Has anyone used Natal Hypnotherapy CDs? Did they help during labour?

[Dalrymps]

Hey i'm overdure at the moment, my due date was 16th Oct, have been listening to a natal hypnotherapy cd by Maggie Howel to prepare for the birth, just wondering if anyone has used these or any other type and found it helpfull during labour?

I used them for DD - 10 days overdue, 9lb 12 and born this April at home.

I stayed very calm and relaxed the whole way through and just concentrated on breathing. The whole thing took about 7 hours. I used TENS for the 1st stage, got in the pool for transition, and then nothing for the actual delivery.

I didn't think to use any of the specific techniques mentioned, apart from breathing, so how much of it was due to CD's I can't tell you, but they certainly didn't hinder

Hope you have a good experience, and fairly soon

I'll let you know in a few days hopefully!

I've been using the VBAC ones for the past few months, and also hoping they will help...

Oh that sounds positive , i think even if they just help me relax it will help things along, guess i'll just have to see, yeah betsy, let me know how yours goes, i'll let you know how i go too depending on who pops first!

hi Dalrymps.. still waiting here too...
a real bore isn't it?

Hey unicorn, it sure is, bored of gettin stomach ache that goes nowhere i know i keep saying it but i really hope i go in to labour before i have to be induced! Gona eat some more fresh pineapple and have another raspberry leaf tea! guess we'll just have to try to be patient, although people asking if it's happened yet is starting to get irritating

Bought them but found her voice irritating so only listened to one for about ten mins

Yeah i can see how it could be irritating but i've persevered with them cause i was pretty scared about the whole thing and needed to chill out about it, i think they at least relax me though wich is good even if they don't do much for me later on. I made my dh listen to it whilst we ate breakfast one day as the cd advises to get your partner to listen with you once to get to know the hypnotherapy key phrases so they can say them to you in labour. Anyway, by the end of it he was just staring in to space and not speaking to me, he he, i think he'd gone in to a slight trance so he's probably convinced he's going to have a great labour now

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How far over are you? I got so sick and tired of the "have you had it yet? Any twinges yet?" that if I have another one I'll be really vague about the due date!

In the meantime, I dont' know if you've seen this poem: My baby's not a library book, but it's quite apt.

(ps - you know you don't have to be induced when they say, don't you. A normal pregnancy is anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks, so by some definitions you're probably not even "overdue" yet... I think if nothing was happening when I got to 42 weeks I'd have wanted to be treated as an individual, and only go for induction a) when my cervix was nearly ready and/or b) when either baby or I weren't so happy anymore. Each to their own, though )

i'm only 2 days over at the moment, yeah i know the induction is up to me in the end, my baby is slightly small and the consultant doesn't want me to go too overdue so had advised to induce at 10 days over, i'll see how i feel but suspect i'll be pretty fed up by that point anyway! Read the poem, it's lovely! thanks

I Have read mongan book and have tried liteining to cd but keep falling asleep before the end so hoping its sinks in sub consciously, have two weeks to go!
Good luck to all of you hope everything goes well.

Yeah i was able to stay awake through my cd but lately i just fall asleep towards the end no matter how hard i try, id definately says in the literature that it goes in to your subconcious if you fall asleep so i'm sure it must be working!

I used hypnobirthing on DD2 recently. I found the different types of breathing really helpful. I went straight into a very fast, intense labour and wasn't able to "relax into it" as you're taught - I think that only works if you have a textbook labour that starts off slowly.

The breathing was fab though and really, really helped. When I lost concentration on that and started shallow breathing it really did hurt more.

Ended up with 9lb 5oz baby, born in water, no pain relief, no tearing.

Oh sounds like it helped then, i'll be glad if it just helps a bit, can't do any harm anyway! Thanks for letting me know how it helped, i'll try make sure i really concentrate on the breathing bit then!

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I am thinking of booking a hypnobirth course after Christmas and am really interested to see if it is worth it.

Good luck for your labour Dalrymps

thanks, haven't done an actual course, just listening to the cd's but hopefully it'll work, will update you to let you know if it helped. Good luck with yours too

I did a "Mongan Method" hypnobirthing course. Thought it was very good.

yeah i've heard a few people mention that method, not sure how it differs from the cds i'm listening to but sure it works on similar principles. well, i'm 4 days overdue so can't be long until I find out if it was worth it

How's it going? I take it you haven't popped yet .

I read the hypnobirthing books and found it really helped. I didn't actually use any of the techniques in the end, but because I knew about them I was much calmer snd felt in control.

Hope you don't have to wait much longer.

Hey there, yeah still not popped, had a sweep today, am 41 weeks now so hope it works! I definetely think the hypnotherapy makes me feel a bit calmer in general about the whole thing so it at least helps when i have appointments etc, hopefully it'll help a bit at the birth too but as you say, even if i don't use the techniques at least i know about them

yes and no

they helped me relax leading up to the birth and they made me think about trying to breathe through contractions but they were just too intense and painful to do the techniques really. I did try a bit of visualisation as well but it just made me think how bad it was i the room and wish I was relaxing on a beach!