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Original poster

Hypnobirthing course erasing women

47 replies

apric0t · 09/07/2023 21:35

Enraged to have just downloaded the digital pack from the positive birth company to find they have re recorded all the videos to erase the words woman and mother to use gender neutral language. I am now reduced to a gestational parent. The first video is the founder apologising that she didn't centre inclusivity much earlier. This is the third time I've paid for the course as I like a refresh with every pregnancy and have found the courses great in the past but I just can't get past this erasure, it makes my blood boil, how women are jumping on board to erase the word woman and mother from a course about labour and birth, it's solely a woman's right of passage, please tell me I am not alone

OP posts:
IsItNormalFTM · 09/07/2023 21:48

Fuck that, I’d email and ask for a refund!

MoreHairyThanScary · 09/07/2023 21:51

Second the request for a refund! There are plenty of courses out there for hypnobiirthing it doesn't have to be this one... you are absolutely right to refresh ( I didn't with no. 3 and it was much more difficult!)

LancashireSquirrel · 09/07/2023 21:51

I unfollowed The Positive Birth Company on social media a few months ago when they published a photo of a 'man' pregnant. There was a lot of back lash in the comments. The company aren't doing themselves any favours!

Shame, because I also loved the videos when I was pregnant with DC.

Mummyme87 · 09/07/2023 21:55

Yes I just downloaded it aswell I thought the same

Newusernameaug · 09/07/2023 21:55

I’ve been following the work of ‘when push comes to shove’ they certainly won’t be doing any of that BS!!

MrsOvertonsWindow · 09/07/2023 22:25

Another in favour of asking for your money back on the basis that they've invalidated you. Their inability to say the word woman means that this isn't suited for you as a pregnant woman.

ChateauMargaux · 09/07/2023 23:00

I hate this!! I am a birth doula and I see a ridiculous amount of this in birthing circles. I step away from it.

If you get a refund.. I would be happy to offer you a free session and some of my own recordings.

mrshoho · 09/07/2023 23:24

Yes I would not be engaging any further if I was you. You are entitled to request a refund and you could throw in that you'll be referring to their previous versions.

Original poster
apric0t · 10/07/2023 00:12

I'm so disappointed ☹️ I've had two straightforward natural births because of these exact videos and the info in them and it's really stressed me out that if I refund I won't access this info and possibly throw my birth off? That's pretty silly I know! Are there other good online hypnobirthing courses that contain the similar info of not just the breathing practices but the info about how to wrangle the nhs too? It's honestly madness how woman are sidelined to make the less than 1% feel comfortable and included, women and mothers should not have to put up with this!!

OP posts:
HypnoMidwife2016 · 10/07/2023 00:49

The GentleBirth app, online Masterclass and content is all based in biology. There has been ongoing pressure from activists to conform and change language to remove mother and woman and include 'cis' etc but we're holding firm.

Bake · 10/07/2023 06:44

Definitely ask for a refund and explain why. Unfortunately there are many breastfeeding and maternity organisations who have been captured. I specifically looked for a hypnobirthing teacher who didn't have pronouns in their bio and was delighted when the one I chose sent me The Positive Birth Book as part of their resource pack (the author is supposedly an evil TERF who the trans activists have tried to cancel). I went through fertility treatment (twice) in my years long journey to becoming a mother, and I won't let anyone take the word "mother" away in the name of inclusivity.

MaybeDoctor · 10/07/2023 06:56

As per the previous message the founder of the Positive Birth movement, Milli Hill, was driven out of her own organisation* *having commented online that only women experience obstetric violence. The full account of that is on her personal website.

She may have made that statement under duress…😕

FrancescaContini · 10/07/2023 07:00

IsItNormalFTM · 09/07/2023 21:48

Fuck that, I’d email and ask for a refund!

Ditto

ArabeIIaScott · 10/07/2023 07:13

HypnoMidwife2016 · 10/07/2023 00:49

The GentleBirth app, online Masterclass and content is all based in biology. There has been ongoing pressure from activists to conform and change language to remove mother and woman and include 'cis' etc but we're holding firm.

Thank you.

EdgeOfACoin · 10/07/2023 07:20

It's unbelievable, isn't it.

Two years ago, halfway through my antenatal course, the course providers stopped referring to "pregnant woman" and "mothers-to-be" and started referring exclusively to "birthing parent". They literally rewrote the course literature.

I was furious and told them so (this course is specifically aimed at first time mothers and their partners, usually fathers) but I doubt it made a difference.

OP, I second asking for a refund from the Positive Birth Company, explaining that as a pregnant woman and mother, the course is not appropriate for you.

There's a hypnobirthing company called Birth-ed. In 2021 it used the words "mother" and "woman". Hopefully it still does.

EdgeOfACoin · 10/07/2023 07:32

EdgeOfACoin · 10/07/2023 07:20

It's unbelievable, isn't it.

Two years ago, halfway through my antenatal course, the course providers stopped referring to "pregnant woman" and "mothers-to-be" and started referring exclusively to "birthing parent". They literally rewrote the course literature.

I was furious and told them so (this course is specifically aimed at first time mothers and their partners, usually fathers) but I doubt it made a difference.

OP, I second asking for a refund from the Positive Birth Company, explaining that as a pregnant woman and mother, the course is not appropriate for you.

There's a hypnobirthing company called Birth-ed. In 2021 it used the words "mother" and "woman". Hopefully it still does.

I realise my post was misleading.

To be clear, the course literature was rewritten to remove the word "mother" but the women leading the course continued to refer to "mums". Thank goodness.

Musomama1 · 10/07/2023 08:01

Why don't they offer two recordings?

The new one for dysphoric types and the original one for women who want to here themselves being referred to as well, women.

I did this course years ago. On my second pregnancy I just read a Katherine Graves book which worked better for me as I could keep it with me and fully digest the concepts.

Good luck 😘😘😘

NotmyRLname · 10/07/2023 08:05

It’s ridiculous because as a qualified hypnotherapist i would say language and suggestion is the absolute foundation to why hypnotherapy works. And most women will not emotionally identify with the word “birthing parent”. It won’t have the same effect

booksandbrooks · 10/07/2023 08:10

I'm the first person to say men can't get pregnant, but honestly why do they not just have both recordings available?

Those suffering with gender dysphoria can buy the new one and everyone else can buy the old one. Defo get a refund and explain why. Will these companies never learn?

Bake · 10/07/2023 09:16

Musomama1 · 10/07/2023 08:01

Why don't they offer two recordings?

The new one for dysphoric types and the original one for women who want to here themselves being referred to as well, women.

I did this course years ago. On my second pregnancy I just read a Katherine Graves book which worked better for me as I could keep it with me and fully digest the concepts.

Good luck 😘😘😘

Two recordings would be a fair compromise in my opinion. But it seems like the TRA's want to erase the words woman and mother completely. Unless they are being used to describe a man, then they are allowed.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 10/07/2023 09:24

NotmyRLname · 10/07/2023 08:05

It’s ridiculous because as a qualified hypnotherapist i would say language and suggestion is the absolute foundation to why hypnotherapy works. And most women will not emotionally identify with the word “birthing parent”. It won’t have the same effect

Ask for a refund and make this point.

ChateauMargaux · 10/07/2023 09:33

@HypnoMidwife2016 ..

Biology matters. The identity of billions of women and mothers matters. Our biology is what gives us the possibility of becoming mothers.

When we connect with our bodies and our babies, we can have powerful empowered births.

ArabeIIaScott · 10/07/2023 10:04

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 10/07/2023 09:24

Ask for a refund and make this point.

Show quote history

Yes, and I would point out I'd be looking for alternatives that use the correct words.

Musomama1 · 10/07/2023 11:30

ChateauMargaux · 10/07/2023 09:33

@HypnoMidwife2016 ..

Biology matters. The identity of billions of women and mothers matters. Our biology is what gives us the possibility of becoming mothers.

When we connect with our bodies and our babies, we can have powerful empowered births.

Absolutely, pregnancy and birthing had a profound effect on me and my feelings towards my ideas of 'womanhood'. It made me feel incredibly empowered and proud to be a woman.

I'm talking as someone who might have called themselves non binary if this conversation had existed years ago.

Thelnebriati · 10/07/2023 11:37

Would self hypnosis work if the language used was jarring?