My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Anyone else planning on using hypnobirthing?

17 replies

Sophia1984 · 30/05/2016 13:08

Hi ladies,

I thought it would be nice to have a space for those of us planning to use hypnobirthing to discuss what we're doing and how we're preparing. I feel a bit overwhelmed with information, and not really sure what I'm meant to do to prepare!

I'm due with my first baby at the start of August. I'm hoping for a water birth at a midwife-led unit with as few interventions as possible. I really don't like the idea of an epidural and am hoping gas and air will be the most pain relief I'll need - though I am open to this all changing (Especially as I had a low-lying placenta at 20 weeks and won't know until next week if it has moved or not. If not, a C-section is on the cards, but I think hypnobirthing techniques will still be useful in preparing me for that.)

I've always done yoga and have been continuing to do so through pregnancy (though with limited poses due to the placenta issue), I've been reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Maggie Howell's Effective Birth Preparation and listening to her CDs. Not really sure if that's all I'm meant to do, or if I'm meant to be preparing my own hypnobirthing script too. Partner is lovely and supportive, but I think he is currently at 'freaked out about imminent arrival of small person' stage, and is reluctant to watch/listen/read a lot of things about childbirth (OBEM has put him off!), which is making it a bit difficult to get him on board!

What are everyone else's plans? Which books or CDs are you using? Any tips for involving partners?

xx

OP posts:
Report
mikesh909 · 30/05/2016 13:26

I'm interested to follow this thread, its still early stages for me (13 weeks) and I don't know much about hypnobirthing but from what I've heard, it sounds like it could really help me. Any recommendations of where to start?

Report
HappyGirl86 · 30/05/2016 13:46

I had a baby 16 weeks ago. I went to pregnancy yoga where the teacher followed a lot of the hypnobirthing techniques. I really enjoyed this class and I also read a hypnobirth book that I got off amazon. It was really relaxing doing the yoga and reading the book helped me to relax and take time to think positively about my birth. I developed some birth affirmations to take with me to the hospital and I honestly did not feel too worried about giving birth. Unfortunately I ended up having an emergency c section that was pretty stressful so I wasn't able to use any of the things I had learnt, although at the start of labour I did use the golden thread breath to help me with contractions. I found that was really helpful.
So although I wasn't able to use a lot of the techniques I definitely think it was helpful in relaxing me during pregnancy and also in preparing me psychologically for birth. I would use it again even though i would have a planned c section in the future.
I hope this helps?

Report
HappyGirl86 · 30/05/2016 13:51

Oh I also meant to say I really wouldn't worry about trying to involve your partner too much. As long as they have agreed to be there to support you, you can see how you feel once you are in labour and ask them to do different things as it develops. We went to a yoga birth workshop and learnt different positions that my partner could do with me during labour, that was useful (although we didn't use them due to c section) and I felt that was as prepared as we could be. You never know exactly how your birth will go and my partner just did all he could to support me at the time :-)

Report
soundsystem · 30/05/2016 14:52

I used hypnobirthing for DD and in planning on doing it again this time round.

I read the two books you mention and also Juju Sundin's birth skills, and listened to the Maggie Howell CD a few times, (although I mostly fell asleep!) I did yoga as well and DH came along to an active birth workshop with me but that was about it!

Report
soundsystem · 30/05/2016 14:53

This time round I haven't done anything yet (not due until January) but I'll dust off the books nearer the time, and start yoga again once I'm past 12 weeks.

Report
malin100 · 30/05/2016 17:16

I'm much the same, hoping for water birth etc but low lying placenta. Won't know for another 11 weeks if I'll need a section or not.

Haven't bought any books/CDs yet (was hoping for some at my library but there aren't).

Interested in which books/CDs are best and also which yoga positions I should be avoiding? I'm still doing my normal yoga class and obviously do things differently to the rest of the class sometimes, but didn't know anything changed based on the placenta issue.

Report
coppergrey · 30/05/2016 17:35

I'm 15 weeks so not thought too deeply about this yet, but I'm really interested in hypnobirthing and will be reading this thread with interest!

Is there one book in particular people would recommend for an overall introduction? I'm starting pregnancy yoga next week so that should get me in the frame of mind for this, too.

Report
McBaby · 30/05/2016 17:43

Only 5 weeks but listened to my cd in bed last night (I had it from previous pregnancy) and I find it helps relax me through horrendous pregnancy insomnia!

I found it useful during my last two labours but as I had both girls in the labour wars due to group b strep and an induction so I did find it hard to focus at times! But I managed to brethe dd2 out no pushing and no tearing (despite being screamed at to push by a handful of midwives).

Hoping for a more relaxed labour this time.

Report
fairgroundsnack · 30/05/2016 17:49

Hello! I am currently 20 weeks with #3 and a big fan of hypnobirthing. I used the techniques when I had my other two and had great birth experiences - just gas and air at a MLU for the first, and then a home water birth with gas for the very last contraction for the second. I appreciate that most of this was down to good luck but definitely found the techniques helpful.

I did a 2 day hypnobirthing course when I was pregnant with my first which I thought was good - DH thought it was the biggest waste of a weekend ever, but never mind! I have also done yoga all the way through all of my pregnancies. I used the Marie Mongan book plus a CD of some of her stuff which my hypnobirthing teacher made. I put the CD onto my iphone and listened to it in bed a lot, especially if I woke up at night and couldn't sleep.

The thing that I found most helpful was the letting go of fear and tension and using the breathing techniques all the way through.

Those of you who have low lying placentas at 20 weeks, the vast majority of these sort themselves out and get well out of the way as the uterus grows, hopefully this will be the case for you too!

Report
Sophia1984 · 30/05/2016 19:27

mikesh and coppergrey I started off reading The Calm Birth School ebook, but that was mainly cause it was free! I also got the Maggie Howells book and CDs off a friend, and the Wise Hippo CDs - both of these are good. I think I possibly started thinking about it too soon and listening to the CDs when I wasn't really ready. I would probably leave it til after 20 weeks but maybe start earlier on the yoga and general relaxation. Earlier than that I was still in the frame of mind of being anxious about the pregnancy rather than thinking about childbirth if that makes sense?

Thanks HappyGirl - that does help. I'm very much someone who likes to read and absorb as much information as possible, and my partner is someone who likes to go with the flow, so doesn't want to be overwhelmed with information.

Thanks for the recommendation soundsystem - have just bought Juju's book - find her concept of it being pain, but productive pain, more helpful than books that deny any pain at all!

malin I'm not sure how much my instructor has made adjustments because of the placenta thing and how much because I have pelvic/lower back pain. I think she is avoiding me doing squatting and deep twists and anything that 'opens' the pelvis. There's some info on this website here: prenatalyogacenter.com/blog/placenta-previa-and-prenatal-yoga/ I got told to avoid strenuous exercise so have had to stop running, which is really hard for me as that is one of my major stress-busters.

McBaby I hope you get a more relaxed one too! Good that it helped you ignore the 'pushy' midwives though!

fairgroundsnack Well done on getting your DH on a whole weekend course - I got mine to listen to the CD the other night but I can't see that being a regular occurrence!

OP posts:
Report
thrillhouse · 30/05/2016 19:31

I used the Maggie Howell mp3s last time and read Ina May's book but definitely left it a little late on. I should have started earlier.

It's still super early days for me but I will do better this time.

And I must admit, the bits I picked up on last time did really help.

Report
Cinnamon2013 · 30/05/2016 19:33

I did the course and used breathing techniques before both my EMCS and ELCS. It helped keep me calm during pregnancy too. Obviously my first birth wasn't planned that way - so all I'd say is it's worthwhile, but it doesn't work miracles - the positioning of baby, time of arrival and various other factors can override plans, so you may have to manage your expectations. Be good to yourself if things turn out differently. (I was crushed. Which was stupid).

Report
Cinnamon2013 · 30/05/2016 19:33

But good luck and hope it's a positive experience

Report
Stuffofawesome · 30/05/2016 19:40

Take a look at the hypnobirthing you tube channel. Seeing it happen can really help with positive images of birthing. I think one of the key things to prepare is letting your Borth partner know exactly what you want and priming them to be your advocate so when you are in the zone they can deal with any minor stuss

Report
Stuffofawesome · 30/05/2016 19:40

Stuff

Report
cheekstime · 31/05/2016 18:46

Hi OP I'm 36 weeks and using soley Maggie Howell NCT 4xcds pack.

I was going to do a face to face course but had started on these and happy to stick. I also didn't want to do more than one way of doing this as its a complete course. Good luck with all your prep.

All the best

Report
chloechloe · 31/05/2016 20:16

I did the Maggie Howell downloads with my DD (tho I usually fell asleep to them). I had to have an EMCS before even going into labour but the techniques did help me to calm myself down during what proved to be quite an unexpected and scary experience. I'm now 10w with #2 and am hoping desperately for a VBAC this time but will be doing the CDs again even if I have to go down the ELCS route.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.