Please help me make sense of hypno birthing

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

I have the Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy CD and book. I don't really get it Are you supposed to use the CD to practise breathing and visualisation? How does that work when you don't have the music and words to link it to?

Has anyone used hypo birthing techniques? How did you do it?

Sorry for the silly questions!

I did it all wrong and regularly fell asleep listening to the birth prep CD, for all I know she could sing all 7 verses of the national anthem 10minutes into the CD!
However, I have had 4 wonderful homebirths with no more than TENS and the pool for pain relief - I still want to try G+A!
I think the relaxation, and getting into the habit of slower deeper breathing can be very calming and help avoid you tensing up against the pain - which only makes it worse.
FWIW, I am crap at visualisation so all the 'imagine a sunny sea shore and you can hear the waves lapping...' is wasted on me, but I still recommend the CDs
Not sure that helps much, but if you have more questions please ask. And good luck :)

It's the slow long deep breathing that you need to concentrate on. Don't worry about the rest. You kind of have to just 'go with it'!

I stuck with it desperately for my second as I needed things to be different from my first. I found it helped.

With my 3rd I listened to it twice and then couldn't be arsed again, but I'd 'got' it iyswim.

Thanks for sharing, I'm glad I'm not the only one who falls asleep listening to the CD I'm not very good at 'woo' and I'm struggling a bit with the 'breathing lovely golden light' thing. It just makes me giggle rather nervously. Does it matter if I skip that bit and do my own visualisation?

Yes, this is my second and I am desperately trying to avoid it being anything like the first experience, apart from the healthy baby outcome bit.

I have this CD and have listened to it a bit, but a) I always fall asleep and b) her voice is beginning to REALLY PISS ME OFF.

Yes, definitely do your own visualisation, you have to find a phrasing/routine which works for you.
I like the breathing in golden light/positivity/strength - whatever you need, and breathing out pain/stress/tension/darkness - again, whatever you want rid of.... blowing out through contractions is about the only bit I remember doing consciously
Sorry you had a bad experience last time, and well done on preparing yourself mentally for a more positive one now. Are your MWs on board?

I'm seeing the MW tomorrow. I hope she's on-side because I'm under consultant-led care after last time and they are pushing for a very managed birth. That's another story though!

It's to do with self hypnosis and conditioning yourself to change the normal response to the pain of labour (sorry..."surges") to relaxation rather than panic. It worked amazingly for my wife for 12 of the 15 hours of her second labour. I am not normally one for "kooky" medicine but I have to say I was impressed.

If you want more details, I will ask her to post.

I had the CD and book with my first pregnancy and found it really relaxing to listen to. Have since lent it to a friend who listened to it in her lunch break and apparently fell asleep every time only waking up as she counted out at the end... We both had pretty good births but obviously that's only anecdotal.

Listened to the cd in preparation for my 2nd and thought it helped loads. Helps turn the pain into something positive imo. My 1st was a water birth but she was bk to bk so very painful. 2nd was born in half the time on all fours on the bed and I felt calm and in control unlike the 1st but tht may have been cos of 'normal' position and knowing what to expect. Just found out we're expecting dc3 and will definitely use it again this time.