HYPNOBIRTHING

[Featherboyle28]

Hi girls.. I am planning on hypnobirthing to help with my birth, this is my first baby.. just wanted to hear other womans hypnobirthing experiences? I am worried that it isn't going to be how I imagine it to be (I know this doesn't sound positive) I think I just need other women's actual evidence asvice/stories behind the things you see online.. thankyou

I didn't hugely buy into the woo / affirmations side but I found both the birth education side and the breathing part really useful.

There is a lot of focus on hormones and why being relaxed is important and that helped me to understand what was happening at each stage and stopped the panicking.

The breathing was a complete game changer, I did the course again with a 2nd baby just to refresh that. I found when I breathed through contractions they were very manageable, if I didn't then they were painful and I felt out of control.

They also cover birth plans and it's good knowledge to know your options.

I had 2 super quick labours and the skills I learned really helped me to stay in control and calm. I went into my births looking forward to them, and had really positive births - I loved both of them!
I would really recommend.

The positive birth company is very good value and they often have offers where it is even cheaper. FWIW there is an accompanying book and it's the exact same content. I don't think you can learn too much about birth, it's great to go in as prepared as possible.

Thankyou so much for your reply, it is much appreciated

I did the positive birth company course and it was really good. I used to be really scared of labour but after the course I genuinely felt excited about labour. I was nervous but not scared. The actual science parts were so interesting and helpful to know what was actually happening to my body as I went though each stage.
The only issue I found is that I focused so much on the hypnobirthing that I didn’t really research what else could happen / alternative drugs etc. I felt so positive that I’d have a water birth and just breathe baby out that when I had to be induced due to baby being distressed, I suddenly didn’t know what pain relief options I could have / would like. I ended up having forceps and episiotomy without pain relief which I would 1000% not recommend.
I definitely think hypnobirthing is amazing and I’m going to refresh my knowledge now I’m pregnant again. But please also make sure you look into other births eg induction (more painful than natural labour so hynobirthing might not help as much) and c-section, so that IF you need them then you are well informed on your options. Don’t fall into the hypnobirthing trap that you’ll just breathe baby out.
Also, not related to hynobirthing but I wish I’d been told this before giving birth - read about post partum recovery e.g. how long a c- section or episiotomy or anything with stitches can take to heal. How long you’ll be bleeding for afterwards. How your body heals from birth and what you can do to aid it.

Like a previous poster I didn't really do the affirmations, but the breathing techniques were good in my first labour, kept me calm.and focussed and I did focus on each contraction bringing me closer to meeting her. Second, I was induced and hypnobirthing did not help.

@Richie23 i did the positive birth company course and it covered all kinds of birth and pain relief.

I did it over 13 years ago with my first (watched YouTube tutorials ) but they gave me this confidence to trust nature and trust my body would take care of me and my baby...which it did, and I practised the breathing technique which helped so much.

I wasn't aware I was in full labour I rang the hospital saying my contractions were close but I was in no pain they just felt strong and they said come in we will check and he was born an hour after arriving.

The courses sound fab and I would 100% recommend using the techniques

I literally counted in for 4 breathes and out for 6. Stayed in my own head through a contraction, asked everyone to be quiet and not to be touched while I mentally got myself through it.

Can't use clarysage oil in the room diffuser when in Labour, played a meditation music piece I sleep too and that was it.

Just find something that helps you stay focused on the task. I found counting in tens helpful so I knew how long my contractions were. X

Thankyou so much for all of your replies, one thing I've realised from this is I haven't thought about other types of births then the one I have planned so that's my next new learning stations.. thankyou again ladies 💕

I found it useful to read books, I read a hypnobirthing book by I think it's siobhan miller, and another written by a midwife called pregnancy, birth and beyond. I found them very useful in understanding the process and it couldn't help to try things. I was hoping for a midwife led birth unit and water birth, but unfortunately my waters broke and contractions didn't start, despite lots of trying to relax, birth ball, walking etc initially declining an induction I agreed after nothing looked imminent! I was quite tethered to the bed through IV antibiotics in one hand the IV drip in another, plus stomach monitors which kept slipping. I did use breathing techniques, then gas and air. Eventually agreed to an epidural and it went well in the end very quick recovery despite not being what I'd hoped for it was still positive

My hypnobirthing experience was fairly shit (sorry). I did an in person course which focused on the ‘you can breath the baby out’ stuff.

It turned out I couldn’t. Which I was OK with, but the teacher at a reunion implied that I’d just not really tried, and if I had a second baby I should just spend more on additional courses.

Fully aware that this was probably an issue with the teacher not the concept, but it’s my regular warning on these threads.