Using Hypnosis in Childbirth

[NoseyNooNoo]

Can anyone enlighten me on the differences between different types of Hypnosis in Childbirth techniques? What are the pros and cons of each sort of technique? I'm thinking of HypnoBirthing and Natal Hypnotherapy but I guess general hypnotherapists could do it too? Is there any other way to access it?

Any advice you could give would be gratefully received.

TIA

bumping for you because i want to know too

Hiya.
Hypnobirthing is the american method which was developed by Marie Mongan. You can do courses on this (about 250 a pop) with a qualified instructor, or you can buy the book (hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan) and work through it yourself with your partner.
Natal hypnotherapy is the British version. TBH I don't know much about this one but I did prefer the relaxation CDs because of the british rather than american accent.
I believe they cover roughly similar ground. However I don't think a general hypnotherapist would be a good bet, as a lot of the course covers the physiology of birth and helping you facilitate a smooth birth process by visualising it and thinking positively about it.
There are several aspects to hypnobirthing:

• Understanding how the muscles of the uterus etc work to get the cervix dilated and push the baby out.
• Fear release - understanding what you might be afraid of when it comes to birth and trying to let that go/planning so feared events don't arise
• Breathing - particularly very slow breathing for contractions and birth breathing for the "pushing stage"
• visualisations of things like the cervix opening
• relaxation - where the hypno thing comes from - learning to put yourself in a deep state of relaxation at will
• positive affirmations
• other ways of controlling pain/sensations, like a visualisation of turning down a dial of pain so it's less strong.

TBH it's a bit like sports psychology for someone running a marathon.

I used the book and some CDs to prepare. I had a fast and furious labour but still managed to use the breathing and the visualisation and stay in a state of calmness all the way through. I didn't manage to do any of the relaxation scripts because there wasn't enough time between contractions! Managed on TENS and birth pool.

I reckon if you google it you'll come up with local practioners etc. I also found a dedicated hypnobirthing forum on a different baby chat website very helpful (not sure if I can say which one?).
HTH x

Thanks for that. Did you manage to have a comfortable birth?

Um, no it was very painful! But somehow I got into a zone where that was OK. Also I could feel that my instinctive reaction to the contractions was to tense up and hyperventilate. The practice I'd done of being able to relax and breathe through them, and also having DH focus me and count my breathing to keep it slow, massively helped. With each contraction I visualised my cervix stretching and tried to reframe the pain as a "sensation"! This helped too. I wonder if this helped speed up the labour as I went from 1cm to birth in 5.5 hours (first baby).
When I got to transition I didn't flip out - all I said was "I'm finding it a little hard to manage now" .
I found pushing felt like a massive upside down vomit spasm but wasn't actually painful, so this was the best bit for me (other people will say different).
Crowning stung but not unbearably.
It was a lovely calm homebirth with candles and fairy lights and a lovely NHS midwife who was very respectful (and I'm not usually a hippy type, I just wanted my babe to have a nice dark gentle entry to the world if possible).
I was very lucky as I went into labour the night I was 13 days overdue and my DD was born 3 hours before I was due in for induction.

Hi
Can I comment? I'm a hynotherapist and I would not offer hypnobirthing unless I had actually trained in it, its quite specialist. I would frown alot at any therapist who did..and who hadnt, if you see what I mean. If you are looking for a suitably qualified therapist go through the General Hypnotherapy Register and question their training. Right, I'm off to hunt down some Natal hypnotherapy cds....

Just don't listen to the CDs in the car. I went right off to sleep everytime I listened to them. No idea what they say

I listened to the NCT one and pregnancy yoga and I think it really helped. The breathing more than anything. I think what really helped even more though is that it was my second time round and I wasn't scared, esp. knowing labour was likely to be six hours or less!

First time I hadn't done yoga or breathing techniques and it was like "Go straight to epidural - do not pass Go" when the stronger contractions started and I thought it might go on like that for 24 hours or more. I think it's worth doing though even if it just calms you down.

I used the natal hypnotherapy CDs and was lucky enough to have a straightforward labour - arrived in hospital at 7cm, DS born less than 3 hours later, 1st baby.
I chose natal hypnotherapy rather than hypnobirthing as they don't suggest you will have a pain free birth, only that they will give you the techniques to feel in control and manage the pain.

I have to say it worked really well for me. My pre-labour was 48 hours on and off so I had plenty of practice time! I used TENS and entonox and didn't feel I needed more, but I think if labour had been more prolonged I'd probably would have.
The CDs cost about £12 and are the best thing I bought in pregnancy. Helped me with sleeping in later stages too.
Would definately recommend, though you have to throw yourself into it - I giggled for the first 10mins of the CD but was amazed to find myself coming round 40mins later.
Can't do any harm.
Best of luck with whichever you choose.

eleanor i'm on my second pg and had an epidural the first time round and i am now terrified of doing it without one even though i really want to, did it help with the pain at all as thats what i am most scared of? :(

Hi

I can't comment on natal hypnotherapy but I did Hypnobirthing when I had my DD and would certainly recommend it. My labour lasted about 30 hours from my first contraction to birth. Labour for me was pretty relaxed with me 'going into myself' for alot of it. By the time I did get to hospital I was 9cm and didn't even realise ! I did find crowning the worst part, but it wasn't unbearable. I know I wouldn't have had such an enjoyable experience (yes, I did just use the word enjoyable there!!) had it not been for Hypnobirthing. I would urge you even just to get the book if nothing else. Good luck!

So would it be fair to say that HypnoBirthing instills in you the belief that there is no pain so that you have, as RuByMaMa said, an enjoyable birth whilst Natal Hypnotherapy assumes that there will be pain but helps you deal with it?

Again, I'm can't say what happens in Natal Hypnotherapy but in Hypnobirthing the focus is on education and relaxation. You are educated in the physiology of your body during labour and what your body is doing. Labour is a completely natural process and, assuming that you have a straightforward labour with no complications, there's no reason why it shouldn't be bearable. The argument goes that fear of labour acts as a barrier and your anxiety means that oxygen gets cut off to "non-essential" muscle groups (ie, your uterus). This essentially means you are working against your body instead of with it. You are taught techniques in order to go into a total state of relaxation and allow your body to work as effectively as possible. It does sound far fetched for many people (including my DH when we first started!), however, I found it made perfect sense. Don't get me wrong, I felt my contractions, but as strong period-like sensations as opposed to unbearable pain. In fact, I was doing my shopping in the supermarket 18 hours into my labour! An additional benefit I found with the course, was that my DH was given a much more active role within the labour. Your Birthing partner is taught alot of techniques to help you and this also really appealed to me, as I felt very strongly that it was something we were doing together as opposed to me screaming like a banshee whilst he felt like a spare part!!

Follow this link for more info
www.hypnobirthing.co.uk/

Hope this helps x

Hi Nosey
I think both are in fact very similar from what RuBy has posted. NH also focuses on relaxation and understanding the physical changes through labour.

I'm an anaesthetist and have seen hundreds of labours, mostly the complicated ones, so I was very nervous about my own labour. I can honestly say from a personal perspective that hypnotherapy worked really well. I would not describe it as agony, nor would I say it was pain free. At no point did I feel out of control or that I couldn't cope, which was what I wanted.

The natal hypnotherapy website has more details and some of the research.

Please try one or the other, don't think it matters which. Hypnotherapy is a really useful thing to do to prepare especially if you're worried.

HypnoBirthing does not promise a pain free birth but a more comfortable one. Because of the way you stay in a relaxed state rather than the 'flight or fight' state of fear you are able to deal more easily with the sensations of childbirth. Some people don't feel pain, some feel just pressure but others find the techniques help them whatever sensations they are feeling. Hypnobirthing IMHO is worth doing as you learn so much more than just the hypnosis. What you don't want is a hypnotherapist who tries to get you to dissociate from what you are experiencing. HypnoBirthing is all about focussing on you body and baby and tuning in to what both are doing/need. Read the testimonials on the website and watch some HypnoBirths here

"I would not describe it as agony, nor would I say it was pain free. At no point did I feel out of control or that I couldn't cope"

Thats probably what I would say too, and I agree with RubyMaMa that it was like strong period sensations.

I would definitely recommend getting the book and reading it before making up your mind. Very few people have used the techniques and not find them helpful.