Hypnobirthing is it worth it?

[cheekyginger]

I just wanted to post this for anyone out there terrified of their impending due date or is thinking about hypnobirthing but cant make up their mind (HB).

My little one is 16 weeks now and i have to say the birth was the easy bit, at least you know it will end!!!! The breastfeeding and sleepness nights were harder work!!

HB really helped get my DH more involved in the whole process and got us talking about things that we may not have thought to discuss otherwise.

My birth had been planned for home in a birthing pool but unfortunately my DS decided to kick out my waters then wait 25 hours before the surges/contractions began. So into the hospital we went. I didnt need any pain relief and felt in control throughout the experience. I wouldnt say i found it pain-free (which HB claims you can experience), but i felt that my body knew what it was doing and tried to go with the flow.

Hope this helps someone out there x

Thanks, I'm booked for HB classes in October, I've read more positive experiences about the classes rather than the CDs so we plumped to pay out for the classes. At £140 for 4 classes, I didn't think that was so bad, particularly as we've saved loads on baby equipment as have been given our cot, moses basket and stand plus lots of other things.

We spent £250 on 5 classes. But in our area she came to our house over 5 evenings as my hubby works during the day.

Worth every penny..... good luck

Thanks, I've just started one to one hb sessions with my independent midwife that she offers as part of her package. I had a horrible birth with DS and will give anything a go that might help this time round!

Hi,

I have been reading the hynobirthing book and have bought the CDs but am really keen to get some classes too. Can anyone recommend any in London? I live in Brixton / Herne Hill area but willing to travel if necessary. I have seen some at £300 for a 2 day course but the ones mentioned in this thread seem a lot cheaper!

Thanks

K4mi

You could try Helen Redfern

She is based in Croydon but works across South London.

I read the natal hypnotherapy book and the hypnobirthing book (well, the bits I was interested in), and listened every night to the natal hypnotherapy CDs for the last 4 months of my pregnancy, and I had a really, really good birthing experiencing in the birthing pool, with very little pain (but a lot of hard work, of course!), and no complications/tears etc. I have absolutely no negative feelings about the birth.

I couldn't afford the classes, and knew my DH wouldn't really be into it anyway, so the CDs/books were my best option. In the those last 4 months, I went from telling people that I was going to go private with a C-section and all the drugs I could get, to being very self-assured that I wouldn't need any drugs and had no fear of doing it 'natural'.

I'm another one of those people who turned up at the hospital/birthing centre and the midwives tried to send me home because I was too relaxed to be ready to be there, but after insisting they checked found me to be almost fully-dilated!

Although we hadn't done the classes together, my DH was on board with what I was doing, and he knows I'm the type of person who likes to just get on with it in my own way, so even though he wasn't actually participating in any actual hypnobirthing techniques, he was there to provide just enough comfort and companionship that I needed, and let me do it all nice and calmly and quietly without asking silly things like 'does it hurt are you ok? can i get you anything?' etc.

I've recommended and loaned those books/CDs to 5 people now, all who have had positive experiences, although not necessarily as complication-free as mine.

So yes. Worth it, even if you can't afford the courses.

Thanks for that.

Im using natal hypnotherapy when baby decides to come (which could be any time now im 37+2) I started pregnancy relaxation at 16 weeks and have been doing birth preparation since 32 weeks, and have read the book cover to cover.
Also booked for a home / water birth.

I have herd so many great experiences, about it. Fingers crossed it works for me too.

I also bought the steven halpern CD which is relaxation music. One of his is the backround music for the birth affirmation that you listen to everyday on the HB CD. I loved it and i now play it for my DS at naptime and it seems to really settle him.

The HB people also say hypnobirth babies are more relaxed and happier (dont know if this scientific fact), but it seems the case with my 16wo or just sheer luck!!

k4mi my independent midwife offers hypnobirthing only care, it's £50 for a 50 min session I believe and she has recorded a personal tailor made CD for me to listen to outside our seesion. She covers South London have a look at Melody Weig

I can't post links.......try this one www.birthrites.uk.com/pregnancy_hypnosis_south_london_hypnotherapy

What do people reckon the best book/cd is?

I'd check both books out of the library, then you can see which you prefer. For me, I found the hypnobirthing book was a bit more interesting (though not so practical), with more detail and background etc on the theory and the history of childbirth (but I like reading a lot anyway), and some of the breathing excercises were more indepth than the natal hypnotherapy. BUT, I prefered the natal hypnotherapy course (the woman's voice on the CD was really relaxing, the meditation and visualisations were very easy for me to get on board with). The book was a bit more step-by-step too, from what I remember, and definitely less patronising and hippyish.

Hypnobirthing has more different breathing and 'self-hypnosis' methods, but they usually involve your parnter (and I found it easier not to involve him as we speak different languages, for one thing...).

I used a mixture of both for the actual event. The breathing and visualisation from natal hypnotheraphy throughout the contractions (basically just repetitively breathing slowly and counting and telling yourself to relax) , but when it came to actually pushing him out, I used the 'breathing down' technique that you find in hypnobirthing. And really, that was it.

i could not find the natal hypnotherapy book in any library.

I checked where i live now, and 2 whole entire counties down south that i used to be a member of (well i still am, i just dont live there) and my university library and not 1 copy between the whole entire lot of them.

I also had lots of friends on high alert checking all charity shops ever passed and again no luck there.... and i didnt even find any used on ebay either in about 2 or 3 months that i regularly looked. In the end i bought a copy buy it now off ebay!

I used the Hypnotherapy book written by Marie Mongan. You can get it 2nd hand on amazon.
I really liked the history of childbirth and the step by step guide of the breathing techniques.
If you are a calm and realxed person and are very positive about the whole experience the book and CD are probably enough to get on with it yourself. If you have doubts or any anxieties a class is probably the way forward...

do you think its too late to get a cd or something at 37 weeks??

I dont think 37 weeks is too late - you could always listen twice a day.

I always recommend it to people. I used it with DC2 & DC3 after a horrific first labour. DC2's birth was perfect and I felt so amazingly in control of my body and the contractions. I only used G&A and tens and he was 10lbs 13oz at birth! The midwifes were impressed with how I'd handled it since hypnobirthing wasnt as popular then (7 yrs ago).

Think i might order this for a good friend who is pregnant with her 1st. It really works.

I used the Natal Hypnotherapy books with ds's birth. 9lbs 12oz on gas and air. I'm pregnant with dc3 and about to start listening to them again, they're brilliant IMO.

37 weeks isnt too late...

you could have 5 weeks left yet.

They say listening just once before birth can be helpful, though the more often / earlier the better.

Wow some really positive experiences from HB here, I'm 35 weeks and have a CD at home which I've done about five times so far. Each time I end up asleep so it definitely relaxes me, not sure how it will work when I'm pain but anything's worth a try IMO. I'm off to give it another go after reading this thread!

Appley....That was when i listened to mine. I put it on my ipod and stuck the earphones in at bedtime. My HB teacher said thats still works as you subconscious takes it in....anyways, def worked for me.

Think the thing about HB is, if you really believe you dont have to fear childbirth, it really really will be easier.