Is hypnobirthing worth doing?

I was extremely relaxed and positive for second birth for some reason I should add

It helps massively to feel relaxed, whether you do it or not. I tried during first birth but wasn't relaxed so it didn't work. Didn't bother for second birth, just walked around my kitchen breathing during contractions and had very little pain despite no pain relief

I did hypnobirthing and had 4 drug free home births. 3 of them were almost pain-free, I just focused on my breathing and it was a piece of cake. The other baby was back to back so was more painful, but still just needed to breathe and keep calm and that was all I needed. I did have some gas and air when they stitched me up though tbh. That is the worst bit imo, when you are in labour your body just goes over and you get in the zone and get on with it. Congratulations x

I liked the up and down breathing and they helped me during the early stages, especially as I was induced.l but I didn't use a lot else of it myself.

The acronym BRAIN (benefit, risk, alterative, instinct, nothing) actually helped my husband to get a second opinion from a consultant and allow us half an hour longer when the junior doctor wanted to send me for an emergency section. Within 10 mins I had the urge to push and he was born half an hour after that.

I fully believe that if my husband hadn't watched it, I would have ended up with an emergency section.

I think it must depend on the course. I came away from the PBC one with an understanding that although in an ideal world we'd all like an intervention-free, thoroughly natural birth, in reality we aren't ever in complete control of how it's going to go. And that we can be at peace with however it goes.

I was a bit gutted to have to have a 2nd induction after the first one was so shockingly awful, and I ended up having another epidural and way more intervention than I planned... but I was still SO thankful for the tips and tricks I'd learnt, and I felt so much calmer and in control. It was a beautiful birth, especially compared to my first when I was clueless and terrified.

@Ndhdiwntbsivnwg yes that's exactly what I found helpful too. I love how scientific it is, it sounds so woo-woo but doesn't have to be at all.

I did the Positive Birth Company online course, not mega expensive and you can watch all the videos in your own time so could probably squeeze them in in the next couple of weeks.

I would definitely rate it 👍🏻 had one utterly shitty and traumatic induction for my first baby and a much much better and calmer induction for my second baby - the only real difference was being more informed and in control the second time around.

The PBC course isn't just breathing exercises and meditation, it's also informative and scientific videos about the whole process which I found hugely helpful.

I'm not a very new-agey / hypnotise-y sort of person so I didn't actually use the app or the guided meditations. But the information in the videos and the breathing techniques were enough to make a massive difference for me 👌🏻

@Tiddlypomtiddlypom its totally unbelievable but yes the birth itself didn’t hurt. I had contractions all the night before and had had paracetamol in the morning but I believed the contractions had stopped as couldn’t feel them. I just needed a poo (or so I thought!). I was walking around the carpark trying to kick start it all and it was only when I was checked before being sent home they realised I was fully dilated.

I couldn’t feel any contractions at all so just pushed all the time. The pushing was hard work and I’d never have been able to ‘breathe the baby out’ as hypnobirthing suggests but the breathing and affirmations and keeping myself calm and were helpful during both that and the labour of my 2nd (which was definitely not pain free!)

Pain free? Really? Free of pain?

Hypnobirthing helped me with understanding what my body is going through which helped with coping through labour.
I’ve found the meditation part useless myself, but I’m a sciency, logical person so this is how I coped

I had a CD that I listened to a couple of times before giving birth the second time around. (Also left it late). It really helped for the breathing between contractions (which kept stopping and starting over a few days) - I think it had an effect even though I fell asleep while listening. Also rented a tens machine which I used when they really kicked in.

I paid for an app it was only a couple of £ and it really helped me early stages of labour and kept me calm, and I didn’t really practice a great deal, only when I was in the bath. I still went for an epidural in the end and am planning on doing the same again with my next in september.

congratulations, wishing you all the best

It certainly helped my husband and I! We went through our pregnancy with no family close by and we wanted to be prepared. I was so calm the midwives didn't believe I was so far along and didn't examine me. Sent me home and almost had the baby in the car!

I had a pain free first birth experience. Partly down to the techniques I learnt in hypnobirthing and partly due to walking and being active or sat on a birthing ball during labour.
Second wasn’t quite so painless but the breathing techniques helped me manage better. It’s mostly deep breathing which I use still when I’m stressed, in pain etc.

I used it, it didn't completely take away my fears and I had an elcs but it definitely helped me in the moment to have breathing techniques to focus on. I think it's worth it.

I didn't have one, but this was my plan also. No sense in trying to do it naturally if you know you'll be having unnaturally induced contractions.

Yes, much like many aspects of motherhood. Eg if your child is a “good sleeper”, a “good baby” who doesn’t cry much and so on… I really hated the pressure I felt from reading things like “I was so proud of myself for not having any pain relief.” Also, tears down below are quite common and while breathing can help the baby’s descent and help prevent them, it’s not the panacea. They can and do still happen with the most perfectly controlled breathing. This is why I did a course, gave the breathing and things a good go but didn’t allow myself to get too sucked into the whole thing and say “I’m going to hypnobirth”.

I hear more frequently that women accredit hypnobirthing to having a successful subsequent birth compared to their first one and, while this may be true that it was all down to hypnobirthing, few acknowledge how it’s not their first rodeo the second or third time round, they are more knowledgeable about what to expect and subsequent births tend to be faster etc - emphasis on ‘tend’ before I get @ed with accounts of how people’s first birth was the best.

Yes. I did it for one of my four children, the biggest, just under 10lbs, and it was easily the best birth. Sadly I neglected to do it for the two after. I just listened to cds purchased cheaply online.

Respect

I used the Freya app for my first labour, which helped up until I was almost fully dialated. My baby was born back to back though...so it didn't end in the way I hoped (with forceps).

I'll use the Freya app again for my second labour though - well worth it. I liked the countdown element for the contractions. Hopefully it'll be smoother sailing this time...

Good luck!

I did a whole course. Couldn't remember a thing once I was in the throws of labour 😅

It sounds like you have a good attitude, OP.

I think the breathing techniques will help you with any contractions you are having without having had an epidural. Once you've had an epidural, if you have one, you won't need them.

From all I've read I think induction probably does increase the risk of further interventions. But many women have very straightforward and positive inductions. The determining factors seem to be how favourable your body is to an induction and whether your baby is in a good position. My own personal view is that other than the breathing exercises, the best thing you can do to prepare for giving birth is try to optimise your baby's position. So no slouching on the sofa, sit on your ball as often as possible and do lots of walking. Maybe some pregnancy yoga if you feel like it.

I live in France, where the vast majority of women have an epidural and most hospitals have a policy of inducing at 41 weeks if the woman hasn't gone into labour spontaneously before then. That was pretty much my doctor's philosophy, and he said most of his inductions go smoothly and take 6-8 hours. If you have syntocinon and and an epidural, you won't need breathing exercises, you'll want episodes of your favourite series downloaded onto your phone and sugary drinks to keep your energy up.

Although my personal preference was for a lower dose epidural so I could stay mobile, there are plenty of women who go in to be induced, get an epidural straight away, lie down on the bed and watch TV or read magazines until it's time to push. But that makes a very boring birth story so we don't tend to hear about those.

Ultimately I think what you do or don't do will make very little difference to the outcome, which will be largely dictated by your baby and your body.

If you're consultant led and already booked in to be induced, my guess is that they don't want to take any chances with you after so many miscarriages. Yes, that probably means a lot more monitoring, and a lower risk threshold for moving to an emergency C-section. But it also means you're in good hands, being looked after by an experienced professional who's seen it all before and whose priority is to get your baby here safely.

If there were a way to ensure no interventions were needed, no interventions would ever be needed.