Having given birth 3 times in 3 different countries you can believe me when I say it IS possible to have a natural AND more importantly a gentle birth experience here in Seoul. You do however need to "shop around" to find the right caregiver and hospital. You also need to ensure that they fully understand your needs. With this in mind the best thing you can do is a thorough birth plan (in English AND Korean) outlining your wishes before, during and after labour. Ensure that you discuss it with your Doctor and take a copy to the hospital when you go into labour. In the absence of this plan the hospital staff will more than likely follow their own hospital protocols.

Unfortunately for most ex-pats hospital birth is the only alternative. There are some small birth centres however they are not really appropriate for foreigners and sometimes lack the amenities to deal with an emergency.

It is also possible to attend first rate childbirth education classes. There are two types of childbirth education classes offered in Seoul for English speakers. One is based on the Lamaze method and incorporates breastfeeding information, newborn baby care and post partum care. There are also two sessions with an Ob/Gyn. These are conducted over a period of 5 sessions every two months.

The second type of Childbirth Education class is based on HypnoBirthing. Whilst this is a new concept to South Korea, it is being practised on a worldwide scale and has been successfully proving the efficacy of true gentle birthing for nearly 20 years.

HypnoBirthing is based on the premise that fear causes tension which in turn causes pain. Do you remember the last time you were suddenly startled, frightened or shocked even? What were some of your reactions?

The reaction you experienced is called "fight or flight". Heard of it? Your body goes into this "stress mode" when you are extremely fearful or frightened.

By HCBE, HypnoBirthing® Practitioner

Having given birth 3 times in 3 different countries you can believe me when I say it IS possible to have a natural AND more importantly a gentle birth experience here in Seoul. You do however need to "shop around" to find the right caregiver and hospital. You also need to ensure that they fully understand your needs. With this in mind the best thing you can do is a thorough birth plan (in English AND Korean) outlining your wishes before, during and after labour. Ensure that you discuss it with your Doctor and take a copy to the hospital when you go into labour. In the absence of this plan the hospital staff will more than likely follow their own hospital protocols.

Unfortunately for most ex-pats hospital birth is the only alternative. There are some small birth centres however they are not really appropriate for foreigners and sometimes lack the amenities to deal with an emergency.

It is also possible to attend first rate childbirth education classes. There are two types of childbirth education classes offered in Seoul for English speakers. One is based on the Lamaze method and incorporates breastfeeding information, newborn baby care and post partum care. There are also two sessions with an Ob/Gyn. These are conducted over a period of 5 sessions every two months.

The second type of Childbirth Education class is based on HypnoBirthing. Whilst this is a new concept to South Korea, it is being practised on a worldwide scale and has been successfully proving the efficacy of true gentle birthing for nearly 20 years.

HypnoBirthing is based on the premise that fear causes tension which in turn causes pain. Do you remember the last time you were suddenly startled, frightened or shocked even? What were some of your reactions?

The reaction you experienced is called "fight or flight". Heard of it? Your body goes into this "stress mode" when you are extremely fearful or frightened.

When your body is in stress mode, your heart rate increases to pump more blood and oxygen to parts of the body preparing to either take flight or fight. So how does this relate to birthing? The uterine muscles (the muscles responsible for doing most of tshe work in birthing) are not required for fighting or taking flight, however they do respond to this stress mode. How? By becoming blood and oxygen deprived, which in turn causes the muscles to constrict and become tense. What might occur if this happens during labour/birthing??? The baby cannot naturally progress down and pushes against tense muscles causing PAIN.

I have three children. During the course of my first two births I experienced an induction, episiotomies & stitches, a blood transfusion, surgery and incredible pain! I vividly recall pushing and screaming my way through both labours! Upon learning of being pregnant for a third time I was terrified of birthing again.

During my first trimester of the pregnancy I started researching natural childbirth in an effort to negate any repeat performances. I came across HypnoBirthing® and it changed everything for me. I went into the birth fully confident with the newly acquired knowledge of how my body and baby work so perfectly together to birth naturally and with minimal discomfort. Birthing is one of, if not the most important event in a woman and her child's life. It should be an experience to welcome and not dread. It is about understanding how the body works so beautifully all by itself with no intervention. Women's bodies are created to conceive, nurture the developing baby and to birth, they are not destined to malfunction.

You can see how hundreds of other delighted families across the world have had positive birth experiences as you read the birth stories on our website.