Do I need to practise hypnobirthing every day for it to work?

This is one of the most common questions I hear, and it is a real worry for people. It may be for you. 

Most people asking it are already busy, already juggling appointments, work, family, and the mental load that comes with pregnancy. The last thing you need is another daily task that feels like homework.

The short answer is: practice matters - but not in the “perfect routine” way you’ve been led to believe.

Why practice matters (and why it doesn’t need to be perfect)

Hypnobirthing isn’t about trying to relax harder or repeating scripts until you feel calm. It’s about training your nervous system.

When you practise even briefly, you build familiarity. Your mind learns a pattern: this is what steady focus feels like. With repetition, that response becomes easier to access - even when you’re tired, uncomfortable, or under pressure.

This is basic conditioning: the brain gets better at what it repeats. You’re not forcing change. You’re making a calm, steady response more available.

What’s the minimum that actually helps?

You don’t need an hour a day. You don’t need a perfect schedule.

For most people, the minimum that makes a difference is:

2–3 times a week (10–15 minutes): a guided audio or a short practice

Most days (1–2 minutes): one “in the moment” technique (breath, attention, cue word, body softening)

Consistency matters more than duration. Small repetitions beat big bursts.

How to practise without adding another task

The best practice often happens in ordinary moments:

• waiting rooms
• queues
• sitting in the car while you fill up with fuel

These little pauses are perfect for simple attention work - like the Spotlight technique - because they train you to settle your nervous system while life is happening around you.

You’re teaching your mind and body: I can come back to calm here, even now.

Why audio tracks make practice ridiculously easy

This is exactly why I love audio-led learning.

On hard days you don’t have to decide what to do or “do it right”. You just listen.

Many people use a track as they drift off to sleep - not because they’re trying to achieve anything, but because it supports the nervous system without effort. It’s reassuring, and it keeps the skills familiar in the background.

Practice is to support you

Practice isn’t about being good at hypnobirthing. It’s about being familiar with the tools.

Every time you listen, breathe, or return your attention, you reinforce the message: I know how to steady myself.

That’s what you want available to you when it matters.

Why you don't always NOTICE changes

When you're working with the subconscious, the part of the mind which is outside of your awareness, you don't always consciously notice change.  Your mind just does it, it's often a sense of feeling lighter, more relaxed, rather than a "wow, I switched the calm on".  When it is done properly, and you have done practice, it becomes automatic because your brain knows how to do it without you needing to focus on it. It's awesome! And you have to trust the process. 

This techniques on the course make this process easy, by finding opportunities for practice that don't feel like practice 🙂

Buy the course here. You'll get a clear guide to practice, with downloadable resources to plan your approach.