Hypnobirthing... did anyone else experience a 'blip'?!

[luckysocks]

I started doing the Maggie Howell Pregnancy CD at around 20 weeks and found it really difficult to get my brain to stay still at first, but I persevered . I've been really impressed since about 24 weeks, I'm sure it's had an effect on how positive I felt during that period and I enjoyed making the time to relax.

A couple of weeks ago I switched to the Birth CD and again at first all was well, to the point at which I would doze off every time I got to the beach and wake up at the countdown.

However.

Recently my hormones have taken a turn for the worse and I'm so bloody grumpy and irritated at everything and everyone, including myself and including Maggie Howell. I just get prickly and itchy during the initial wind-down and by the time I get to the beach I can't bear it any more and end up switching the CD off. I thought it might be a phase and then I thought it might be because I've only been getting time to do it when I'm ready to sleep. But I've just tried this afternoon and the same thing has happened.

It was going so well! Has anyone else experienced this and did you get through it?!

Just persevere! I had hypnobirthing (some old dude used to come around my house to hypnotise me) and in the last few weeks of being pregnant I sailed through without any anxieties whatsoever. In labour itself.....it all went out the window, to be honest, but it does work.

You might be less irratable and more settled in a short while. I've been trying to get my head around the HB thing - I've not done the course due to cost, and am finding the visualisation bit really hard. I can do the breathing bit, but then seeing as I've been breathing for 30 odd years I should be able to count and breath at the same time. My OH is not interested, so he can shut up when the time comes.

AliveSheCried - did you find it helped cope with the discomfort?

Luckysocks, sounds like you have done better than me:) Maybe you are just a bit bored with it?? Getting frustrated with being P?? I'm sure your dedication will click in when the time comes.

no, but I am really not a good barometer as I had a terrible labour in Spain where they dont really give a shit about the mother to be honest.

however, my sister sailed through in six hours thanks to hypnobirthing and psychologically she could not wait to be a mother unlike me (terrified)which I am sure makes a difference

The Maggie Howell CDs are not HypnoBirthing - they are just one of the many hypnosis in childbirth offerings out there. In proper HypnoBirthing you'd have a Practitioner who would be able to work through your anxieties.

Can you think of anything specific that might be holding you back? Perhaps if you can pinpoint what it is that she says that particularly grates you may be able to work through what fear that relates to so that you can move forward.

If you have any other HypnoBirthing queries there are some FAQs here

Happy Birthing Day

Yes I have exactly the same problem - I am just bored to tears of the natal hypnotherapy CD, it's 40 mins long and the thought of listening to it every day kills me...to the point that i'm only really managing a couple of times a week. But I hope the fact that I've listened to it 10-15 times will do me some good at least! I don't know if forcing yourself to listen more will help, all it's done is made it all feel like a chore. I'm sure you'll already have some benefits from it without realising.

Thanks everyone and sorry for the delay! Tried it again yesterday and it was better (I got all the way through it!) so I'm going to persevere. I definitely couldn't do it every day though, yawn....................

I'm reading this with interest as I'm thinking of getting the Natal Hypno Home Birth CDs. Do you think I'd have to start at 20 weeks, or could I start a bit later? (and avoid your boredom issue!)

A good hypnosis CD shouldn't bore you - you should almost be unaware of it.

I've used it with 2 of my babies but didn't start until much later probably 35 weeks with dc 3 but then in the labour itself I listened to the cd on my iPod rather than just the music. I'd say take a break from it for a bit. I also put it on at bed time and just slept to it as I didn't have time during the day. It worked brilliantly for me.

My problem is staying awake! I am getting very good at the breathing in gold bit, but rarely make it to the beach and certainly not anywhere after that...

I had that cd. I started at 38 weeks and was a week overdue when I gave birth. I never really felt I cracked it at the time. I struggled with the visualisation - I am bad at that anyway - and settled for being happy with a proper daydream. I never got the 321 relax thing and did start to get a bit bored of it.

However, i did find the breathing really good and enjoyed lying on my back lifting the baby up and down with my breathing
And in hindsight think the CD must have really helped with my birth preparation. I went into hospital to have some blood loss checked and was already 5-6cm dilated even though I was convinced my contractions weren't strong enough to do anything. I also managed to get the whole way through with no pain relief other than TENS and breathing, concentrating on stretching out my diaphragm and the muscles in my abdomen. I never felt like i needed anything else even though i'd gone in with no preconceptions or desire to grin and bear it. I also got comments from the midwives on how calm I was too although I certainly didn't feel like I was in a state of deep relaxation as I'd imagine it. Also, I never really felt like the contractions hurt badly, they were just very uncomfortable and overwhelming even though my son was back to back. The only shame was that ds got stuck and needed a ventouse delivery.

The point of all that waffle is that I think the cd can and did help, even if you never quite feel you've cracked it. The most beneficial things were the breathing and thinking of the pain as discomfort as it helps you stay positive and more in control. There are some useful videos from a chirpy Aussie lady on YouTube too.

I hope that helps. Sorry for the length

Mock I never did either but then during my labour I suddenly decided to use the visualisation of every contraction being like a wave building up and building up and then crashing it really helped, not sure if it's on the tape but I'm guessing something must have gone in.