hypnobirthing...

[AliGrylls]

I am curious to know how much hypno birthing helps.

A friend of mine tried it and was in established labour for 3 hours. She says that she thinks it was so short purely because of the hypno birthing she did.

I have always been quite sceptical of such alternative medicine particularly when it comes to child birth so I am curious to know if other people have had a similar experience.

I did two group sessions with a local hypnotherapist, and used a CD for the six weeks prior to the birth. I think it had a huge impact on my experience - I was very calm and honestly didn't feel pain during contractions, just a manageable intensity. My labour was 3h45 from first contraction. My daughter was an undiagnosed breech and I really think the hypnotherapy enabled me to deal with the shock of that.

I remember being very sceptical about the hypnotherapist's stats about no pain relief but it was true - didn't have anything and was astonished to be told I was ready to push.

Can I just add, I think this is a fantastically positive thread.... Can it be made ' Sticky ' to stay at the top of 'Childbirth ' ???

There are an awful lot of scary stories on here, that dont really help in a positive way, although they are truthful.

I am 27 weeks with DC2, and am definitely going to find out more about this...

Thankyou

I tried the Natal Hypnotherapy website to buy the CDs - its £40 for 4 cds!! So I bought some 2nd hand ones from Ebay - I got each CD for between £4-£6.
I'm 33 weeks now so getting slightly scared by the whole thing - My CDs arrived this morning I'm off to give it a try.

you don't need the four cds. i just used the birth prep one rather than the kit. wished i'd also got the breastfeeding one though.

gracie good luck. it is daunting isnt it? is this your first? like i said, do them as much as possible, it's really hard to find the time, but every listen helps.

joanne - i agree that positive stories are really helpful. ina may gaskin's guide to childbirth book is a good read if you want more. the first half of it is woman talking about their births. almost all drug and intervention free. i read it time and again when i was preg.

salty - let me check ebay and amazon for going rates . if you interested email me on [email protected]. remove the MUMSNET to get my email address.

Okay, Natal Hypnotherapy CDs ??

Ina May Gaskin book....

I'm on it !

I need some seriously positive input !

i need to just join in the huge support for hypnobirthing - i bought the birth prep CD when i was pregnant with dc2 and used it for dc2 and 3 and although i didnt actually have it on during labour it definitely worked.

I listened to it nearly every day for the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy and i'd listened to it a few times before that.

It made me so much more in control of the pain and i delivered dc2 (10lbs 13oz) with only G&A and TENS. I was only in labour for 6 hours and have such positive memories of the time. The midwives were impressed by my calmness during labour (and normally i am the opposite of calm!).

I'd had such a traumatic birth with dc1 (failed to dilate, epidural, syntocin and forceps in the end) that i attribute the whole better birth experiences with dc2 and dc3 to hypnobirthing!

hope that helps!

Thanks swotty, yes its my first so I'm quite nervous. I listened to the Pregnancy Relaxation and Effective Birth Preparation CDs last night - fell asleep during the 2nd one - but hey I guess that must mean its relaxing!

gracie - i used to fall asleep too listening to them but one day had a sleep first then listened to them and i still fell asleep and woke up at the end!
but it must sink in or it wouldnt have worked so well!
try to listen very day - it cant do you any harm!just good!

Cannella - anything that helps me get to sleep that quickly when I have a bump that beats me up can't be bad!

oh gracie i'd forgotten all about that lack of sleep in late pregnancy - dc3 is 3 already and i'm def not doing it again!

well even if it just gets you better sleep then it was worth the money!

swotty - will mail you

I had my baby on tuesday!!!!!
One handed typing so forgiv e me.....all I can say is I HIGHLY recommend Maggie Howell's cd. The birth was brilliant. I managed contractions all the while listening to cd. Got to the birth centre and baby was out in 45 minutes!!

only had gaS n air.... no stitches just a graze. I was up and about straight away...DH looked awful

that cd works magic!

Congratulations Whifflegarden ! Weldone.

I have about 7 weeks to go with my dc2, I have bought the hypnobirthing book and am awaiting the mindful mamma cd..... still lots of reading to do !

But its already making me more positive.

Am also considering water birth once in established labour....

congratulations whiffle!!!! Fab news!! hope your first week is going well

I just stumbled across this thread and it's answered a lot of my questions about this - am 30wks pg with DC2 and sort of keen to have a pop at this but no idea where to start!!

Thank you ladies
still in a bit of . It went so easily, I don't feel like I've been through labour so keep on marvelling that this girgeos bundle next to mee is mine!

Joanne I did try for water bath. but it was all so rushed. MW filled bath as soon as we got there, then I got in but because I had to start pushing immediately I didn't have chance to get comfy and was rolling about too much. she made me get out and I barely made it to bed before baby was out

I remember smiling through painful contractions as I listened and imagined my baby and the beach - all my fears melted away and I just relaxed. I've been smug, obnoxious earth mother since Tuesday....all bright and chirpy Let's see how long this will last when DH goes back to work and I have to start the school run again in a week or so......

Best of luck ladies. Do come back and share your stories with us.

Am so pleased to see this thread. I am PG with #1 and was coming on to ask if it was worth doing a course or whether it was a bit wanky, but it sounds like it actually really makes a huge difference.

Will sign up!

congrats wiffle, that's great news! i've done a course of sessions with a hypnobirthing teacher, have the book and CD, been practicing my breathing.... time will tell i guess. due 19th jan! so pleased to hear a positive birth story, all the people on my ante-natal thread are either having c-sections or terrible times!

I love this thread!

I had a home hypno-water birth in June with my second baby and it was amazing. My husband, best friend and I attended hypno classes and were all a bit sceptical at first. But we soon learnt how you can teach your body to have a physical reaction simply by using your thoughts. We were all really positive and confident that everything would go according to plan and it did.

Although it wasn't pain-free, I felt calm and in control managing to smile and even joke during contractions. I'm sure being relaxed made things much easier. Jack was 8lb 9oz and I coped with no pain-relief. 3 hours later I was dressed and having tea outside with the neighbours!

Can't recommend it enough but you must practice every day so you can get into that relaxed state quickly and easily. Good luck!

I did hypnobirthing classes last year to prepare for the birth of my son.

The first thing that it did for me was remove any worries I had about labour despite it being a first child. It helped my partner to support me in the run up to the birth.

As it turned out I had to be induced three days early due to medical reasons and was warned it might take three days.

Long story short I got the pessary about 5pm and by 7.30am I was being rushed down to the labour ward. I had been using my tens and the techniques taught and despite the midwife not thinking I was in active labour at 4am (due to my body language) she found me to be fully dilated and i think was worried I was going to have him in the lift.

As it transpired the little blighter had the cord round his neck so I can't comment on the pushing part as it ended up being a forceps delivery due to his heart rate dropping but I fully believe that had I not coped so well with labour and progressed as far as I did then it would have been a section which I dreaded.

To sum up if you are thinking about it - do it you won't regret it.

Meant to say - he was also in wrong position so it was a back labour which is meant to be more painful. It was sore but manageable.

I know lots of people who did it, and it REALLY helped as they had fantastic births - one word of warning though, if you are going to do it, make sure your partner takes it seriously. I went on a hypnobirthing weekend with DH in preparation for the birth of DS1 and every time he had to read a script to me about "going to your special place" he got a fit of the giggles, which then started me off, and to be honest, it was downhill from there (which is really annoying as I feel that had he taken it seriously, I could have really gotten into it). It didn't help that we had a very peculiar group of people on our course, many of which were planning on birthing in the open air under apple trees and then cooking their placenta on the BBQ following the birth.....

I don't know about the hypnobirthing, but I'm hoping to try natal hypnotherapy this time round. Anything is worth a shot and these alternative therapies only work if you have faith that they will. Go in with an open mind.

I did hypnobirthing from 12 weeks pregnant onwards as was TERRIFIED of giving birth. It really helped relax me throughout my pregnancy but quite honestly not sure how much it really helped during labour.

It kind of goes out the window and you just go with your body and let it do its thing. I had a 4 hour labour with my first baby and no tears or stitches but think all that was down to being fit rather than hypno.

My partner saying 1-2-3 relax during labour just made me want to scream "how the bl**dy hell can I do that" and I remember the cd had been on in the delivery suite for 3 hours non-stop and I was doing big pushes thinking "I have to get this baby out so I can ask for that flippin' cd to be turned off"!!!

Can I ask people who have had a successful HP expereince, did you just use the book/CDs or did you attend a class.

I have to admit to being a tiny bit sceptical to it but have an open mind. But I am not really prepared to pay lots to go to a class but would consider investing in the CD. But unsure if this will be enough on its own???

Any views? Thanks SH