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Original poster

To be annoyed by this article / ad for hypnobirthing?

78 replies

Boco · 11/08/2008 13:51

In a local magazine - It starts of saying
'I find it extremely sad that so many pg ladies give birth today expecting a painful and uncomfortable experience'

..and then goes on to say 'The female form has been perfectly formed by nature, so why would nature design such an amazing body and then give it the flaw of not being able to deliver a baby without a huge amount of pain and discomfort?' also 'why are humans the only animal on this earth that needs pain killers whilst in labour?'

It then explains that the only reason it hurts is because we are 'expecting' pain, and therefore diverting blood from the uterus - which causes painful contractions.

This is really annoying. I tried hypnobirthing - it helped me keep calm for longer maybe - was quite good for relaxation - but it didn't stop it hurting. This is implying that the pain is all in the mind of the woman - if it hurts you're just not doing it right - which sets you up to fail because of course it hurts, you're squeezing a big baby out of your vagina and without drugs, that is not 'comfortable'.

I was shocked by how much it hurt and for ages felt like it was a failure on my part. This is pretty much false advertising I think, because hypnobirthing does NOT stop it hurting, it can help, it can be good, but has anyone had a pain free birth?

It's written by a man by the way.

OP posts:
largeginandtonic · 11/08/2008 21:20

What a twunt, he should absolutely be called up in front of some advertising authority. He is openly lying surely?

It is making women who felt pain feel inadequate too!

I hope you sent the email.

MrsMattie · 11/08/2008 21:23

I find a lot of hypnobirthing practitioners use really dodgy advertising along the lines of promising a pain-free birth or at least insinuating that a pain free birth is possible. Completely unethical and a load of bollocks to boot.

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 21:27

Lynette I know what you mean but I'm not sure even about that. Some people sail through their periods with no trouble at all while some experience varying levels of discomfort, cramps and pain.

This isn't to do with confident/happy vs worried/scared but about how their wombs and bodies work.

If hypnotherapy can help people relax during labour then that's great and I have absolutely no issue with people using whatever methods they choose during labour.

But to say that hypnotherapy, if you do it right, guarantees you a pain free labour is preposterous as far as I can see.

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 21:27

But MrsMattie, a pain free birth is possible. It takes cncentration, but I did have a pain free birth. Fact.

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 21:29

Sorry Lynette didn't read your whole thread, I take it back!

This topic just gets me so worked up.....

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 21:29

I agree, it certainly doesn't guarantee a pain free birth.

What I did find very helpfull was the "fear release" session I had, which enabled me to go into labour with no fear. Believe me, DH and I were very scared when I was pregnant with DS2.

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 21:32

My friends who have 3 children also have had pain free births without hypnotherapy. From what I can tell by the time you get to the third they just sort of pop out in half an hour in the toilet while you think you're doing a poo!

My point is that you don't know if it was because of the hypno, or because it was the third.

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 21:38

The fact it was the 3rd definately helped, no doubt about that. She was also 7lb 1oz, where as DS1 has been 8lb 15oz. I did have to concentrate, though; it was a 12 hour labour. Thae fact that I was at home, was also a huge factor in helping me relax.

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 21:51

Lynette so really it was a combination of things which went towards you having a good labour, and in the end a good labour is the best outcome possible.

I suppose also having laboured before maybe you learn what works and what doesn't etc.

Basically we are probably agreeing with each other, that's no fun is it!

I was very interested though to hear KatieDD's response about her comparison with interventions in birth and formula feeding, but I think she has gone away now...

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 21:56

It was also a combination of things that resulted in me having such a horrid time with DS1, though.

As far as I'm concerned anything that helps a woman relax and feel safe during labour is a good thing.

LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 21:57

You've summed oit up perfectly saying it was because I'd laboured before, I'd learned what worked for me.

Original poster
Boco · 11/08/2008 22:00

I do agree that hypnobirthing can be a good thing. I do agree that it helped me to relax and relaxing helps with pain management.

I dont' think that it was my lack of relaxation that made it hurt as much as it did though - contractions were total agony, that's very common in childbirth, throughout history, all over the world - childbirth is usually very painful.

I feel very strongly that these claims aren't realistic and that can be really damaging. I'm very pleased for people who tried it and it worked though, that's fantastic, but for most people it won't give you a pain free birth.

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 11/08/2008 22:02

I wonder what % of women its' worked for?

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 22:13

There is a converse to this though.

If a woman utterly trusts in hospitals doctors etc and feels that they have her best interests at heart...

And thinks that "alternative" methods are a ridiculous waste of time...

If she was asked to give birth at home with only something she didn't believe worked (eg hypnotherapy) to support her...

She would be extremely stressed and terrified.

The point is that different women feel comfortable with different things. We should all be able to give birth in the way that makes us feel most comfortable.

I hate any idea that giving birth one way or another, with one type of pain relief or another, labouring with one sort of relief or another, and even vaginal vs caesarian birth, have such a huge emotional blackmail factor and moral superiority factor. We should all be able to do what works for us with no-one telling us that we're doing it wrong/could or should be doing it better...

God knows once the baby is born we have enough of that sort of thing to contend with!

Original poster
Boco · 11/08/2008 22:19

I don't think anyone would dispute any of that Chukky, all sounds very sensible.

I don't think anyone on this thread thinks hypnobirthing is a bad thing or something you should't try, only that I personally would not trust a hypnotherapist making such sweeping claims and such bizarre statements. Being prepared and positive is so important, but going in thinking that if you don't have a pain free birth then it's because you're doing it wrong or not being positive enough is not the best start to motherhood.

OP posts:
KatieDD · 11/08/2008 22:27

In terms of my experience being down to being the third child I would utterly disagree (for a change), she was back to back and I was told if they'd examined em earlier in the labour I would have gone straight to theatre, despite 2 previous vaginal births.
With regards to the point about formula, it is widely promoted to the determent of the newborns in those conditions. With regards to the women in 3rd world countries most do actually use forms of hypnosis and will not readily accept intervention. My husband works for a drugs company and I know for a fact they build medical facilities around the world in exchange for promoting their drugs.
The doctors are trained from day one to prescribe for this, prescribe for that, when there are proven alternatives ie changes in diet, herbal remedies etc.
Of course medicine has it's place but to dismiss hypno birthing as rubbish is a shame because there is nothing in the OP which gave me the impression a woman could fail at giving birth, I would suggest that the only people implying that is women themselves.

pudding25 · 11/08/2008 22:35

I had a pain free birth - once they gave me the epidural and it was topped up every 45 mins until dd was born 16hrs later (thank god for epidurals).

I think this guy should be sued for making false advertising claims.

ChukkyPig · 11/08/2008 23:11

Your husband works for a drugs company who exchanges treatment for medicine? Blimey.

As for 3rd world women giving birth, let's face it, neither of us have experienced that. I would suggest though that they don't usually use "a form of hypnosis" but in fact go off with an experienced woman or two (midwives if you will) and see how it goes. And hope for the best.

I am not dismissing hypnobirthing or any other method, if it works for you it works for you. Just annoyed at the suggestion it can work for everyone.

What about the fistula incidence and the maternal/infant death rates? If women in the 3rd world are doing all the hypno stuff, why are they dying?

KatieDD · 11/08/2008 23:47

All drug company's exchange promotion of drugs for expensive equipment, discounts etc, it's very heavily regulated, he couldn't buy a GP a gift but they can contribute to the catering budget or donate an MRI scanner.
Hypnobirthing never ever claims to guarantee a safe delivery ever. I have never seen/read that. My sister has been a nurse in Zimbabwe and has seen women give birth very quietly and in peace, they haven't seen Holby city etc they don't know they are meant to be rolling around screaming their heads off.
However have you seen the youtube video of the man undergoing heart surgery under hypnosis ? The mind is a very powerful tool.
It can work for everybody, really it can but you have to meet it half way and give it a chance, the people I have met in real life who claim to have had a hypno birth which didn't work have been people who bought a CD off amazon.

lou33 · 11/08/2008 23:51

oh i know a lovely hypnotherapist in kew who is also good at his job

not sure if he does hypnobirthing but he is pretty enough to distract any woman for a while i would imagine

thumbwitch · 12/08/2008 00:01

I think the advert is condescending and somewhat misleading; BUT I wouldn't condemn hypnobirthing forever because of one egotistical fool's inability to choose his words properly.

I had hypnobirthing, it helped me enormously prior to the birth by removing the fear of labour (massive in my case) and explaining that if you are scared, then your body won't function properly (standard fight or flight response, makes perfect physiological sense).
It helped in the early stages of labour and probably reduced the impact of the latter stages, even though it still hurt. I have no feelings that I "did it wrong" or "failed" somehow, but then I didn't actually believe that it would remove the pain entirely either, despite the video.

And this was also despite seeing a woman have her front teeth removed under hypnosis, with no pain relief! If my hypnobirthing trainer had BEEN at the birth, I believe it is possible that I would have been sufficiently zoned out by her not to really feel it; but I didn't have that kind of money.

MrsTittleMouse · 12/08/2008 08:37

Argh! Must stay away from this thread!

Two points - I gave birth very quietly; it was my way of staying in control, by turning inwards and focussing on my breathing (i.e. by hypnobirthing). I was also in fucking agony. Just because a woman is quiet, doesn't mean that her birth is painfree.

The other point is that it isn't just the nutter referenced in the OP that makes silly claims for hypnobirthing, I have the Mongan book, and it is also completely unrealistic for a woman who has a difficult or prolonged labour. If it was one rogue hypnotherapist then I wouldn't be so angry.

SuperSillyus · 12/08/2008 08:49

My cat really cried in pain when she gave birth to her kittens.

FabioFridgeFluffFrenzy · 12/08/2008 08:55

Who has said that hypnobirthing is rubbish?
Works for some, not for others.

Pruners · 12/08/2008 08:57

Message withdrawn