hypno births any one?

[OnlyWantsOne]

Any one have any experience of them.

What does it involve and where is there best place to look for info?>

Can't help on the experience front I'm afraid, but I've been doing natal hypnotherapy since about 32 weeks (now 38+6). Gets good reviews, but is different to hypnobirthing - personally i thought it seemed a bit less americanised and didn't promise a pain-free birth, which I think is unrealistic.

You can get CDs (about £12) or do a course - I did both and had a private course for £150. Gives you a positive outlook about the birth, helps me sleep and makes me much more relaxed. I'm a bit of a control freak, so needed something to give me that sense of control in labour.

Didn't think it would work and VERY sceptical. Listened to the CD the first time and giggled for the first 5 minutes over the soft slow voice, then bizzarely woke as she said 1,2,3,4,5 open your eyes to find 45 minutes had passed. Enough to convince me!

I'll let you know how it goes!

that would be fab thank you, had DD in hospital 3.5 yrs ago, with just pethidine but having a home birth (please god!) this time, EDD Dec 1st, and would like to feel more in control

I used the Natal Hypnotherapy birth preparation CD from 32 weeks and also read the Marie Mongan Hypnobirthing book (and got DH to read it too). The approaches are slightly different but think you can probably get something from both.

Had a complication-free natural delivery 12 days ago. Labour was very short (went from 4cm dilated to birth in 3 hours) and I felt very calm all the way through. Was even making jokes with DH between pushes 2 mins before my daughter was born. Only used a TENS machine for pain relief, no gas and air.

Some of that was dumb luck. I had naturally short manageable contractions so it was very easy for me to breathe through them and not feel panicky. But I think the natal hypnotherapy CD did make a difference, I found myself mentally repeating many of the phrases from it in the early stages and it definitely helped me stay calm on the way to hospital which had been worrying me.

It is definitely worth doing. If nothing else it is nice to spend some time getting into a state of deep relaxation in the later stages of pregnancy.

The Mongan book is a little preachy (and as someone said above it can seem a little unrealistic). But it is useful for understanding the theory, and the advice on birth planning is good. In fact the only thing I regret is not paying more attention to that (there was some really crappy mis-communication at the hospital so I had loads of professionals panicking in the room with me as I pushed DD out, didn't do any harm but I did have to work quite hard to ignore them all).

I did hypnobirthing course before DS1 (DC2) was born in 2006. Although I was not able to achieve a pain free hypnotic birth, it was a fantastic birth, totally calm, pain totally manageable and he was born in a birth pool and no tearing.

Very good if you have any fears about birth.

DS2 born 6 weeks ago and I was really looking forward to his birth, it was also great. Didn't do the hypnosis practise this time but still was calm, relaxed etc.

I am sad that DS2 is my last baby, don't want more but would love to experience another birth!

Did the hypnobirthing course 2 years ago for the birth of DS, will be using it again for baby due october. Am reading the book again now and am already feeling calm & confident about the birth. I'm usually pretty neurotic so I am a big fan!

The course cost £250. We did it instead of NCT classes because I wanted a home birth and therefore had limited options for pain relief. I transferred to hospital in the end after a v long labour (DS was stuck in a bad position) but had a normal delivery and only a tiny tear, barely a graze.

It definately wasn't pain free as DS was posterior but it gave me confidence in myself and the whole process of birth. I'm convinced that this allowed me to cope with a very long labour and avoid unnecessary interventions in hospital (like when the midwife wanted to give me an episiotomy and I told her to get stuffed!)

You don't have to pay the £250 though. Get the Marie Mongon book and the CDs off Amazon and read up about childbirth- if you think it's your cup of tea, then go for the course.

I did the course and had my baby last week. Unfortunately my birth ended in an emergency c-section under general anaesthetic due to foetal distress, but I laboured to full dilation and baby's head was at station +1 and I didn't have any pain relief at all until 9cm dilated and then it was just gas and air, which I found more than enough to enable me to cope. I laboured very quickly (waters broke 6.30pm, contractions started mildly at around 9.30pm and strengthened by 11pm, was 9cm dilated on admission to hospital at 1.45am) and found the sensations quite manageable in terms of discomfort - I wouldn't describe it as pain, more an intensity and a need to focus completely on the sensations - I wanted to be mobile so I pretty much paced up and down and sort of mooed, but I wasn't in agony. I've been in much worse pain with toothache.

I'm sad that my birth ended in surgery, but it seems likely (they're not sure) that there was a cord or placenta problem, possibly connected with my waters breaking. But had I not been hypnobirthing, I think it would have been much harder to cope with. And I suspect that the hypnobirthing techniques helped me to have a quick labour too. I was told very sternly by the midwife post-surgery that I must remember if I have another baby that I labour very quickly and that I should notify medical staff of this as I would be unlikely to be in labour for more than 3 hours with subsequent births. No idea how true this is, but I like the sound of it.

I will use the techniques again if I have another baby, and will hope for a natural delivery.

Oh, re: what it involves, it's about releasing fear of birth and alternative breathing techniques. I think it's similar to yogic breathing - and I signed up for pregnancy yoga classes too on the recommendation of my hypnobirthing practitioner, who is also a midwife. I think if you do a course then it's great if the practitioner is also a midwife as it does give you a bit more confidence in their knowledge and skills - and mine came to see me in the hospital as she was on shift the day after I had my baby, so that was lovely.

Totally agree, emsyj. Our practitioner was a midwife too so we got a fab ante natal education and a bit of bf advice thrown in for good measure. We really trusted her as a result which I think helped us get the most out of the course. I have friends who did the course with another practitioner who wasn't a midwife and found it a bit rubbish.

I'm doing the natal hypnotherapy (Maggie Howell) cds also, and honestly could not tell you what on earth they are saying as I keep falling asleep. But I DO know that I was scared scared of labour but now am pretty chilled out about it all. i do have nerve attacks sometimes, but i pop the cd on and feel better. i mean, even IF it is a placebo, it is working for me in that it just relaxes me now. I feel sure also that the way to get through it all is not to be scared of the pain, but to go with the flow. (Yet, i have not done it yet. )

36 +3 weeks..... and actually, I am looking forward to the labour now, strangely.

I went on a hypnobirthing course and had DS at home with no pain relief. The labour was not pain free but it wasn't overwhelming, the midwives couldn't get over how relaxed I was and it was a good experience. No tearing either.

I had DD like a dream, whereas I pushed with DS and it hurt, with DD I did breath her down and it was easy.

It can be preachy but if you can get rid of any fears you may have and have confidence in yourself then you will cope with whatever labour throws at you that much better.

A friend borrowed the CD and book but didn't do the course and she coped fine too (long labour, some complications) so you don't have to spend the money to get the results.

Guys can I ask at what stage you started the hypnobirthing classes? I am thinking of starting at 30 weeks, is this a bit late or about right?

started using natal hypnotherapy CD (birth preparation at 32 weeks, though they do a pregnancy one too that you can use all the way through. Was 36 weeks for my course, which was fine.

Definately not too late for you. I'd imagine it's similar for hypnobithing too.

I did the Natal Hypnotherapy birth preparation CD and the course. I think it helped me to have an easy birth with my daughter. It wasn't pain free but I managed with nothing but TENS.

Us human beings worry far to much and fear can interfere with the birthing process. The more frightened you are the more you tense up. There is little point in worrying about what might go wrong. Its best to have a good midwife and let her do all the worrying for you.

Its worth looking at
www.amazon.co.uk/Childbirth-Without-Fear-autobiography-G-Dick-Read/dp/0060808705

We did our hypnobirthing course from 28-32 weeks then did a refresher at 38 weeks. You can do it any time up to delivery. If you can do it sooner it's better just because it gives you a bit more time to practise the breathing and relaxation techniques.

My friend did it at 36 weeks with brilliant results- again not pain free but totally chilled throughout.

I did the Marie Mongan hypnobirthing course from about 30 weeks.

Had DS2 at home in the pool and, although it wasn't pain free, I felt very calm and in control throughout so was able to cope and was laughing and joking between contractions. The first thing I said after was "That was cool!" and, although I don't want anymore children, I'd quite like to experience another labour like that.

The philosophy is that if you picture a positive outcome that is what you will get and the techniques teach you to have confidence in your body and how to relax yourself.

I would definitely recommend, especially if you are fearful of labour. The key to success is to practice the techniques every day so they become second nature. If you feel confident in your own ability you'll cope with whatever your labour throws at you!

I used the Natal Hypnotherapy CDs with DD#3 and I had so much a better birth experience than with #1 or #2. I am so pleased that I did do this now, though at the time of listening to them I was quite about whether they would really help me or not. Like someone else said in a previous post, I kept falling asleep listening to mine too! On the day though I got to 9cm before I even got to the hospital and was very surprised to hear I was that far along. DD#3 popped out in a nice calm manner not much later. I bought my CDs on ebay so they were pretty cheap really.