Hypnobirthing- honest opinions, is it worth it?

[Mrsbirchall]

Hi

I wondered if anyone had any experience of hypnobirthing- good or bad? I'm 26 weeks and in denial about my fear of giving birth and have heard a few friends mention they know of people who have benefitted from hypnobirthing..

I'm usually naturally a tad sceptical about this sort of thing and living in London too, a quick browse on the web and it doesn't look cheap to do a course here either!..

So what are your thoughts? Any advice?

Sarah
xx

[clickingtock]

Stick with it if you can. I usually fell asleep listening to my relaxation CD but something worked as I had a quick HB with DS and not even gas and air. I haven't practised nearly as much second time round. Hoping it's like riding a bike... Should know soon as I'm 39wks today! I agree that it's more about staying in control and staying positive rather than tree-hugging or silliness. You really can help yourself if you've learned some of these techniques and for me that was great as I don't trust others to do the job! Ps I was 38 with first and 41 now and defying the statistics re' interventions required etc to birth; I do think that hypno helped...

[summerinthesun]

I had no fear of labour, as I knew my body would cope, but I'm a bit of a swot and I just wanted to learn what is the best way of dealing with the process. The teacher gave me a funny look when I said I had no fear of labour, she was probably thinking well what are you doing in my class.

Admitedly it was a bit boring doing all the practising, but it did help me through the contractions.

It has finally made sense to me now I am expecting my second, that I like being in control, and I didn't want drugs, not necessarily out of principle or that it might damage my bonding with my baby, but that I didn't like the thought of being out of control when going through a difficult process.

And I have to agree with the book, that I didn't think of it as pain at all, it was just something I had to go through, and I felt confident and well equiped with what to do.

I totally recommend it, it can't do any harm so it's worth giving it a go

[PopEsMummy]

I was like that with the natal hypnotherapy cd's. I carried on with it though and had a really lovely vbac. Stick with it!

[Dorisday13]

I was very skeptical but honestly I really think it helped me a lot x

[Mrsbirchall]

Oh dear, I think I'm impenetrable when it comes to these things!

Got the CD and on first listen I was already fidgeting 2 mins in and my mind drifting between what Christmas presents I still need to buy and the fact she was annoying me with her "321"...! I'll keep trying but find it so hard to switch off- doesn't bode we'll for me applying it during birth, gulp

[Purplecatti]

I thought the whole thing was total bunkum....... Until I went into labour. OMG was I glad I at least did a little bit of research.
I didn't visualise any flowers opening or any airy fairy twoddle. But I did shut my mind off and get in 'the zone', I pictured Homer Simpson's brain saying 'you're on your own' to him and the sound of a door slamming. And then I did my yoga breathing as much as I could.
I just let my body get on with whatever it needed to do and pretty much was out of it until the end. Gas and Air helped immensely, it fuzzes your brain allowing you to rise out of it. OH was really scared, I wasn't registering anything he was saying and the OBEM film crew barged in three times thrown out by OH - wrong room!) and I have absolutely no recollection of that AT ALL.
It was only at the end when I said I couldn't cope any more and the midwife told me I had to as my baby's head was out and staring at her that I did anything consciously.
I would say do the hypnobirthing thing. I didn't do it properly but still managed a back to back labour, a massive baby that got stuck and ended in a third degree tear just on gas and air, and I don't feel hard done by either.

[Cyclebump]

I didn't use it but two friends did.

One friend used it for her second child after a traumatic labour and EMCS with her first. She swore by hypnobirthing after a successful VBAC and said it really helped.

Another friend used it for her first child. She ended up in labour for three days, had pethidine, an epidural and an EMCS. However, she says she felt in control and reasonably calm throughout because of the techniques and before the course had been terrified of giving birth.

All in all, friends who've used it have found it useful.

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

I used this for my second and it was so much better than my first. With first even with pethidine and gas and air I still opted for an epidural. With the second, with nothing at all it was manageable and better than the first had been with peth/G&A and once I had the gas and air I had no pain at all. I didn't even do all the preparation in the book that thoroughly due to illness but I did have DH read portions of the book to me and that made a huge difference.

[MyFriendGoo]

I'm seriously considering hypnobirthing classes as friends have had really positive experiences....but I hadn't realised how involved the birth partner needs to be. My DH is lovely but not the most reliable in stressful situations! Would this potentially be a problem?

[PoppyPrincess]

From my experience it defo works, I just used a download that I got online or you can buy it on CD and that worked fine for me.

I know to some it may sound like mumbo jumbo but really it's just about deep relaxation and preparing your body and mind for what is going to happen during birth.

The birth canal and vagina are mainly made up of muscles, muscles which will tense up if you get stressed so the best thing to help labour and help the pain is to relax and to allow your body to do what it is trying to do and for me the hypno birth really helped me to do this.

I would recommend it 100%.

[Whiteshoes]

Someone up thread asked about starting to learn this late. I am also a deeply cynical soul, work in a very sceptical job, with london commute etc. a colleague gave me her hypno cd. I listened only in the last month or so, didn't do it every day, and generally find it v difficult to relax. I thought it was really,really useful. I felt much calmer than I think I would have done, and that must be helpful. It's certainly worth giving a cd a go.

Good luck!

[HoldMeCloserTonyDanza]

I am also pretty skeptical and impatient and since you wanted honest opinions - I found it complete crap. Woo-ish, frustrating, and patronising. It didn't suit me at all.

I would really recommend BORROWING some tapes first so you know if it's for you or not.

Please don't be like me and spend a fortune before realising it doesn't suit you!

I hope noone's offended. I usually don't comment on hypno threads but you did say you wanted positive and negative opinions and part of the reason I shelled out so much money was every single comment I read online seemed to rave about it. It really helps lots of people - but not everyone.

[DontSayWhatSayPardon]

Natal hypnotherapy is a uk based approach whereas hypnobirthing is from the US. I think they are fairly similar although I've just read another thread where practitioners of the two seemed to be having a row! Anyway just wanted to give you my limited experience which was that I read the hypnobirthing book and listened to the cd while pregnant with ds1 and felt that it actually had a negative effect on me by lulling me into a false sense of security in saying that it was possible to have a pain free birth. When the pain kicked in it threw me into a panic. That said! I didn't do the course and I also had an induction which lasted 3 days and generally a pretty bad birth experience. From what other people have said it sounds like they rate the course so I would say that is the way to go. For myself, now pregnant with ds2, I think i've decided to try a natal hypnotherapy course. I like the idea that it helps you cope with the pain and fear rather than not experiencing it at all. I also like that it was created in the uk with knowledge of our culture and attitudes of hospitals and staff. And that the cd will be in an English accent! Good luck whatever you decide!

[blackcurrants]

I think natal hypno is something done in the UK. I've heard good things about it, but only given birth in the USA so only know hypnobirthing.

[blackcurrants]

I used the Marie Mongan books and we paid for an instructor (we're in the USA and she's THE word in hypnobirthing over here - ) The book said "pain-free" and our instructor was muuuuch more down to earth, and talked about things feeling managable, in-control etc. We loved the instructor! :)

DH and I are skeptical, argumentative, science-driven secular humanists and pretty anti-'woo'. This shit, however, really worked. Childbirth hurt, but I felt in control and that the pain was entirely manageable.

I ended up being induced and after a crazy labour (No gas and air in the USA, so went just on Hypnobirthing techniques to 7cm dilated) they were worried about my blood pressure, so I was prescribed an epidural to lower it. The anesthetist came in and introduced himself, but I was lying on my side, ipod sound up, breathing deeply through a contraction. When it was over I looked up at him and said "Sorry, I was concentrating, I missed your name." and he said "Wow, were you having a contraction? I thought you were at 7cm?" and I said "Yeah, so.."
He said "Wow, women are usually screaming at me to hurry up at this point, you don't look like you're in labour!"
Smug git.

Anyway, like I said, it DID hurt but I was never afraid and never felt out of control (my biggest fear) - so I would recommend it above all the cash we spent getting ready for DS to be born. I'm at 36 weeks with DS2 now, and DH and I are re-reading though the books etc.

I needed DH to count for me, make eye-contact with me, fend off nurses during a contraction "Blackcurrants is concentrating, give her a moment." and etc. It's ever so helpful to have an active birth partner when using hypnobirthing, and I KNOW it calmed him down and made him feel prepared -even though the birth didn't go quite as we planned (worked out fine, vaginal delivery, healthy happy everyone, but the initial phase of the induction was crummy) we both felt much more calm and in control and able to make choices/ask questions etc, because I wasn't going nuts with pain and he wasn't going nuts with me going nuts.

okay that became an essay! Hope some of it helps! :)

[Mrsbirchall]

Sorry for obvious questins ladies but what's the difference between hypnobirthing and natal hyno?.. I hadn't heard of natal before..

x

[monsterchild]

Not to hijack, but I do a lot of meditation, would this be similar to hypnotherapy? I don't really think I have time to learn it now (at 35 weeks)...

[KtBOnline]

I used natal hypnotherapy and had an amazing and empowering birth - more affordable and simpler techniques than hypnobirthing x

[sandraletitia]

Anyone living in London and interested in Natal Hypnotherapy - there are quite a few of us practitioners around so do look us up on the main website. I teach NCT classes as well and know exactly what is meant about living and commuting in London - its hard to find peace and quiet - to find the time - and I see this so often in women who come to my classes and workshops.
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best.

[Casmama]

Absolutely worth it. I had no fear leading up to the birth which was a massive benefit. Unfortunately I had to be induced as ds was small for dates but I managed to get to 10 cms dilated with only my tens machine. In fact the midwife apologised to me later as she didn't think I was in active labour and only examined me because I felt pushing!

[Twattergy]

Yes! Do it! Marie Morgan based courses are good. I am no tree hugger I just wanted to know what to do when it all started! Course extremely informative in terms of understanding and therefore welcoming contractions. It removes fear in advance of and during labour. I have no doubt that I went from 0 to 10cm with manageable pain and in less than 6 hours and with no outside intervention (I was at home!) Because of hypno. You are not hypnotised just extremely relaxed and in control. Friends have since done it and also had great results.

[Mrsbirchall]

Thanks everyone, it's really helpful to hear about your experiences.

My worry is that I'm naturally a bit sceptical and impatient - living and commuting in London does tend to quash any 'zen' like qualities! - and whether I could apply the techniques successfully as I do tend to get myself a bit het up when I'm stressed/fearful or in pain..

I'll take a nosy at the book first and go from there...

xx

[cheeseandmushroomghostie]

Marking my place, was going to start a similar thread myself! 17 weeks with dc2 and would like a less panic stricken labour than last time .....

[pixwix]

Hi! I had quite a traumatic birth with ds1 first time round. when I fell pregnant again, I went to see a hypnotherapist. he didn't specialise in birth, in fact, I was the first one he'd seen! I had a few sessions with him, we discussed what I wanted out of it.

He promised me techniques that banished pain completely, but having been in labour once already, I was very sceptical, and I didn't want to set myself up for this, because when I went into labour, if it wasn't pain free, as he promised, then I would freak thinking I wasn't doing it right.

So we focussed upon rising above the sensations, switching mental buttons to turn down the level of pain, relaxation, visualising etc. he gave me a CD to take away to practice, which I did.

I found it really helpful! labour second time round was somewhat less shocking anyway, but when a contraction came, I turned inwards, visualised, and stayed a bit above the pain.

Yes it still hurt, but I felt much calmer, distanced from it and so much more in control. It wasn't overwhelming. When a contraction started, I was using gas and air, and I would visualise a roaring rising tide, with me gently lifting up above it in a hot air balloon - the sound of me toking on the gas and air actually helped, because it was the sound of the fire above hissing, to raise me up..

That labour wasn't without its problems either, as I got type 2 decelerations, and narrowly avoided a section, - they gave me an epidural fairly late on, as they thought I might need a section, and I was fine with that, but in the end, he came out!

But yeah - the hypnotherapy really helped - I was chatting to the midwife, then suddenly switched off, and went inside myself - after the contraction, she said jokingly 'are you sure you're in labour?' (I was 7cm).

I would say - do go to someone or use resources that specialise in pregnancy/ birth though. My hypnotherapist was fine, but he didn't really understand anything about birth and its mental challenges. And practise your new techniques at home- the delivery room can be a bit noisy with people popping in and out, although they are generally sensitive about it, so being able to suddenly feel the first surge, and drop into a state of relaxation and focus and tune people out for a bit really helps (though obv the second stage is a bit different, as you need to be more aware of the midwife!)

Hope this helps!