How supportive are midwives...?

[LittlePear91]

... when it comes to hypnobirthing techniques? By techniques I'm more specifically referring to the idea of hypnobirthing, as well as the idea of not forcibly pushing and allowing (as far as is medically reasonable) to allow your body to do what it was built for?

My community midwife has so far been very matronly (which is fine, I don't want her counsel particularly) but when I've mentioned that I'd like hypnobirthing techniques to be a part of my birth plan, she's been a bit standoffish and sort of brushes it aside. Basically suggesting that it's a load of rubbish and that I'll be doing as I'm told once I'm in labour.

So I'm choosing to ignore her and read up and practice the techniques anyways. My question is, for those of you who've used hypnobirthing techniques whilst in labour, how supportive have your midwives actually been of it?

I'm not nervous about labour itself, more that my ideal techniques are going to be laughed out of the labour ward!!

Ah this is so amazing! Loving reading all of your experiences. I'm so glad you all had the experiences you did- it's comforting to know it's a widely supported method of labour (whatever you choose to call it- hypnobirthing or otherwise).

Definitely going to get my bossy head on (shouldn't find that too difficult...) and make sure I'm clear about what I want! And will make sure DH knows exactly what I want to happen.

I didn't do hypnobirthing but the midwife didn't intervene much at all, she didn't tell me to push or anything, just let me and my body get on with things and she sat at the side. I was in a pool. She was lovely and stayed past the end of her shift until my baby was born. Since I gave birth I've never really understood the "push now" thing because your body just does it, you don't really have a choice. Unless you've had an epidural maybe?

Since I gave birth I've never really understood the "push now" thing because your body just does it, you don't really have a choice.

I'm the same since I gave birth. Also the "I feel like I need to push". I didn't feel like I needed to do it,my body just did. It wasn't like an urge, it just involuntarily happened. Although I guess everyone's experience is different and I can only speak for myself.

I had an EMCS but hypnobirthing helped me keep calm in theatre.

OP I found I got in "the zone" and was clueless as it what was happening around me but I found out after from MW3 and DM that DH advocated for me when I had twatty MW2. Do make sure that DH has the words and strength ready to advocate for you.

LittlePear definitely a good idea to make sure your birth partner knows exactly what you want.
During the later stages of my labour, I was lying on my side on my sofa with my DH sat on the floor rubbing my head and the midwife tried to ask me a question and I actually held my finger up and "shhhed" her until the contraction had passed but DH knew my birth plan inside out, so he could answer her question for me

Maybe it's just that she doesn't want you to think that most women sneeze their baby with a couple of deep breath.

When I look at my antenatal self and my antenatal classes (regular NCT) I'm bewildered at how others convinced me that breathing and a bit of gas and air would do just fine. It does for some women but only a minority particularly first time round.

Good luck

Pinguina, I was lucky that for DC1 natal hypnotherapy was all I needed, it was a breeze (despite the ambo transfer for meconium). (And by 'a breeze' I mean it hurt, and I whimpered and complained the whole way through, and I had a 3rd degree tear, but it was entirely manageable).

But DC2 hurt!

And then I read about the doctor dude who suggested the pain is because of fear. No dear, it wasn't fear, I wasn't scared, my pelvis was being forced apart. 🙄 (But I managed that with just G&A too, though an epidural would have been welcomed!)

pain is because of fear I bet it was a bloke who said that.

It fucking hurt. I will never sugar coat it. My contractions were the worst pain I've ever experienced. I was begging and pleading the midwife for something more than the shitty gas and air. It was just too late by that point. But as soon as my body started pushing the pain became very manageable and I think it's because it became productive pain. I could see the end in sight and that focused me. I'm definitely going to try Hypno birthing for my next baby though because hopefully it will help me handle the bit before the pushing better.

I had DS2 at home, and the two midwives were very supportive. I'd been using a free app of guided affirmations (I knew from DS1 that I can't handle smug woo, I needed to find affirmations that worked for me on my own time and be able to tune out the rest).

God, the voice of the woman on the app was annoying, but as I'd been using it for relaxation from about 34 weeks, it was just very powerful background noise to me. I seriously felt the lack of it when I turned it off to call for the midwives to come out, and relaxed immediately after DH put it back on.

There was a wonderful moment in a break in pushing when the senior midwife said (very quietly) "if I ever meet that woman, I'll poke her in the eye". I actually asked "what woman?" as I was so focused I wasn't even hearing individual words anymore.

I'm a cynical witch, but I think the familiarity and repetition had the same kind of effect as mindfulness. If it helps you get into the zone, go for it!

Formerly - yeah it was! Famous birthy dude... er, Grantly Dick Read or something? Yeah, this is himm*. tosser

Point taken Domesticanarchist 😀

One issue I believe is that childbirth covers a great variety of experiences and some women (including myself) come out of it thinking what they have experienced is universal.

Hopefully OP will have a "good" birth.

Now that's a good point, Pinguina.

We all experience it differently. (A few midwives would do well to remember that)

So true pinguina - no two births are the same and it's madness to suggest to women who had different birth experiences "well if you'd only relaxed/worked on your fucking oxytocin..." (seriously, the word gives me the rage, it was bandied around with so much smugness when I was expecting DS1 - as if it were a silver bullet). Doesn't stop people projecting their own experience all over the shop, probably because it's so intensely personal, it can be hard to imagine beyond it.

OP, I hope hypnobirthing is a useful thing to have in your toolkit, for however long you want/need it. If at any point you want to ditch it, I hope you feel able do so without any pressure on yourself.

Is directed pushing the norm, then? Nobody told me to push at any point during my labour (in a pool in hospital). My body decided to push, doing it at any other point would've felt very strange!

It's important to remember that some women have no urge to push at all. I didn''t with either of mine.............

With my DS I had an epidural. No urge to push whatsoever so had to have direction. He was born eventually by foreceps due to being in the wrong position. With DD I just had gas & air. I couldn't have stopped my body from pushing even if I'd have wanted to. Such a strange sensation. I had a community midwife deliver DD and was very much about listening to what my body wanted to do. I felt the urge to push earlyish in active labour but it was my waters that were bulging, as soon as they popped that urge disappeared for about 30 mins, then it came back & DD was born less than 15 mins later.

Im so curious to hear from you @LittlePear91 hoping all is well