MELISSA SPILSTED
Founder of Hypnobirthing Australia™
Melissa Spilsted is a certified Hypnobirthing Practitioner Childbirth Educator (HPCE), a registered Teacher (B.Ed, B.Arts), a Clinical Hypnotherapist (CHt), and a member of CAPEA (Childbirth & Parenting Educators Australia).
Melissa brings to her hypnotherapy and hypnobirthing classrooms over 25 years of training experience and professional qualifications. In addition to this – Melissa has successfully used hypnobirthing techniques three times herself and has had three beautiful, peaceful and calm natural births!
Widely known as Australia’s leading hypnobirthing expert, Melissa’s TV and media appearances have included Channel 9 – Today Show, Channel 7 Sunrise, The Courier Mail, Woman’s Weekly, Nurture Magazine, Mother and Baby Magazine, Practical Parenting Magazine, Birth Matters and national radio Radio 6PR (Perth), 2GB & 4BC National Radio.
Melissa has lectured midwives and midwifery students in local universities and hospitals and her work has also been showcased at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

Melissa Spilsted has been featured on these platforms















CLASSES WITH MELISSA
Melissa offers a limited of number private sessions and live online hypnobirthing antenatal classes. Click here to find out more!
PRACTITIONER TRAINING
Do you have that ‘something special’?
Hypnobirthing Australia™ is looking for some special individuals, with a passion for positive birthing, to join our team.
MELISSA'S JOURNEY
I wanted to share this story in the hope of encouraging and inspiring other new parents to embrace the possible career/work changes that may occur when starting a family.
Melissa passionately believes that it is a woman’s birthright to have a positive birth experience; which will have far-reaching effects on parenting, relationships and self-esteem. Knowledge is power!
This is what she says…
“When pregnant with my first child, I must admit that I was quite fearful of the perceived ‘pain’ associated with labour and childbirth – everyone I met seemed to have a horror story to tell. When my husband and I attended antenatal classes they passed an epidural needle around the group – it was HUGE. I then read up on the different drugs offered during labour and was horrified to learn of the documented side effects for both mother and baby – not to mention the unknown ones.
I decided that there had to be another way. Women had been giving birth since the beginning of time – our bodies are so remarkably complex and well designed – I found it hard to believe that the childbirth process was so flawed! I recognised the power of the mind-body connection and wished to utilise that for my birthing. That is when I discovered Hypnobirthing.
I was a bit sceptical at first, but thought I would give it a go. With only three weeks to go before my due date, my husband and I learnt hypnotherapy and hypnobirthing techniques for birthing. Thank goodness we did! I did really embrace a hypnobirthing philosophy, but I found the practice cds (in another accent) to be sometimes difficult to listen to – so I made my own recordings and incorporated some of my own conditioning/breathing techniques into my daily preparation. My births were beautiful, smooth and calm and I attribute this to the knowledge that my husband and I had acquired about the birthing process, hypnobirthing techniques learnt, support from my birth partner and my own program of ‘conditioning’.
I believe so strongly in the positive outcomes of using hypnobirthing that I now completely focus my hypnotherapy and teaching practice on sharing these techniques with parents and training new Hypnobirthing Australia Practitioners. I am very proud to know that I have made a positive difference to many family’s lives through education and the sharing of this these techniques.
It’s time for women to become empowered and elated by the birth process once again, and this is absolutely possible with hypnobirthing. My dream is that all babies have the opportunity to enter this world in a beautiful, calm and positive environment – the way nature intended.”
HYPNOBIRTHING AUSTRALIA IN THE MEDIA
The Today Show – Kate Middleton speaks out… Hypnobirthing works!
The Duchess of Cambridge speaks out about her experience using Hypnobirthing! VIEW THE CHANNEL 9 TODAY SHOW 2020 INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA SPILSTED
Read MoreABC Article ‘Hypnobirthing: Hippie Trend or Legitimate Practice?’
The ABC has featured the article Hypnobirthing: Hippie Trend or Legitimate Practice? which explores what hypnobirthing is all about and de-bunks many of the myths surrounding...
Read MoreHypnobirthing Australia recently featured on Channel 7 Sunrise
Melissa Spilsted from Hypnobirthing Australia featured here on Sunrise on Channel 7 - Australia's number one breakfast show hosted by Kochie and Sam (David Koch...
Read MoreMORE HYPNOBIRTHING COURSE OPTIONS
Hypnobirthing Online Course
We are making hypnobirthing more accessible to more parents! Click here to find out more about our hypnobirthing online course which includes video training, resources and mp3 downloads for pregnancy & childbirth.
Hypnobirthing Classes
Regular in-person & live webinar group and private hypnobirthing antenatal classes are offered by certified Hypnobirthing Australia™ Practitioners Australia-wide. Click here to find your nearest hypnobirth course!
CAESAREAN BIRTH COURSE
Our world-first Positive Caesarean Birth Course helps you to build the knowledge, tools, support team and mindset to help you to achieve a very calm and positive cesarean birth experience. One that you’ll ALWAYS want to remember!