To ask if anyone had a bad birth experience despite using hypnobirthing techniques?

[Movingsoon21]

I'm due to have my first child in a few weeks and I've been reading a lot of confusing/conflicting papers and statistics when trying to work out the best options for my birth preferences. None seem to reference specific factors of vaginal deliveries that lead to forceps delivery, which I really want to avoid.

I'm lucky to have a low risk pregnancy, am early 30s and generally fit and healthy. This profile leads the midwives to guide me to a vaginal delivery in an MLU, which sounds like it can be a great experience, especially when coupled with hypnobirthing techniques (e.g. using the BRAIN system for decision-making, using up/down breathing for coping with contractions and pushing, focusing on things that will increase oxytocin and reduce adrenalin etc). I have some friends who have had brilliant experiences in these circumstances.

However, I also have a number of friends who have ended up with traumatic vaginal deliveries, ending with forceps/EMCS and lasting internal damage. I haven't asked them whether they tried to use hypnobirthing techniques as I don't want to pry or potentially upset them, but I'm pretty sure at least some of them didn't.

I was therefore just wondering, as I can't find any studies on this, how much the hypnobirthing techniques actually help to move you into the "good outcome" vaginal delivery group (assuming you are otherwise low risk), or whether it's really all down to luck?

Did anyone on here with a low risk pregnancy follow hypnobirthing and still end up with a bad birth experience/bad post-natal recovery outcomes such as third/fourth degree tears or incontinence? TIA.

Hypnobirthing won’t prevent you having medical problems or needing a c-section.

Hypnobirthing didn't prevent me having metanium in my waters, needing emergency c section, having sepsis or hemorrhaging.

If I ever have another I'm going straight to elective c section.

Whether you have a complication-free delivery is unfortunately mostly down to chance and the medical decisions that are made.

My best friend had a 4 hour labour with no interventions and she'd never even heard of hypnobirthing! I thought I was so well prepared with breathing techniques and all that cr*p and I nearly died.

(Sorry, that sounded very bitter!) Nb my birth experience is not the average!!

Some of the complications I had during birth were caused by the position of the cord - it was tightly wrapped around the baby's head more than once. Everything was OK but it was stressful when many people came into the room. Hypnobirthing couldn't make a difference to that, only to the way you might feel able to cope. Certainly try hypnobirthing but I think be open minded that birth is not always predictable. If forceps were needed for example I would say that hypnobirthing would help you to feel more calm with that rather than prevent them being needed.

@Obira

Hypnobirthing won’t prevent you having medical problems or needing a c-section.

This is v true ^

Yep, did hypnobirthing and everything you’re supposed to do (staying fit etc) still got a perineal haematoma, third degree tear and needed revision surgery a few months later.

Hypnobirthing is largely about using breathing to stay calm, which is great and I think it was helpful, but I don’t think it could change the underlying facts that led to me tearing - I had a large baby, a fast labour, and was badly stitched up.

I have thankfully escaped long term effects but I was advised to opt for an ELCS second time round.

I did hypnobirthing and had an EMCS as baby wasn't budging.

I think it's a nice tool to have but it isn't going to prevent any actual complications.

Will do it again with my next baby if I can have a VBAC.

I had done hypnobirthing - unfortunately a lot of the result is out of your control. My body did not dilate past 3cm - regardless of how I breathed! I had emergency c-section and a lovely elective second time round. Every birth is different though and it’s good to prepare. What will be, will be and as long as you’re both healthy at the end, that’s all that matters. Just be open minded about all the possibilities.

Hypnobirthing won’t prevent your child ‘star gazing’ and getting stuck so you need forceps or an EMCS. It’s not magic! Loads of things can go wrong, hypnobirthing can’t prevent any of them but it will hopefully keep you calm and relaxed.

My first labour ended in an emcs after child was too big to exit.
Second was a VBAC and I didn’t bother with the hypno stuff. All was fine but I needed an episiotomy

I did hypnobirthing and, sorry to say, wound up with a forceps delivery for DD.

I genuinely think that some womens' bodies are just better designed for birth. Mine is very much not - I grow big(ish) babies, have a relatively narrow pelvis, and don't dilate easily. I'm going for an elective c-section this time but I don't regret trying first time around, I had no idea how I would get on with giving birth until I did it. And my episiotomy stitches healed really well, and I've not really been left with any physical issues after the birth (minus a mild prolapse but my midwives tell me this is almost certainly from carrying around a large baby rather than birthing her!)

One thing I found hypnobirthing very good for is that it helped me feel like I was remaining in control in the earlier stages. If my birth had been quicker and more straightforward I imagine it would have been really useful - it was only after things started dragging out and I got tired etc that they all went out of the window.

Hypnobirthing helped me stay calm when I was rushed to theatre for a crash caesarean, but didn't stop it happening.

I did a hypnobirthing course. It was emphasised that you should practise and I didn’t really. I was induced and had a slow delivery. My baby was in distress and I was being wheeled to theatre. I heard the team talking about my baby bring too far into the birth canal.
I spent short journey to theatre doing ‘J’ breaths I think they were called. Baby born in theatre. Consult said I was ‘amazing’. So maybe that tiny bit of knowledge helped. 16 years ago!

Hypnobirthing is not a method of achieving an 'ideal' birth, but instead is a tool to help you to cope and try to remain as calm as possible with whatever outcome your birth does have. It can be applied to any type of delivery e.g. unassisted, assisted vaginal or c-section.
Try not to put too much focus on having the type of birth you want, it really does depend on how everything comes together at the time and I would say basically all of that is out of your hands! All you can really do in advance is mentally prepare yourself and also attempt to promote the best positioning of baby (and even then they will still move and do what they want!! 🙈)

I'm due my second baby in a few weeks too and had a fairly good first birth but I know it could go entirely differently this time for no predictable reason. Planning on hypnobirthing this time too no matter what!

Factors related to increased use of forceps in first time mums:
*Positioning - stay mobile and use upright positions such as standing, squatting, kneeling, using birth ball etc. Try to avoid recumbent or semi recumbent.
*Try and avoid or delay epidural or ask for it be turned down/off in second stage.

*Luck

Hypnobirthing can help with avoiding epidural but can't help with luck element.

As PPs have said, it’s more about using the techniques to stay calm & focused, despite whatever happens.

DS was back to back. There was no amount of breathing that was going to help that.

It didnt prevent complications for me - i was low risk and in a MLU and ended up transferring to hosp for an episiotomy and forcep delivery.
I do strongly feel though that it helped me remain calm in a traumatic situation and without it i would more than likely have completely freaked out.
I feel very positively about my birth even though it wasnt ideal.

Having said that for baby #2 i didnt bother with it 😅

Good Luck!!

Hypnobirthing is not a method of achieving an 'ideal' birth, but instead is a tool to help you to cope and try to remain as calm as possible with whatever outcome your birth does have.

This. I did a hypnobirthing class (mainly because my friend was running it and I wanted to support her business) and ended up with a 3rd degree tear, but I still feel like I had a great birth. Maybe that's due to remaining calm and positive throughout? There was another couple in the class going for an ELCS but the Mum was very anxious about the epidural and so that's why she wanted to do hypnobirthing.

I went to hypnobirthing classes and practiced the techniques throughout pregnancy with my first. I also had a very detailed birth plan that I spent ages on. Looking back I had very fixed ideas about how I wanted the birth to be, and I thought all the research and planning meant I could control things but the reality wasn't at all like I had imagined. I ended up having a very long, difficult labour, I ended up with some tearing but it could have been a lot worse. The birth plan went completely out of the window. Baby was unwell and had to go into SCBU and I was readmitted with an infection which was all incredibly stressful at the time but fortunately all turned out fine. My second labour went much more smoothly. It was a lot shorter, much less painful, no tearing although second baby was bigger and I recovered very quickly. I didn't bother with a birth plan or hypnobirthing techniques second time around.

Agree with PP’s, I believe hypnobirthing doesn’t actually prevent the complications but I think it helps you to cope with them better than you otherwise might do. Positive thinking and breathing techniques didn’t stop me needing a c section sadly, but I am glad I did them as I felt a bit more prepared for the different outcomes that could come from birth.

You have to accept that a huge amount of this is outside of your control.

Yeah, hypnobirthing was no help to me when DD got stuck and had to be hoicked out with forceps. It also didn't help with the episiotomy. I was a low risk pregnancy, too - 30 years old, at a healthy weight, with no pre-existing or pregnancy-related medical problems (except PGP, although some people think that makes delivery easier).

If you think it'll help you cope with contractions, go for it - but the support it gives is very much mental and not physical and no amount of mental strength is going to make a stuck baby come out the way nature intended. Nor will it lessen your chances of birth injuries and post-natal physical issues like incontinence.

Hi, midwife here! Hypno birthing is amazing for staying calm, collected and in control. I've seen it used really well for women to enable them to stay grounded and focused, and prior to starting the hypno birthing I tend to have a conversation with women so we can work out how I can communicate with them whilst they're 'under' their self guided hypnosis e.g. a gentle touch on the hand means I'm about to do your observations, or a gentle hand on your shoulder means I'm about to listen to your baby's heartbeat.

I have been in many situations where hypno birthing has been used with the best intentions, but later became annoying with one woman chucking her headphones at me screaming at me to turn the music off (we laughed about it later).

Hypnobrthing when used well may lower your adrenaline and other stress hormones which if released in high levels can stall labour. It can help reduce the type of pain relief you need e.g. Epidural which in some women can mean they're more likely to have a forcep delivery.

Birth is unpredictable and cannot be planned and I really don't buy into birth plans. Preferences of course but I really believe that planning a birth can lead to upset and a misguided feeling of failure when that is really not the case.

It's unlikely that hypno birthing will mean you completely avoid the circumstances you described in your OP,but I have seen it deployed by women when they're on the operating table for a section or whilst they're having a forceps delivery to help them stay calm and focused

Had a Emergency c section but the hypnobirthing helped me stay calm, and afterwards we were known as the 'calm family' on the ward.

I would do hb but forget the birth plan, the baby doesn't read it. Focus on the two weeks after you get home, that is much better to prepare for !

It's like concentrating on how the Deliveroo driver will get to your house, rather than what they are delivering.

@TheKeatingFive

You have to accept that a huge amount of this is outside of your control.

This.

I know that you are only attempting to gain a sense of control over the uncontrollable, but I can't help rolling my eyes at your misplaced belief that hypnobirthing or any other technique will avoid medical intervention if you or the baby need it. It's laughable.