Anyone else currently pregnant and trying hypnobirthing? Join me!

[purpleaura]

Hi all,

I'm currently 30 weeks with my 1st :) and about to embark on a hypnobirthing class. I'm quite petrified by the possibilities of a complex labour and I think and hope that the hypnobirthing will really help me to stay calm and relaxed in the face of the uncertainty of childbirth.

I've been inspired to start a thread after hearing 2 ladies comparing notes about their 'absolutely awful' labours in a cafe over lunch. Almost put me off my baked potato! I know that their stories are real and valid and therefore part of the reality of it all but its terrifying to hear nonetheless.

Here's some of my hopes/thoughts about the hypnobirthing experience:

• I'm wondering if hypnobirthing will be powerful enough to keep me calm in the face of being told by friends and relatives that labour is incredibly painful and there's nothing I can do about it? I think my female relatives who've had a painful labour are very sceptical about it. And when I explain to friends about it, I can see the doubt wash over their faces. Hypnobirthing seems like something you have to really believe in for it to be effective. Am I strong enough?
  

• If I end up having to have various interventions and whatnot, will the HB help me to deal with that too? Should I have some alternative strategies prepared just in case the HB doesn't work?! But if I do that, then I wouldn't be fully believing in it, and that seems like half the point. Hmm.
  

I'd love some company along the way, and I'm really interested to hear how other people are finding it. Please do share your thoughts and experiences and perhaps we can support each other along the way?

My first class is on Tuesday 2nd July, so I will report back :)

purple x

[JethroTull]

Hello Laura. I'm reading a hypnobirthing book & am having yoga sessions with a yoga teacher that specialises in birth, I couldn't find a hypnobirthing practitioner that I 'clicked' with in the local area.

I'd be really interested in hearing how you get on. Like you, I'd like to find some tools to help me have a calm birth. I've heard so many horrific birth stories that I'm dreading it & am hoping that this could help. I'm 25+5.

[emdottyjackson]

I'm not yet pregnant but I plan to hypno birth when I am! After testing the waters discussing it with my mum and a friend, i think I'll just keep it to myself and my husband. I think the eye rolling might get a little distressing as time goes on! Sincerely hope you get on well, looking forward to hearing about your experience :) Good luck!

[LuckySocks13]

Hi ladies. I'm 19 weeks pregnant and am signed up to start a hypnobirthing course on 31st July. I'm reading a book at the moment leant by a friend that rates it :) xxx

[purpleaura]

Welcome! Great response already- thanks for posting! Really good to know there's a few of us out there :)

Absolutely with you Jethro- the world needs more positive birth stories! Why don't people discuss those loudly in cafes?!
emdotty- keeping it quiet sounds really sensible actually. I think I might adopt that strategy from now on, unless I know that someone will be really on board.
Lucky- what's the book? Let us know if its any good.

Good luck to all of us! :)

[mustardtomango]

I'm am! Just reading with cd (mongan method) rather than a formal class, bjt I have high hopes for it. Love to join this group and share experiences x

[Clairea82]

Will be really good to hear how you get on! I am considering booking onto a HB course, but won't be for a little while yet as am 18 weeks. x

[MrsWildermac]

Hiya...I'm going to give it a whirl...v anxious about labour and delivery after a friend died in labour and so hoping that this will go some way to keeping me calm. My hospital runs hypnobirthing classes which we've jist finished and have read the book and trying to listen to the CD most days!

Hope you're all having happy and healthy pregnancies!

[rosiedays]

Hi I've had 2 very positive births using similar techniques. Positive pain with a purpose. ( hypnobirthing wasn't around in 1988! !) The mind is a powerful tool. I've read the book and use an app every day for relaxation and visualisation ( free download) I've spent a lot of time in less developed countries where birth is viewed very differently and women give birth without pain relief all the time.
I look at negative birth story's a bit like car crash stories. We all get in cars and drive every day but nevermmention it till there is an accident then everyone is interested.
I'm 37 weeks on Monday so will hopefully be able to report back soon
Good luck everyone. X

[ReikiMummy]

Hi, just thought i'd put my two pennies worth in.

:) As Rosie says... if we were to listen to every scary story out there we'd never leave our homes let alone get in a car and drive!

I'm 38w, and will be doing Hypnobirthing - in a fashion. Both me and my partner are certified (some say certifiable...) hypnotherapists and have used hypno on each other and clients for a fair few years now.

I bought the book (Marie Mongan), and have also downloaded some of the Natal hypnotherapy tracks too, and we have been doing a bit of hypnosis to keep me relaxed and after a session I sleep REALLY well for a few days.

I'm excited, not exactly nervous - its more like anticipation!

Looking forward to see if it all goes out of the window and nature takes its course, or whether it will all go swimmingly (in the home birth pool..!) when it comes to this particular birth event over here!!

Good Luck ladies :)

RM.

[ReikiMummy]

Also meant to say but forgot... (baby brain is erm... frustrating wonderful!!) I'm also reading and re reading Juju's Birth Skills book, one thing i've learnt is that it never hurts to have more things in your toolbox that you can throw at it should you need to!

[LuckySocks13]

Il check the name of the book but I think it's the one given with the course my friend did. What's the free app Rosie?
I had DS 3 years ago and I found I coped Well generally in labour and from reading the book it seems I did a lot of the things naturally. I did end up with an episiotomy but arm was round his face and he got stuck so needs must! I loved giving birth. magical experience :) I have been so inspired reading in the book about women birthing in other countries. I'm excited to start the course. I've just told my parents it's an antenatal course!

[Dildals]

I had a chat with a midwife (informally - she's married to one of my colleagues) and I asked her whether she thought HB worked, after all, she's seen a alot more births than I have! And she said that she definitely believed that it helped to stay calm and manage pain. She did say that it required investing some time beforehand (i.e. doing the course etc). She also suggested doing all the prep work, but to then leave it alone for a couple of weeks before birth (although that is not what the HB specialists advise I think), because she's seen in practice that women sometimes get too stressed about 'following' the HB techniques and then panic when sometimes goes wrong/differently. So, basically, try and stay open minded.

I also find all the negative birth stories very confusing. I can't help but feeling that surely birth shouldn't be that painful/traumatic as most women seem to experience, but i can't put my finger on whether I just have unlucky friends or whether it's to do with hospital intervention, or perhaps us un-learning the skill to give birth?

Anyway, my mum has a positive birthing story, for what it is worth! She always whispers that she's a bit embarrassed about it, because she didn't think it was that horrific/painful etc. They were having dinner guests that evening which they cancelled becuase my mum wasn't feeling well. She had a hot shower, her waters broke, contractions, and I was born just before midnight. Sounds alright! PLEASE let this be hereditary! ;-) Also, one of my twin friends gave birth recently (to twins), 19hrs no complications or intervention. Brill. Keep the faith ladies! ;-)

[purpleaura]

Wow, there's loads of us, brilliant! I really like the driving a car analogy Rosie- that's a really good way to look at things.

Reikimum- I have also been reading Juju Sundin's book. I like it a lot, it has loads of strategies and techniques for coping with the pain. The central theme of the book is basically that labour is very painful, but you don't just have to lie down and take it. It's very proactive and has loads of suggestions for pain reducing exercises. However, she does use the word pain in every other sentence and I find that quite daunting. The HB taster session I went to seemed to suggest that the anticipation and assumption of pain isn't helpful. Anyone got thoughts on this... Is it a case a finding a balance between the two approaches?

[rosiedays]

Mmm can't do clever things like link's! !!! I just did a search in my Google app store on my phone for hypnobirthing. It's called 'hypnosis for child birth' by kym Colston (sp) i think.

[rosiedays]

Oh and meant to say birth is NOT always painful. But it will be if you believe it will. We are mammals. All mammals give birth we're the only ones that need hospitals and drugs! ! Oh best i go make tea before i start my rant

[ReikiMummy]

Hi, Purpleaura I kinda delete the "P" word every time it crops up! Whether its in a book or when my DM is giving me advice or trying to talk a bit about this "labour" thingy (I've renamed it our Birth Event as I don't like the L word either!)

There are so many conflicting books/theories out there that you'll never get the perfect one - so as with many books I read on different methods/applications of all kinds of things... "Take what you need, and leave the rest".

:)

With Juju's book, I've read it through once kinda word for word, but am now just refreshing the main points for each skill.

Our bodies know what to do. Sometimes interventions are needed (like if baby in an interesting position or similar things that can happen), but when push comes to shove (no pun intended) - this is what our bodies were designed to do.

I say give us the tools to remain calm yet active and let us get on with it! :)

[cogitosum]

I'm 38 weeks and have done a course so now just practicing it. I've found it really useful already particularly to help me nap!

I'm not at all woo but like the logic behind hypnobirthing.

[Ezza1]

I've just bought a hypnobirthing CD to help me relax at home as I am really low, easily agitated and stressed at the moment. Listened to it for the first time today and fell asleep Will need to work on actually staying awake and absorbing!

I'm 28 weeks with DC4 and although my 3 labours have been short, easy and have never had pain relief I'm obviously not being complacent over this one so I want to prepare - it also gives me something to focus on at the moment whilst I'm not feeling 100%.

[ReikiMummy]

Ezza - don't worry about falling asleep to it, you'll still be hearing it and it will still "go in". :)

Sometimes we feel we must stay awake to fully absorb things like this - but we don't. When we fall asleep our conscious mind gets out of the way and lets the subconscious take over. And sometimes - yes it can feel like cheating a bit. But take it from one who does hypnotherapy on a fair few people - in a fair few of the sessions when they've fallen asleep - they have said back to me later what I've said to them whilst they've been having the session.

Do as you feel you need to - but it will still work whether you listen awake, or listen "asleep". :)

[4athomeand1cooking]

Hypnobirthing IME has been fantastic.

One thing to point out that some people can get an unrealistic expectation of labour and this sometimes goes out of the window when labour starts especially with first births.

Also it is still ok to keep an open mind and hypnobirth. Hypnobirthing assists with the pain of normal labour but sometimes baby can be back to back or labour can be long and this can both be more physically demanding and painful then "normal" labour pains.

Practising is key to successful hypnobirthing but do it in an area where you are subject to many distractions as you will need to learn how to hypnobirth through this. I used my distractions as triggers to push me deeper into hypnosis.

My 4th labour was pain free with hypnobirthing, my 3rd I felt some pain but remember thinking how easy it was compared to the first two.

I will definitely be using it again for this labour.

Good luck all x

[Emmabombemma]

I'm going to try it too - I'm 20 weeks. I've found a local instructor but am also reading the Marie Mongan book first to get my head around it. I really want a positive experience!

[fairypangolin]

I did a hypnobirthing course with the Mongan method with my first DS. I practised it very diligently before the birth and it did help with the first 24 hours of labour a lot. However, the labour went on for another 24 hours and as I became increasingly fatigued and desperate it just wasn't enough. I think it is a very useful technique but I found it frustrating that you are not supposed to admit that contractions do hurt (although the pain for me was never unbearable, it just went on for too long with no progress), which I know some women find but the majority do not. Also, there is a huge emphasis on the idea that if you are calm and sufficiently in the 'zone' you won't feel pain. I was calm, I was not afraid and I was doing everything I was supposed to but it was still painful! I agree that the techniques really do help to lessen pain and anxiety but it will not do it completely for all women.

I would recommend it to anyone who would like to try a natural birth but just to be aware that the expectations it raises are not always realistic. Every birth is individual.

[PuggyMum]

Hi everyone! I'm 26 weeks and have had 3 out of 4 classes on my hypnobirthing course.

I knew it was right up my street but the fact my dh is converted and researching birthing pools for a home birth has in itself made it worth every penny!

Congrats to all x

[Pocket1]

Hi I recently did a natal hypnobirthing course and absolutely loved it - I was terrified of labour and birth beforehand and felt that the course demystified everything for me. I also learned some great tools that have helped me prepare for my LO's arrival and keep calm and relaxed in the run up. My friends have commented on how chilled I am now compared with before.

Ironically due to medical reasons I now need a c-section - but honestly believe that the course will be of help. I am def calmer and believe that the LO is too.

Enjoy the course and best of luck with everything

[PoppettyPing]

Ooh, great idea for a thread. Hi all, I'm gonna pop my head round as I'm 29 weeks and am very much into having a peaceful birth. I've bought the Mongan book, so much of what she says just makes sense to me.

However I'm still a little overwhelmed with all the exercises and breathing things, I'm finding those a bit confusing at the minute...think I'll re-read the book and take it in a bit at a time. I would like to do the course but honestly I don't have the ££. Interested to see how you all get on!