Hypnobirthing questions

[whenhenshaveteeth]

I'm 30wks and have been reading the Mongan method and listening to the CD but I'm a bit confused as there are so many different techniques.

I think I got that when you're having contractions/surges you do the Slow breathing techniques and in between the surges you adopt the Sleep breathing and finally when you feel like the baby is almost there you do the Birth breathing. Is that right?

But when exactly do you do the visualisation and ultra-deepening techniques? What about the affirmations??

I'm finding hard as it is concentrating on my breathing I can't really imagine doing much more. Is that because I need more practice?

Also, in which position were you during the surges and then when the baby came out?

I like lying down on my back when I practice but obviously it's not great a position when you give birth. So can I stay on my back up to the point of letting baby out?

sadly i never had the chance to go into labour last time as had to have an early EMCS so can't help with the last bit but in terms of the breathing that sounds about right, the "blowing up a balloon" visualising and sleep breathing is for surges, the brith breating is in place of pushing the baby out and sleep breathing is for relaxing in between. this might be TMI (sorry if it is) but you can practice the birth breathing on the loo when have a poo!

i think it does take a lot of practice to get the breathing right and the importnant thing is to try and relax so if you worry too much about the breathing it's counter productive.

i practised with affirmations from early on but i think you can use them and the visualisations right the way through labour, especially when having surges. i think the ones like the rainbow visualisation are for relaxation but there is another one (but i can't remember which) to help bring the baby down. i'm not sure there's a wrong time to use them, you just need to go with what your body and mind need at the time. i think it's the same with birth positions.

i really hope it goes well for you, i'd love to hear about your experience in a couple of months. i'm 26 weeks and will definately be trying for a hypnobirth!

xx

The mw who did our hb course said to think of the different techniques as tools in your tool box and to practise ones you felt comfy with and use what felt right on the day.

I did breathing exercises for 4 months so they were pretty much second nature by the birth. (i did birth breathing practise on the loo!)

We did some of the deepening techniqes for about 6 weeks along with perenial massage. Never really did much visualization or switches and the like but found what we did very useful.

Mainly used relaxed breathing between surges and deepening during them.

Didn't use the cd or music during birth but did a lot beforehand and afterwards when getting back to sleep in the day