Hypnobirthing - has anyone used this?

[cheekster]

I had the most terrible first labour with DS with has mentally scared me.

I am so scared for the next time - DC 2 due in december that I am already having a reaccurring nightmare about it.

A friend suggested hypnobirthing, although she had little knowledge - she had just heard about it. And the more I think about it the more I think it could help.

But, the classes in our local area are expensive, so would hate to pay and for me not to find them helpful.

So has anyone used hypnobirthing with success or in contrast, didnt find it useful.

Thanks in advance

Watching with interest, have just ordered the VBAC CD's from Natal Hypnotherapy after a terrible first birth. They were recommended to me by a friend as I can't justify the cost of the course and would rather spend the money on a doula.

Hi,
I used the hypnobirthing cd's from Maggie Howell. I have the set from the conception cd to postnatal recovery. I used all of them a lot during my first pregnancy (and haven't started yet during this one - mainly as we conceived suprisingly quickly and it's more difficult to get the time to listen to them with a toddler!).
However, I have to say I have enjoyed them greatly, I found at each stage they helped me to relax and were reassuring (I have since bought a general relaxation one to use from time to time which is also nice). The only 'but' is that I have no idea how well they work during labour/birth as our situation meant that I had many monitors/drips etc and an emergency section (although this was fab - we still had a wonderful and amazing birth experience). So you'll need to wait for someone else to post comment on this bit!. I would also recommend talking to your midwife about your fears as at our hospital they also offer reflexology from 34 weeks and they should be able to talk to you about your worries.

HI cheekster, I bought a hypnobirthing CD (Maggie Howells I think) and found it very relaxing. I did have a straighforward and fast birth so I'm not sure if it helped me or not. But I think what the CD teaches you is invaluable.

Have you been back and spoken to any of the midwives about your experience? A friend of mine who had a traumatic time had someone come to the house and go through her notes with her- it really put her mind at rest.

I would also recommend Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin- it's totally inspiring.

I used the Marie Mongan book and CD's during my last pregnancy.

I probably didnt practise as much as I should, and I cherry picked from the book, with regards to what I wanted to use and what I felt was a bit too cheesy (sorry!).

I definitely felt the benefits though, and had a completely calm labour (well until the pushing stage when I got a bit shouty, but nothing too awful!) The visualisation techniques are really good, ditto breathing techniques.

FYI: There's a group of hypnobirth devotees on babycentre.co.uk