I've managed to get all confused with Hypnobirthing - help!

[nm123]

OH and I did the 5 week course back in October. Since then we've had a lot going on (house move) but I'm now on maternity leave, we've got our birth pool blown up and I'm ready to go hell for leather with my practicing my hypnobirthing.

Problem is, whenever I go to practice, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing! OH and I both found the course really interesting and informative but I think our teacher was a bit lacking in terms of explaning some of the techniques and how/when to apply them. For example, she didn't explain glove, depthometer, numbered body parts etc - it's only because I read the book that I've seen them in there.

When I practice - what should that involve? I find it hard to read the book, relax, close my eyes, and remember what I'm supposed to be doing all at the same time... I've tried recording the technique paragraphs onto my ipod, but that doesn't really help either. Also, what should OH be doing with me?

Then I start to wonder how all these bits will apply during the actual labour? Listening to the birth affirmations and RR over and over and over again will likely send me loopy (or is that what I'm supposed to do and I'm missing the point?), plus I'd half wanted OH to create a chill-out playlist to put on when the time comes.

So in general, I'm totally confused (granted it doesn't take a lot at the mo) - I get that the overall gist is to trust your baby and your body, keep fear out and confidence in and just relax, but I don't feel equipped with the tools (ie the techniques to do that) because I don't quite know how to practice them or how to use the CD during the actual labour?

I'm a bit to call the teacher, so I'm wondering if someone here could clarify for me please? Any assistance is much appreciated!

Thanks, NM123

Call the teacher. Most pregnant people forget things :)

She will not be cross. Anyway it's her fault for being vague!

It sounds like you have been given a bit of a complicated script.

If you like your chill out music, your best bet is to practice simply drifting into relaxation, using the affirmations if you like or just focussing on deep breathing, with your chill out music in the background, so that when you are in labour you can just use the chill out music and it should trigger you back into that relaxed state, without having to remember much more than how to breathe slowly.

My course wanted us to make up our own tape and add affirmations over our own music, but I figured listening to my own voice would just freak me out so I passed on that.
Think as simple as possible for labour - the way it happened for me was that one half of my brain was screaming that I was in pain and probably about to die, and the other half (the not-so-well-practiced self-hypnotist) was being the calm voice saying it would be fine and I should relax and just breathe.
It is different for everyone though.

I'd be interested to read what others have to say on this too.. I am self-teaching myself the hypnobirthing and have been listening to the CD at bedtime and relaxing myself, but getting in a muddle over the breathing. Am meeting up with someone who teaches it (only for one session) so will let you know if i get any infio thats of help! I think the key is being able to get yourself into your relaxed state. for me i find listening to the CD really relaxing, and I have been visualising how I want the birth to go which i have found has really calmed my fears down (this is my third baby). Good luck, please post how you get on as I'd love to get as many tips as poss!

I don't think there's any hard and fast rules about what you have to do when. The techniques are a "menu" that you can call on when you need them.

I found that the best way of practising relaxing was to do the sleep breathing whilst listening to the Rainbow Relaxation CD or the affirmations. I practised some of the other techniques such as the glove but found they didn't work as well as during the course so didn't give them too much focus. I guess it's best for you to just pick bits that seem to work well for you and then in labour you can use them when you feel ready.

I'm sure your teacher would be very open to any questions you had. Give her a call!

I teach HypnoBirthing, and would gladly have you back to do a refresher session if you needed one. You should ask your teacher! Also you need to have someone (OH) to help you learn to become deeply relaxed to whatever music, or trigger that works best for you. Your teacher should be able to show you how to do this.
Happy Hypnobirthing!!

Hi nm123,

I'm a Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner and I would say that your best bet is to contact your practitioner and ask to clarify the points that you are confused about. What I would say though is that HypnoBirthing is not prescriptive so she would not have told you exactly what to do on the day of the birth. The course provides you with a tool-kit from which to choose from on the day. Some of my ladies do listen to the affirmations or rainbow relaxation on the day, some have their own chill-out mix that they've done. The dads are busy with the Birth Companion's Prompt Card that would have been in the folder that you were given. The number one thing that has helped my ladies is the use of visualisation during surges.

In answer to your other questions though, the numbered body parts is pretty much as written in the book. My couples are able to reach a relaxed state in 5 seconds - and we do that in the second class. The glove/depthometer would have been part of a hypnosis exercise done in class when your hand/mouth/foot became numb. Perhaps you have forgotten it because you were in hypnosis at the time.

Again though, you are best off contacting your practitioner - she really honestly will not mind because she will want to help you to have the best possible birth.

Best of luck!