After a transformative second birth left her feeling calm, confident and deeply connected, Noémi Széchely knew she had found her purpose: to help others feel safe, informed and emotionally supported as they prepare for birth. She launched Zen ‘n Birth to empower parents on this beautiful journey and provide them with great techniques, evidence-based education and a supportive environment to grow in. In this interview, she shares the story behind her journey into hypnobirthing, how she balances work and family life, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes for creating a world where every woman feels held and supported through pregnancy and birth.
The Passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
After the birth of my second baby, something within me shifted. I felt calm, confident and deeply connected during labour and birth. That experience opened my eyes to what birth could be when we feel safe, informed and emotionally supported. It also awakened my fascination with the mind-body connection. I began to see how our mindset shapes every moment – how powerful birth becomes when we shift fear into knowledge and tension into trust. I realised: knowledge isn’t just power, it’s freedom.
For years, I’d felt an urge to help people, but never quite found my path – until then. That moment gave my purpose a direction. I knew I wanted to support other women through birth, offering tools and guidance that help transform it into something sacred, strong and truly empowering.
The Launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I began by qualifying as a Wise Hippo hypnobirthing teacher – the exact same course I used to prepare for the birth of my second baby. That experience was so life-changing, there was no question in my mind: this was the path I wanted to share with others.
Once I finished the course, I set out to make connections and let people know I was here. Like any new venture, it came with its own challenges. The noise on social media is loud, and building visibility takes time. But I kept showing up – trusting that real stories, honest support and genuine care would eventually reach the women who needed it.
The Innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
To be honest, I don’t think I’ve had one single “big” breakthrough – and I’m completely okay with that. Growth hasn’t been loud or overnight. It’s been in the quiet, unexpected moments: when a mum messages me to say she made it through birth feeling calm, strong and proud of herself… or when someone shares that my post helped them feel seen in a way they hadn’t before.
Those shifts might not go viral, but they’re everything to me. Because I didn’t build this around trends – I built it around trust, real connection and helping women feel genuinely supported.
And while the big, public breakthrough might still be forming, I believe it’s already happening in the foundations – in the way people respond, return and reach out. That’s where the magic is. That’s what keeps me going.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I’m not sure balance is the right word. For me, it’s more about rhythm – knowing when to lean into mothering fully, and when to let creativity flow, even if that means working into the night while the house sleeps.
There are days where I feel stretched thin, and others where everything clicks. I don’t get it perfect, but I’ve shaped a life where my work reflects my values and my children see that motherhood can hold purpose, passion and imperfection all at once.
They see me trying, evolving, sometimes overwhelmed – but also lit up by the work I love. And I think there’s beauty in that: in showing them that growth and fulfilment aren’t always tidy, but they are absolutely worth the effort.
