Anyone interested in mindfulness as a way to cope with childbirth?

[TepidCoffee]

I'm expecting DS2 at the end of Feb, hoping for a home birth. Had G&A last time and would ideally like to do without this time (it made me feel awful).

I'm planning on hiring a pool for use at home, and combining with Mindfulness-based tools from a book called Mindful Birthing. I'm a big fan of mindfulness in general, and it makes complete sense to me how it can be adapted to support childbirth. Just wondering if anyone else has come across it?

I've literally come across this today so will be watching closely. I've used hypnobirthing with 2of mine so far with varying success.

Hi Shelly, there might not be much to watch as I'm not sure it's a very well-known approach yet!

If you're interested, I will dig out a few links to resources I'm using.

This is the book I mentioned

Website here: www.mindfulbirthing.org/

I'm using an App with guided meditations, led by Nancy Bardacke. It's by a company called MindApps and the title is Mindfulness for Pregnancy (or something similar).

I came across mindfulness by accident a few months ago during an incredibly stressful time- it really helped. Im intreasted in anything that helps make giving birth a more positive process.

I don't view pregnancy or birth as medical issues and Im already struggling with the so called policies & procedures of my local hospital in relation to organising a homebirth. I can feel my irritation & stress levels increasing already!

Thanks for links!

That sounds complicated . What are they saying? How far along are you?

I came across it a few years ago when I was having eating problems, through Jon Kabat-Zinn's Full Catastastrophe Living and the courses run by the London Buddhist Centre. Found it really helpful, but didn't really have the discipline to take it up long term. I'm doing 15-20 mins formal practice a day at the moment, alongside informal practice and exercises from the book. It makes so much sense.

Im only 6 weeks. I decided to organise my booking in appointment etc. I spoke to my community midwifes & was surprised by her response. (Due to my age & amount of pregnancies).
I didn't intention seeing a doctor during the pregnancy unless there are complications as was the case with my last 2 pregnancies. Apparently i need to have my consultants 'agreement'. Then at 36 weeks the decision will be made. Ive contacted another hospital as there are 2 hospitals that cover my area for homebirths. What i will probably do is book into my preferred hospital. Wait til about 20 weeks, once i know pregnancy is going to plan& then employ an independent midwife.

I struggle with being 'told' how i should give birth!!

Good luck, hope everything goes to plan for you.

Bump

Also familiar with mindfulness from using Full Catastrophe Living during ill health previously, but hadn't heard of Mindfulness for Pregnancy or even thought about it. So... Thank you very much for starting this thread :-) Think I'm a bit too familiar with Natal Hypnotherapy CDs plus I need shorter practise sessions more often to fit in to my busy days. Plus, the Natal Hypnotherapy was good for relaxing & positive suggestions but I think mindfulness may be particularly useful to me in labour (hoping it's not as drawn out as before, but if it is, I think mindfulness may help me get more into the whole experience). Downloaded the app. Thinking about the book. How much extra info has the book got compared to app? Is it worth the price? You mention practising extra exercises from the book - is that from the book you linked to or the Full Catastrophe Living book? Thanks again TepidCoffee.

Hi crunching, nice to see another interested poster!

I think the book I linked to, Mindful Birthing, is well worth the price (it is pricey, that's for sure - I got the kindle version which was a few quid cheaper). It's that book I was referring to when I talked about the extra exercises.

In particular, she has some great exercises you do whilst holding an ice cube - practising various different methods of being with pain - that I'm finding very useful at the moment. But she also says a lot more about the whole process. I really like the mindful way of examining the birth process, which isn't something I've seen covered explicitly in any of the other related books I've read.

Ooh, thanks for the useful info about the book. Hadn't spotted it on kindle so now tried out the sample & it's great. Now weighing up whether to get kindle one or just treat myself to the actual book. Loving the app already though & tried to be more mindful at various points yesterday - especially when I had painful bloating. Wasn't too tricky to be mindful when my baby pressed against stomach & made me sick . Anyway, thanks again. And do let us know how birth goes!!

Have you got a preference where you birth tepid? And what are your preferences re pain relief & interventions etc? If all's well, I'm hoping for home & minimal interventions (hate gas & air as makes me feel sick), but I did like how I was able to use the natal hypnotherapy also at hospital when I transferred with first so I didn't feel too flustered by the changes.

Very similar to you actually - I am hoping to have a homebirth and minimise intervention. I had hoped for a MLU with DS1 but unfortunately ended up in the CLU with a monitoring belt on . So like you I think it's excellent preparation for a hb, but also for managing the unexpected.

I didn't get on with G&A either - made me feel drunk, the complete opposite of mindful.

Hi,
not sure if it will help but I am very happy to answer any questions you have or provide more information on mindfulness, email [email protected].

I would also be very interested in learning more about your experience with using a mindfulness approach to child birth and hope you will keep posting.

I am launching a series of Mindfulness stress management weekends in 2013 with some of them dedicated for the mumsnetters (and these are greatly discounted, see the mumsnet listing
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/small_business_ads/1667145-Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction-Weekend-introductory-offer ) and I would be very happy to explore the idea of creating a special weekend course that is targeted at child birth, if there was interest for this. Maybe for both partners to come and learn together?

I find it fascinating how useful mindfulness is and in how many ways it can be applied. It is relevant to almost everything we do, every day.

I keep posting usefull information on my facebook page

www.facebook.com/pages/InMindSight-Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction-MBSR-Meditation/482448478432764 and will add relevant articles and studies relating to child birth as I come across them.

hope this is useful information
in peace
-per

Hello per, thank you for your post. I would absolutely love to go on a residential MBSR weekend, but sadly my due date is at the end of February, so by mid-March I will either already have given birth, or be in labour :o.

I will post to let you know my experiences. Having done some MBSR before (at the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green), when I heard that the tools and practices had been considered from a childbirth perspective, I had an immediate sense of - how obvious! Of course mindfulness is relevant to labour and birth, and the early parenting period in particular.

I think the non-striving acceptance of what is makes a lot of sense. Many women prepare and prepare for their first baby and end up feeling like they have failed in some way if they need intervention, and it's a common complaint that preparation classes leave expectant parents feeling like if they plan down to the last detail, that they should be able to control the experience. There's a thread about it in this section right now, actually (called, 'This IS a thread about a thread').

Hi, thanks for the comment. Yes, I think so too. Very relevant.
We would have saved us a lot of worry and stress if could have used mindfulness techniques.
Hope it all goes well for you.
in peace
-per