What do midwives think about hypnobirthing?

[sunriseoversea]

I understand this will vary by person to some extent, but I'm wondering what midwives think when someone comes into give birth intending to use hypnobirthing techniques?

I have loved doing my hypnobirthing course, and I am feeling good about labour, but am I going to be met with a eye roll when my midwife reads my birth preferences?

Interested to hear from midwives but also anyone who has used hypnobirthing and how they were supported...

I didn't use hypnobirthing but used other drug free coping mechanisms for the pain and found the midwives were really supportive - basically they were happy to let me do/use whatever was helping me cope with the pain, and supported me in using different methods. This was when I was in hospital in labour - I didn't write a birth plan so don't have any experience of reactions to that. Good luck!

I trained as a HypnoBirth practitioner (I was a therapist) and there were midwives on the course sling the training.

When I gave birth the midwives did need convincing at some stages (I was pretty chilled and I had to convince them have a look when I was crowning ‘oh no you are a way off…. Ooooooo I can see the head!!!!!’).

My midwife was great with me when I went into the birthing suite listening to my floaty music and taking slow breaths in and out. She even encouraged me when I started panting at a particularly ouchy moment to take a deep breath, which put me right back into my calm hypnobirthing state.

I know that my trust put a lot of midwives onto hypnobirthing courses as cpd so that they can better understand the needs of their patients who want to use hypnobirthing in labour

My midwife recommended it during the course of my pregnancy and leant me a book on the topic.

Basically hypnobirthing is just relaxation techniques. And relaxing during anything where you + muscles and ligaments need to be relaxed is great.

I found it useful to a degree at home, but in hospital the tens machine was much better.

Yes relaxation is key. Keeping the feeling of being ‘in control’ and as calm as possible. I did find it very useful when giving birth (and I made sure I knew which pain relief I could have when but I ended up not having any as I didn’t feel that I needed it.)