NHS Hypnobirthing

[Piglet2018]

Hi, I'm interested in doing a hypnobirthing course but they seem quite expensive when we have already paid for NCT classes. The NHS offer one for £100 which seems very reasonable, has anyone done this course & able to review? I would be looking to do this at St Peters hospital in Chertsey but happy to hear feedback on any NHS location & how the course was structured etc.

You don't necessarily need to do a course, I just use the Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy cd and book, took from it what I thought would help and had a good birthday experience utilising the breathing techniques and other stuff :)

Sorry auto correct birth experience

I tried an ap & listened to a 45 min audio but didn't feel it really did anything for me. Ive ordered a cd to try but thought I might be better off doing a course. I'll see how I go with the cd. Thanks x

Do natal hypnotherapy. It won't magically 'do something' the first time you do it. The point of hypnotherapy is to practice relaxation and to develop triggers for subconscious relaxation and pain relief cues. You have to do it again and again and again, several times a week for several weeks for it to 'work'. Even if you take a class, it won't be like one class and you're sorted. If it's a true hypnotherapy programme, they will send you home with a CD or with a script for your partner to read to you every night while you practice relaxation. I think some of these 'hypnotherapy' courses aren't really hypnotherapy, they're like birth relaxation, which isn't bad to do, but it's not hypnotherapy and won't offer the same benefits. What you want is a track either to listen to or for someone to read to you that you can practice on your own 2-4 times a week in the weeks leading up to birth. You will just think you fell asleep listening to it and that it isn't doing anything. But that's good, it means it's working well enough to put you into deep relaxation.

I did natal hypnotherapy with my first birth (and again this time). I listened to the CD about 3-4 times a week from 30 weeks. I also created triggers for pain relief (burning lavender oil, music, etc.) that I could do when I was in labour too (I burned the same lavender oil in a diffuser, listened to the same relaxing music). I had a lovely birth that wasn't really painful at all. I didn't need any pain relief other than a TENS. The midwives actually didn't even think I was in labour when they arrived! I was so relaxed and quiet and comfortable. They checked me and I was fully dilated.

So it really can be effective, but you have to commit to practicing. You don't need a class and the class alone probably won't do much unless you come home and practice lots after, so I wouldn't necessarily waste your money on it.

That's a good explanation thank you. Nowhere really explains how it works so i wasn't sure what i should be getting from first time I listened to the tape. Guess i need to stick with it. : )