Come and talk to me about hypnobirthing

[SesIsCountingdowntheweeks]

I'm due in 6 weeks with DC1 and am trying to prepare myself as best I can. NCT classes so far are v useful and I'm going to order a book to read (and hopefully reassure/prepare) whilst off on ML before EDD.

Many people have spoken about hypnobirthing. Is this really more beneficial than other relaxation techniques? I am unsure of hypnobirthing as I still want to feel in control if that makes sense. I have a great love of music and wonder whether having some appropriate music playing in the background would be just as effective?

Sorry, I guess that shows I don't really know much about hypnobirthing at all - hence the reason for starting the thread - but if it is likely to be v helpful, I would consider getting a CD.

TIA

Thanks - am reassured you say it's a stupid name for it!

Have you used it? What sort of techniques do you mean? Do you know of a CD you'd recommend?

(questions, questions!!)

I'm doing hypnobirthing but I have left it rather late as I'm due in 2 weeks! However, I have found it beneficial so far (the mongan method). I want a home birth and hope it will be therefore easier for me to put the techniques into practice.

For me, the relaxation CDs are very effective indeed - I often it difficult to relax and unwind which is one of the reasons I want to do this to avoid tension in labour. The CDs have me out like a light, I have to say!

I have uncovered a lot of negative imagery about childbirth, which I didn't even know I had and I am hoping that in doing this I will be able to resolve those issues before I have this baby. My last baby's birth was a positive experience overall but I was still frightened and I panicked. My hypnobirthing teacher explained how we get associations with events which kind of pop up, like a file in our heads and which tell us what we think we know about an event when we come upon it again. I guess the thing about childbirth is that you don't get to practice it often and that's the problem!

electra - are you able to explain the mongan method and/or recommend a CD?

Hi, I had a Doula for my DD's birth and she said that I 'hypnobirthed myself'.

All I can say is that if you are able to work your way into a place of total calm and detachment, it doesn't hurt. It was a really strange experience for me. DS1's birth was an icky, dryggy, scary, forceps emergancy rrom nightmare which left me terrified of hospitals and childbirth - hence hiring a doula for my next birth. She was very experienced and knowledgable, councelled me about DS's birth and had me very well prepared. When she got there at the start I was screaming and crying, it was hurting allot, even though it was just at the start and I was in no control. She got me breathing properlly, directing the contractions with breathing, and as soon as I was in control again, with her support I followed everything we had talked about...total calm, shoulders dropping, letting the contractions wash over me and so on. It didn't hurt, but mentally I had to 'hold on' to this strange but wonderful place I had found in my head. Even at the end when all the contractions where on top of each other - it didn't 'hurt'. Each contraction did it's maximum job I think, because I was so relaxed and my daughter was born within 5 hours, in 1 push. I made no sound and I even worked out how to flop at contractions. I am a wimp when it comes to pain and with my son I screamed like a banchee. I could right pages and pages about it, but if you have the right support, are in an environemnt in which you feel safe and can control (for me, my house), you are treated quietly and considerately by medical staff, you can find a place within in you of deep, absolute calm in which childbirth doesn't hurt. Labour is designed to slow down if the woman, or animal giving birth feels scared and threatemned - it's natures way of allowing a creature in a vunerable state of running off and finding somewhere safe to labour...anyway I've written far too much.

Hope this helps...

Thanks - that does all help a bit

I don't think I'll have the time or the money to do a proper course but will maybe have a look on Amazon for a suitable CD.

Hi,

I am a HypnoBirthing teacher. I'm also a mum of four babies, 3 of whom were born using hypnosis/HypnoBirthing, plus I'm also a hypnotherapist and a doula.

As SM says HypnoBirthing is all about understanding the physiology of birth, the fight or flight response and what it does to the uterus, how adrenaline inhibitis oxytocin (as does neocortex stimulation - things like language, bright lights etc..so environment is also key), how it leads to reduced blood flow and a build up of lactic acid and all together how fear/anxiety/tension/bad environment leads to pain and "failure to progress". We teach you how to "self hypnotise" yourself (basically just very, very deep relaxation) and more importantly than that we help you condition the relaxation so on the day you don't have to "try" to do anything. We also help you to release negative associations with birth (and believe me, you will have some - we all do, even if we think we don't - that's the beauty of hypnosis and working with the subconscious mind!)

Most importantly we also get the dad on board, as SM said, you can talk to your partner until you're blue in the face, ask him to read a book/listen to a CD but IMO it just doesn't "go in" and his support/understanding and confidence on the day is vital - IMO you only get this full buy in from attending classes with him (and all men are sceptical to some degree at first! I've taught over 200 couples and I don't think I've had a man in my classes who has been raring to go and learn more initially!). For this reason I don't think listening to CDs is a patch on real life classes, also you don't get the inidividualise "fear release" hypnotherapy from a CD either - having said that though CDs are an option, just not the best IMO. If you get hold of an old copy of the HypnoBirthing book (orange cover with a baby on) it comes with a CD - the whole set costs about £15 (you need to read the book as well as listening to a CD - whichever one - IMO), also google "mindful mama" they make their own CDs which are v.good (they are also HypnoBirthing teachers).

The other option is to buy a book/CD and contact a local HypnoBirthing practitioner (see www.hypnobirthing.co.uk and see if they could see you for a one off "fear release" session and a short "birthing with hypnosis" workshop which your husband could also attend. I offer a workshop (using my own methods) for £75 which lasts 3hrs which couples use alongside self study and it usually has brilliant results, not quite as astounding as taking the whole course, but still good! Re. taking classes, you're not too late, I've recently started teaching someone who is 34wks and have started at 38wks before (she had a great birth!). Cost wise shop around, many practitioners offer discounts and payment plans and don't forget the new "health in pregnancy" grant gives you £190 you can put towards the cost!

With my first baby I didn't have a clue about any of this, did pregnancy yoga, listened to a relaxation CD and did NCT classes and had a horrible medicalised, hideously painful birth (with epidural/synto etc..), "failure to progress" and just horrible all round. With baby no.2 I saw a hypnotherapist (who retrospectively I realise knew nothing about hypnosis for birth! hence recommending you see a HypnoBirthing practitioner above!) and listened to a CD everyday, the birth was OK until I lost my state of relaxation and the pain hit me like a bus - I had to have an epidural. Baby's 3 and 4 were as a result of HypnoBirthing and wow - I can't tell you what a difference it made!! both amazingly easy, comfortable, calm, quick, no pain relief and no need for any!! if I could I'd give birth everyday they were such amazing experiences (you can read the stories here: www.birthfriendly.co.uk/about.htm - hence why I trained to teach it as it really did change my life!

HTH!

Where abouts are you?

LOL, I always threaten to buy myself a purple velvet kaftan to wear during classes, burning incense and chanting when couples first arrive - to fit the stereotype - which is just sadly a misunderstanding in society of hypnosis - we think therefore HypnoBirthing must be all whale song, lentil knitting and tree hugging (which it isn't - at all!).

As you've said it's very scientific! I come from a backgroun of pharmaceuticals and clinical trials, I ate, slept and breathed randomised controlled trials for 5yrs, believe me I know science and pseudoscience and HypnoBirthing def fits in the first category!!!

Like you, it's perfectly possible to have an amazing birth without HypnoBirthing, after all, all we do is teach you how to forget modern society's negative conditioning and get back in touch with your instinctss. you don't NEED any help - our body's are fab, designed for birth - just sadly we've forgotten this inate skill and HypnoBirthing is one way to bring it back, I always comment on how sad it is I have to teach women to be instinctive . The success of self teaching largely depends on 1) your pre-existing knowledge of birth physiology, 2) how good you are at relaxing, 3) what lurks in your subconscious concerning birth, 4) the support of your partner, 5) the environment you give birth in and 6) the confidence of yourself, your partner and your care provider.

Incidentally have a look at this fab new HypnoBirthing video:

I used hypnobirthing and would highly recommend it for a few reasons.

DD was a surprise and I was terrified of giving birth - truely terrified. It helped me to enjoy pregnancy knowing I was doing something to prepare for the birth.

It helped DH because he had a better understanding of what happens during labour & it gave him a role. He was worried about being "a spare part". In fact, he was a great support, reminding me to breath properly etc.

It also got me through a long, slow labour. I found that if I listened to Rainbow Relaxation CD during contractions I was able to sleep for the few minutes in between them.

If I ever have another child I'll definately be brushing up on my techniques.

Oh and I completely agree with starlight - hypnobirthing is a stupid name.

You don't necessarily need the classes, just don't listen when people tell you labour will be awful. That's their experience and doesn't mean yours will be that way.

Lol, realised my advice on how to hypnobirth without the classes was a bit scant! I agree its about confidence and trusting your body to do what its designed to do.

I managed to sit through lunch in Betty's tea rooms in Ilkley whilst having fairly frequent contractions. Having said that I could probably endure most things for cake!

"Oh and I completely agree with starlight - hypnobirthing is a stupid name. "

I do and don't agree with this, in fact I had a conversation with Mickey (Marie Mongan) about this when I first qualified and asked why she didn't call it something like "relaxed birthing" which would make it far more mainstream/acceptable.

To which she replied something like:

"I'm not going to apologise for what it is - birthing with hypnosis - if society has problems with that, then that's their problem, their misunderstanding, there is nothing wrong with hypnosis and that is after all what we teach".

Good on her I guess, she doesn't care how much money it makes her, she isn't remotely interested in marketing, just in making birth better, helping mums, dads and babies.

..but yes, it is an infuriating name to work with, especially when I get interviewed on the radio (usually by men with no clue with 5mins tops for the interview) and they start saying things like "look into my eyes" and "you aren't going to make me cluck like a chicken are you"

Oh yes, that sounds like Mickey.

My brother asks me EVERY TIME I speak to him 'can you make me bark like a dog?' and I say 'do you want to bark like a dog - because I can if you really want to...'

I guess so, its a perception of hypnosis being something out of your control, that someone does to you rather than a natural state we all drift in and out of.

However, I never felt comfortable telling people I was using hypnobirthing techniques because after a few times I got sick of the "Oh, ok - wait until you're actually in labour" looks/comments. It was easier to just say breathing/visualisation techniques.

I guess so, its a perception of hypnosis being something out of your control, that someone does to you rather than a natural state we all drift in and out of.

However, I never felt comfortable telling people I was using hypnobirthing techniques because after a few times I got sick of the "Oh, ok - wait until you're actually in labour" looks/comments. It was easier to just say breathing/visualisation techniques.

well hypnosis is a natural state we all enter into every day - "alpha state", it's the state of daydreams, driving on auto pilot, relaxing in the bath, crying when you're absorbed in a weepy film or a good book........we all enter into a state of "hypnosis" every single day. So all women can achieve a state of hypnosis, because they all do anyway! the key is knowing how to achieve it in scenarios where you perhaps might not ordinarily and with practice, just like Pavlov's dogs you become conditioned to enter into that state, no matter what you do/don't do!

...but yes, agreed!

I tell my clients to not tell anybody, because I know people will say "oh, yeah right, you'll be begging for an epidural" so it's healthier for them to not mention it pre-birth! and I hate people asking what I do for a living I normally just mumble "antenatal classes" (and if I say doula as well, there's normally lots of wide eyes and "do what?").

I think Mickey called it that because she was a hypnotherapist and the course grew out of her work and from reading she did (Dick Grantly Read) so the course expanded from there.

Yes she's right. Have you ever missed your stop on the tube because you had your head in a good book? Same thing. Anyone can be hypnotised (assuming they don't have any type of brain damage). The course is good for most people - I have only had one run from the room screaming (not quite but she was in such a state when she arrived I am amazed she stayed for the first session).

Haven´t read the whole thread as kids at large.. I don´t know anything about hypnobirthing as such, only that I think I did it.. For any "planned" pain like birth or steroid injections I can remove myself from the situation and be relatively unaffected by it. It´s like being on another plane. Have to say though that labouring in water also had a great affect and I would definitely definitely do this again. Also breathing techniques help you to control the situation and may be key to the "hypnosis". Just my fast thoughts..