stroking hand techniques or ice techniques (for pain relief)
• dial technique
• holding a stone, crystal or blue marble, the blue marble technique is notoriously helpful for pain as well!
• even the weight of your duvet (if you’ve done all your practice in bed!

Scent Anchors

Definitely the easiest Anchor connection to have, keep reading to discover why these might be an absolute no brainer. But be safe as well. 

Speak to your midwife before using a scent anchor and check the scent you want to use is safe in pregnancy and birth.

Essential oils are the most commonly used scent anchor, with lavender being my personal favourite. Some Hypnobirthing methods suggest room sprays as well but I prefer to stick to something natural.

And then use at your leisure (remembering to never put on your skin). The beauty of a smell anchor is you can use it any time around your home, rather than just in your formal hypnobirthing practice.

Sound Anchors

Music and sound is amazing. 

Have you ever notice that you don’t know the words of you favourite song but hear the first bar of music and you know them all?

Not only that but you can FEEL the music!

So anchor a favourite piece of music into your birth preparation by just playing it regularly!

Sound anchors include your:

• Favourite song
• Hypnobirthing backing track
• Partners voice
• Hypnobirthing Teachers voice
• Favourite white noise e.g. rain or whale music

Sight Anchors

The last two types of anchors start to get a bit tricky…

Sight includes anything that looks familiar to you. A favourite film, your comforting home environment, even your partners face.

So when you give birth in hospital, it can be nice to take:

• colour anchors
• your own pillow (which doubles as a touch and scent anchor too)
• a photo of your baby scan
• photographs of your children
• a favourite book or magazine – if you’ve got time to pass, reading something you’re already read is kinder on your critical mind
• electric candles or fairy lights (which softs the environment on the eye!)

Taste Anchors

When, if not in labour, can you eat whatever yummies you want?! Avoiding heavy trans fats which don’t digest well and could increase nausea!

A taste anchor is a nice familiar taste that has good association for you. Bearing in mind that birth needs energy, think of some yummies you really like to eat.

Your Taste Anchors might include:

• good quality chocolate
• sweet dried fruits
• favourite biscuits
• nice drinks (including water)
• anything that feels like a treat

Which is the easiest Anchor to use?

Essential oils (or rather smells) are the fastest & strongest anchor to develop.

Have you ever noticed how a smell can bring back an instant flurry of pleasant memories & feelings?

Like the salty tang of sea air taking your mind back to a hot, sunny holiday with exotic new food, sights and sounds? Or perhaps the smell of Jack Daniels taking you back to university drink fests, ludicrous heels and re-meeting a kebab? (Along with that promise you’ll never touch JD again!)

That’s because anchors (or ‘triggers’) take you to your hippocampus. Your brain’s memory centre. But smell?  Smell anchors don’t take the usual route. Smell takes the short cut!

You see, taste, touch, sight & sound are first sent to the brain’s processing centre – the thalamus. Then they are sent to their corresponding brain areas as well as the hippocampus & the amygdala.

But smell? Smell by-passes the thalamus and heads straight to it’s corresponding Olfactory as well as the amygdala and the anchor critical Hippocampus.

So essential oils are neurologically the fastest Hypnobirthing anchors to use!

But of all your Hypnobirthing practice? Why are essential oils so low on your pregnancy to-do list? Especially that what-ever-the birth, essential oils seem to be a standard offering amongst your midwives? And so many midwives are trained in Aromatherapy for birth?

So start your smell anchors now. Use your essential oils routinely. Not just whilst listening to your Hypnobirthing MP3 relaxations. Start using them when you’re pottering about the house. Relaxing in the evenings. Taking a bath. On your sleep pillow. You can even put it on a hanky and have it to hand for an instant wave of calm.

Just check that your essential oil is safe to use in pregnancy. And choose a good quality one. As always, if in doubt – ask your midwife or local Maternity Voices Partnership group.

Do you have to use all your Hypnobirthing Anchors?

No. Absolutely not. But your Hypnobirthing course recommends each bit of Hypnobirthing practise for a reason. So it’s worth giving everything a try – at least to begin with. After all. The more you have in your tool kit, the more options you have.

And you might be surprised by which Hypnobirthing anchors & techniques you are drawn to whilst giving birth! Even if something leaves you a bit cold now? You may find it’s your go-to technique during labour!

Conclusion

Hypnobirthing anchors are beautiful and they are easy. And best of all, you will have lots in place already!

But whats the most important thing to do?

There was a clue right at the start?

Yes! Get started and REPEAT

Our brains store our most emotive memories (good and bad) and delete all the boring stuff while we sleep. So natural anchors are easily created during wonderful, emotive moments – like meeting your other half or your new baby!

And because most of your Hypnobirthing anchors are new to you, they don’t instantly have those wonderful natural emotions attached. They will take time to develop. So Hypnobirthing practice is essential!