So I decided to splash out on a Hypnobirthing course and had first class today....

[ChineapplePunk]

All I can say is that I am feeling really positive about my labour already. Currently in bed practicing my calm/relaxing breathing. :)

The class today consisted of a bit of background to the Mongan Method and the physiology of birth. Everyone talked openly and honestly about their "fears" and anxieties regarding birth, and the therapist made a very good job of de-hypnotising us in regards to what most of us have been conditioned into thinking about labour and childbirth, i.e., primarily negativity and assured unbearable pain.

I am really looking forward to the next class and now feel very confident that I can learn to take control of my birthing process, and not allow panic to take over.

That's brilliant to hear!

How many weeks pregnant should you be and can you do it without a birthing partner?

I'm 26 weeks at the moment, however, there were some women who were about 35 weeks at the course. Birthing partners are there to primarily support you and do little affirmation and massage techniques (if you want them to). As far as all the relaxation and breathing techniques are concerned, they are down to you and they are the main focus of the method, therefore they can absolutely be done without a birthing partner.

Brilliant! I did HB and it worked amazingly well for me and I can't recommend it enough.
Startlight-you can do it without a birth partner but having someone with you to remind you to breathe is very helpful. If you can find someone to go with you, you'll probably find it handy on the day.

That sounds brilliant. I didn't do a hypnobirthing course but I definately found that deep relaxation was the key to me coping with the pain. I wish you all the best.

Being able to cope is really my main concern. Don't want to descend into uncontrollable and Being able to cope is really my main concern. Don't want to descend into uncontrollable, and unnecessary, panic.

No idea why that appeared twice :)

I used natal hypnotherapy with my second, of a fashion and it was amazing.

Just wondered if I might benefit from more training.

This is lovely to hear. I teach HypnoBirthing and love the first class. Good luck and keep practicing.

Would you do hypnobirthing classes instead of antenatal classes? Or both?

I had one on one sessions (3) with a hypnotherapist before having ds1 (second child). Was taking the view that having found dd's perfectly normal uncomplicated labour panicky and scary, that would try anything.

Honestly, with antenatal yoga and hypnobirthing, had an amazing second labour. Felt so much more controlled, calm and positive.

I'm thinking of signing up for a Mongan hypnobirthing course in north London - but my partner won't be able to be there for one of the four sessions, as he'll be out of the country. Could anyone give me their opinion as to whether this would be a very serious loss?

osculation, I am doing both hypnobirthing classes and the NHS antenatal classes. I personally don't see there being any conflict, however, I do know that the midwives at my hospital are very pro-hypnobirthing. Also, the NHS are currently carrying out studies into the effects of hypnobirthing (albeit they are a bit patchy) so here's hoping that the studies are rolled out and, if favourable data is published, classes are offered by the NHS to all mothers-to-be in the future.

HardCheese, The main focus of hypnobirthing is the practicing of the techniques which have been taught. Therefore, if your partner can't make it for one of the sessions, whilst not ideal, I don't really think it would be a major issue. You will both be practising between lessons anyway, and you can impart to him what you learned in that missed lesson. You should be given the book, CD's, and handouts as part of the course, so all that info should keep you right. :)

Thanks, Chineapple. Unfortunately, have just heard from the hypnobirthing teacher that the class I planned to sign us up for is not running, so we now have a choice between
(a) a more expensive private one-on-one course where the dates are very flexible, and

(b) booking into a later course which starts almost exactly a calendar month before my due date.

Can anyone advise? Should I just shell out for the more expensive private sessions, where we can get started much sooner on practicing the techniques, or take a gamble on getting at least most of the later weekly course done before my due date? (This is a first baby, so may be late... Course to start Feb 20th, due date March 19th).

I used this book and CD without doing the classes and I really did find it amazing.

Home birth, very quick, and, much to everyone's surprise, I was so quiet and focused, no one knew I was about to deliver until my waters broke and the baby's head appeared!

I did not find that all of the exercises worked for me (could not get my head around the 'magic glove' thing) but I was relaxed and thought about the birth in really positive terms, so was not scared.

Really hope it works for you.

Hardcheese - when you did exams, were you a steady studier or a last minute crammer? If you like to do things last minute then no harm in taking the group course - is it run over 4-5 weeks ok? I know it probably isn't an issue now, but it is usually ok for partners to miss a session here or there if unavoidable. I'd say the 2nd one is key for them to be at as that contains most of the practical bits for them ;)

If you'd feel happier having more time to practise the techniques (and, tbh, most of the couples I teach stress that this is the main thing they'd do more of next time round, even though they've had a fab birth!) then go for the soonest course if you can afford it.

The book is great, it's the handbook we use on the course, but some of the extras you get like a fear release session and some extra scripts to practise at home are so much worth the extra cost to do the course.

If you're doing a 1-1, you'll be able to have this tailored more to your situation/birth location choice etc & can ask questions to your heart's content ;)

StarlightMcKenzie yes, you can do it without a birthing partner, however it helps to have someone else there who will be with you at the birth just so you can let them do the whole talking to midwives thing while you get on with doing nothing (!) but relaxing & zoning in to your birth. If you don't have one, that's fine, you just need to be more prepared to come out of and drift back into relaxation some more if someone wants to ask you for the 20th time what your date of birth is or whatever.

Thank you. It isn't that I won't have a birthing partner, more that I don't feel comfortable with a hypno partner iyswim. This has nothing to do with Dh, who would be okay about it, but my own preference to have all people the hell away from me when giving birth including Dh iyswim.

I am on class 4 of hypnobirthing - absolutely loving it. really did not expect to find it so helpful. Am raving about it to people - watched One Born every minute recently - cannot believe the negative reinforcement that women are given by the midwives - one midwife said to a woman in early labour - 'listen, I just have to tell you, it will get worse, the pain will become unbearable, labour is horrific, but you will get through it because you have to'. No wonder women enter labour tense and anxious!

I have found hypnobirthing has made me much more relaxed generally about the pregnancy and birth - I'm looking forward to the birth - and, I'm a fairly anxious nervy person normally but my partner commented on how calm I seem recently - I completely credit the breathing and relaxation. Two friends used hypnobirthing recently and both said it aws incredibly helpful - one had what might be usually described as a 'challenging' and long labour - she said she found it enjoyable and even the difficult bits have not caused any long lasting trauma. she said the breathing meant that 0-10cm was completely painless.

I think it should be available on the NHS. It's so ridiculous that we have women being prepared for labout by being frightened out of their wits by professionals.

It's like a coach preparing a runner for the marathon by saying 'listen, this is going to be the worst day of your life, you will probably feel like hell the whole way through, but hey, you'll crawl over the finish line at some point'.....

are congratulations in order, starlight?

Oscultation. Is that spelled wrong on purpose. Sorry I have a thing about spelling. Its Auscultation by the way!

waterrat, I would like to echo what you have said. Considering the way that women are taught to fear birth, and the constant selling of the message that unbearable pain is inevitable, I am surprised that any woman's cervix EVER opens successfully.

Attended my second class yesterday and have been practising my surge breathing. DH and I putting 30 mins/1hr aside tonight to practice more breathing and go through some of the other relaxation techniques. :)

Personally I don't think women should have to wait until they're pregnant to find out all of this. We need a radical change in school sex education talks. I've come to the conclusion that they're not in the slightest to do with sex education but to discourage teen pregnancy in the most graphic scary way possible. Just a shame this tactic works so well that many end up scarred by it for years.

As for OBEM, no, seriously can't understand how m/ws think that's inspiring to anyone. HAd this discussion on twitter recently & a friend said she thought that comment was fine as it was managing expectations. What it manages, however, is to lead your mind down the path of finding pain even if none is present at that point. Grr!

Mind you, great as Call the Midwife is, they still mention pain & how the NHS will be their saviour. Oh how I laughed.

I agree with everything you've said.
Spatone, maybe oscultaion belongs to the cult of the os?

Oops, that first point was meant to Dontpanic.

Yay - love this thread! I used to teach HB and loved the first class when often one partner would be dragged in a complete sceptic only to become very enthusiastic by coffee break time!