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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Possitive hypno birthing stories

24 replies

dottymay · 01/08/2017 15:53

Hello!

I'm currently 35 weeks pregnant and attending a class and reading up on hypno birthing.

It's really helping me calm down, relax and get some much needed sleep. However I'm scepically as to how effective simple breathing excersise can be in childbirth.

Does anyone have any really possitive stories about hypno birthing or birthing in general? Would really help!

Please don't comment with horific experiences, I appriciate what you went through but as I'm anxious and worried anyway I want to create a thread to calm and reasure me and possible other first time mums of childbirth in a world where the word "pain" seems to be paramount to the experience. Xx

OP posts:

Emz32 · 01/08/2017 16:19

I had a very medical first birth with my premature son. So when I finally plucked up the courage to get pregnant again I started to panic about the birth. I signed up to pregnancy yoga & did the hypnobirthing. Both of these really helped to calm me in the run up to the birth but I was still a bit sceptical. I went into the birth more confident in my body's ability & feeling better. I had A day & night of mild tightenings. I did my yoga & bounced on my birthing ball (a godsend!) doing my breathing & focussing. My waters went at 6pm, I got to hospital at 7.20pm, my DD was born at 7.55pm with nothing other than my breathing & squeezing my DHs hand. I went into the birth with a positive mindset & trusting my body. It does really help. I realise now that I was fighting my body in my first birth, just let it do what it needs to. Good luck!

supersop60 · 01/08/2017 16:25

I don't know if this will reassure you or not!
I went to a private hypnotist before DD was born - very calming, very relaxing, and he kept telling me how his wife gave birth very calmly in 15 minutes! he gave me tapes to practise to, BUT I didn't really bother with them, so it was my own fault that it didn't really work. I was trying the breathing exercises during labour, and visualising swimming in cool, soothing water, and there came floating in front of me the gas and air canister! I took it.
So I'm saying - go for it, and remember to practise!

Original poster

dottymay · 01/08/2017 21:41

Thank you both this is great at the moment I hace lots of people laughing when I meniton no pain relief which is slightly disheartening.

Xxx

OP posts:

splendide · 01/08/2017 21:49

I listened to the Maggie Powell hypnobirthing tapes every afternoon for about the last month of my pregnancy and it went brilliantly for me.

I had a lovely homebirth and managed all the contractions with the exercises. Honestly I enjoyed giving birth

soundsystem · 01/08/2017 21:56

Same as Splendide, I did the Maggie Howell MP3s. Two lovely, calm home births. Well, calm apart from the bit at transition when I yelled at the midwife to just bloody do something

Apart from that bit, it was actually quite enjoyable!

annlee3817 · 01/08/2017 22:03

I also used the Maggie Howell CD and book, My contractions started at 2am, the breathing helped me to stay calm and focussed. I did try the gas and air at what I think was final transition, but after two puffs it was changing my breathing rhythm so I threw it aside and went back to my own breathing. I felt the urge to push at 5.30ish and my DD was born at 7.17am, so it was pretty quick and fairly calm, I didn't scream at any point and other than grunting I was fairly quiet. I was sick a lot though, which I couldn't do much about :)

splendide · 01/08/2017 22:06

Oh yeah transition was weird!

I thought I still had ages to go and it would get loads worse (because it really had been no bother) and I remember thinking that the whole thing was impossible and I'd just have to have a section.

Then a few minutes later there was DS!

MaxineQuordlepleen · 01/08/2017 22:07

I practiced every day from week 25 and I have never been so chilled out in my life. I had a twelve hour labour, water birth with no other pain relief. As above , I trusted my body to do it and it did. The confidence boost lasted a long time afterwards. I found out afterwards that people thought they were humouring my mad hippie ways but then had to admit that maybe there was more to it than they thought . Good luck! We're all different but it is never going to be time wasted. It is doable, I believe.

Tatlerer · 01/08/2017 22:11

Another positive story from me too OP. First baby, planned homebirth, breathing and reading the positive affirmations I'd pinned around the house (people laughed at me when they heard I was planning to do that!) worked wonders. I can't say it was pain free, but I never panicked or worried that the pain would be more than I could cope with. Good luck!

Original poster

dottymay · 02/08/2017 07:25

Maxine that's great to hear I don't want to gloat but family and friends are getting a bit anoying almost outright telling me I cant do it!

These hace really put me at ease thank you everyone xx

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debbs77 · 02/08/2017 07:33

Yes! I used some of the techniques but not fully......more of the breathing the baby out rather than music etc.

It makes total sense to me. Once labour starts, that baby is going to come out.......whether you push it out or not! So it makes sense to let your body do what it is designed to do and not force it by pushing. The pushing actually causes you to tense up and therefore causes more pain. I highly recommend it!

I just wish I had discovered it BEFORE baby number five!

annlee3817 · 02/08/2017 12:32

Ignore them OP, even my DH thought that I wouldn't manage without pain relief and laughed at the mention of hypnobirthing. It was an empowering experience for me, I told myself that each contraction was bringing me closer to my DD and holding her afterwards and not feeling out of it was amazing :) not putting down any births with pain relief, just that I knew I'd react to pethadine and it would have knocked me for six and an epidural would have meant leaving the birthing unit, which itself felt relaxing :)

Original poster

dottymay · 02/08/2017 13:00

I point blank want to pethidine or epidural, the side effects even tho slim are too great a risk for me to consider.

I may have gas and air on standby like someone mentioned for the very end of the birth but if I'm coping and breathing then I may just relax unto it

OP posts:

debbs77 · 02/08/2017 17:59

Make sure you put your choices in a birthing plan.

I've birthed six times and never had an epidural (That isn't to say I disagree with them! It was a personal choice). But have had gas and air three times. Three with nothing. Two were water births xx

MaxineQuordlepleen · 03/08/2017 12:28

I agree that the birthing plan is really important. I have a serious medical reason for needing to avoid surgery which was what led me to hypnobirthing in the first place and that needed to be clear. However, the plan is the basis for negotiations with the clinical team should things get tricky. I was in a midwife led unit and they were great but I think I did have to demonstrate to them that I respected their skill and wasn't going to be unreasonable. I think that we need to state clear preferences but in retrospect I would have used more neutral and conciliatory language in the plan itself. It was okay though, there was plenty of time for calm discussion!

Strokethefurrywall · 03/08/2017 16:50

Yep, I did. 4 hour birth start to finish - hypnobirthed through it with a few puffs of G&A at 10cms but it was then taken away to push.

I felt like I could eat glass after I gave birth to DS1, that's how high on endorphins' I was. I wish they could bottle that feeling of power and invisibility, it was absolutely incredible.

I relaxed as much as I could into every contraction, mooed like a cow and did a lot of visualisation.

That being said, I had an epidural at 4cms with DS2 as he needed to be monitored throughout, it was 11pm and I was tired so I slept through my second labor and my OBGYN woke me up to push at 6am. DS2 arrived after 3 lazy pushes. Both my labors were absolutely brilliant and I would do either one of them again in a heartbeat!

Original poster

dottymay · 03/08/2017 17:13

This is amazing so many sucess stories!!

I'm 5 weeks away now and several family members have told me without mincing words that they know best and this is not it or outright laughed at the idea.

I've also had dad and MI telling me how to feed and put to sleep a baby when I've mentioned routines and what I want it's winding me up to the point I don't want to talk to them!

Thankfully I have my mum, my partner and all you lovely people thank you so much feeling very confident about my choice xxx

OP posts:

Mustbeinsane1984 · 03/08/2017 21:19

It really does work and you don't need to get massively into it either! I used to fall asleep to the app I had on my phone constantly. The deep breathing and focusing on expelling the pain with every contraction worked for me. Just under 4 hours labour from start to finish. It is a really personal thing I think so who cares what others think, so get some cds or the app and give it a go. It may go amazing during the birth or you might ask for all the drugs. No harm in trying. Good luck

mogulfield · 03/08/2017 21:21

Hynobirthing got me through 44 hours of labour which ended up as a general anaesthetic EMCS! I was fairly calm throughout and I owe it all to hypnobirthing!
I managed 12 hours in a birthing pool with contractions every 2-3 minutes (back to back labour), and I was in another world! I was petrified of birth before so I think it's amazing!

sunnywithadashofgin · 03/08/2017 21:26

I knew I was going to have a big baby and just did hypnobirthing to meet other people and get a bit of exercise! However, I had a 10lb3 baby without anything but gas & air. My labour was fast and furious and I did beg for an epidural but luckily the things I had learnt in hypnobirthing kicked in and I really believe it helped keep me calm, in control of the pain and get baby out without needing intervention. Well I can't say for def but I feel like it helped with that.

Sluttybartfast · 04/08/2017 17:47

I listened to the Maggie Howell tracks through late pregnancy. Had a lovely smooth birth with no pain relief other than the water in a MLU. It absolutely can be done, I didn't even use gas and air. Once I was in the MLU I just went inside my own head and breathed through each contraction and it was manageable. I was so quiet the midwives thought my contractions had stopped!

Like a PP said it was a really empowering experience and afterwards I felt like an unstoppable goddess, but at the same time totally calm and present. Those endorphins are the shit.

Good luck.

ShortLashes · 08/08/2017 13:40

I had both my children at home in water using hypnobirthing techniques. First time round I used gas and air but I didn't bother next time, as things happened faster. I found doing the hypnobirthing course made me really enjoy my first pregnancy and I went into the birth feeling calm and confident. The main aspect I found helpful during the birth itself both times was the breathing techniques, especially for contractions. The familiar relaxing music was helpful too, although I got a bit sick of some of the hypno tracks and added other music to my playlist. I remember some absolutely blissful moments between contractions from my first birth- the breaks you get are wonderful.Go for it and my advice would be not to limit discussion of plans with friends/family! I liked what someone said above about hypnobirthing never being time wasted, whatever happens. Good luck!

ShortLashes · 08/08/2017 13:42

Sorry, I meant DO LIMIT discussion with friends and family!

Lozmatoz · 08/08/2017 19:22

I had 'lessons' with my husband before my first. Practiced on my one with number 2. Whilst it doesn't mean a pain free birth, it certainly puts you in control and means you don't panic.

With my first, I was falling asleep between contraction. I didn't seem to have a 'between contractions' experience with my second fit a chance to sleep but I didn't push as hard or as long that time.

I'm going to be doing it with number 3... good luck!

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