Hypnobirthing

[LittleBlueBoat]

Hi

Has anyone been to hypnobirthing group classes?

Would you recommend them? Are they worth the money?

TIA

Not hypnobirthing, but I did a natal hypnotherapy course and also have the CDs. It was well worth it for me, though I'm saying that before labour! Both my partner and I found it really relaxed us about the birth and it was great for giving partners a plan for what they needed to do to be supportive. I find the CDs relaxing (I used the pregnancy relaxation one and now the birth preparation one). It's definitely left me feeling very confident in my body's ability to give birth and having a lot more faith in childbirth as a natural process.

I did a one to one class and found it enjoyable but not really great for preparing me for birth. I felt it was quite a narrow "syllabus" with hindsight.

Having said that, it was relaxing and I needed that in pregnancy and I have friends who swear by it. I guess it depends on your teacher. Ask around for reccommendations maybe?

I wish we'd done a group class because I'd have got to know other couples but DH wasn't keen to to shared classes. I felt like I missed out when all my friends who'd done NCT were meeting up after having their babies and I was starting from scratch.

I probably haven't helped much have I?

What interests you about the classes?

I also used a natal hypnotherapy CD for dd2 and can highly recommend them. Have also been to a training session with the woman who runs the company and was very impressed.

I did a course of hypnotherapy and not only really enjoyed it, but also found it really helpful. I can't say whether it will ultimately be successful for labour as haven't done that bit yet, but it's definitely made me feel really confident about the birth, and has taken away a lot of deep seated fears.
On top of that, it's taught me some great relaxation techniques which I'm hoping will be really useful when I'm trying to catch up on some sleep when the baby arrives (I'm probably being really naive, but I am a first time mum, so bare with me!).
I didn't do a group course as when I booked there was no one else wanting to do the course, so it ended up being just me and my husband, but that didn't seem to be a problem, and we got on so well with the teacher. She was fantastic.
I'm not sure if the course content varies from place to place, but we spent quite a lot of time talking about what happens, what to expect etc, so like MainlyMaynie, I feel really confident about my body's ability to give birth.
So I can only report a positive experience from my course, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in hypnotherapy.
Good luck with whatever path you decide to take.

I did a Mongan hypnobirthing class when pregnant with DC2. For me it was well worth it. I think it's an excellent preparation for labour and birth and also taught DH how to be useful! I did NCT classes first time around and in terms of birth preparation they were nowhere near as good... Maybe that's just because second time around I knew what to expect!
I planned a home water birth, but got a hospital birth. But I can honestly say that I was so relaxed the birth went really smoothly and quickly and DS's birth was the best moment of my life - I didn't feel a 'failure' for the birth not going to plan.
I can also highly recommend books by Ina May Gaskin (a midwife from the US) for some positive birth stories and the history and science behind giving birth - i.e. it's a natural process and needs as little intervention as possible (if mother and baby are doing well).

I have recently done a course preparing for baby no.3, following a very medicalised hospital bith for DS1 and good home birth for DS2. Found it really helpful and definitely feel empowered and confident about this birth. My Dh, who was extremely sceptical about attending also found it helpful and I think it will help him to support me. Although not about hypnobirthing the teacher recommended "Gentle birth, gentlle mother" by Sarah Buckley which I highly recommend reading. Lots of good stuff about how normal, non interferred with borth should eb easier to achieve. The most useful advice given on the course was to read lots of postive birth stories, books and website and ignore negative horror stories,

Agree with all the positive comments about the course - I've just finished a hypnobirthing course (Mongan) over 5 weeks. Learnt alot and feel really postivie about the birth. Well worth the money and DH enjoyed it too. I'd highly recommend it (I still have the labour to go, but if nothing else it's worth it just for how positive I feel - though I'm sure it's going to help on the day too) :)

Thank you for all the replies

I'm 14 weeks pg with my second child. My first labour was very medical with lots of drugs and then forceps delievary. My ds sleeped for 3 days after and it hindered the breastfeeding. I only went to the NHS antinatel classes and it was crap.

So this time around i want to go to classes and i want my dh involved as well. I'm also still breastfeeding my first so i dont want drugs so that i can feed both children.

I like the idea of being calm and relaxed when in labour as last time i just paniced and lay still the whole time for fear i would hurt the baby if i moved

I just want a better birth experiance.

I had a traumatic birth with DD1 and did hypnobirthing with DD2. DD2's birth was painless, quick, and I was laughing in between contractions (I sang during them) as the whole thing was so lovely.

I'm hoping for a reprise this time!

Sorry to hijack the thread. Just wondered if anyone can recommend specific natal hypnotherapy CDs. Is it enough to use the CDs without attending a course?

Littleblueboat I was in a similar situation to you - labour first time round all went a bit wrong towards the end and I felt panicky throughout. And DH wasn't as helpful as he could have been (no fault of his, just that neither of us were fully prepared for what labour was really like!). The hypnobirthing course just helped us understand the whole process (and I did lots of research about what I could have done better first time around) and the little 'mantras' and exercises really helped.
Another thing it was good for - with my first pregnancy I was quite an insomniac. 2nd time round I just listened to the hypno cd if I woke up at night and it sent me straight to sleep. (I had a pillow with a speaker in it which you plug an ipod into...!) As msbuggywinkle says, I too was laughing between contractions.