Hypnobirthing

[HaggisNeepsTatties]

Anyone tried it?
I've been reading up on it and sounds to good to be true if it works.
If you have tried it how did you find it and how early did you start practicing breathing/relaxation etc?
Also did you do a course or just use book/CD?
Thanks!

I'm doing Natal Hypnotherapy using Maggie Howell's CD and book (Effective Birth Preparation). I'm hoping it will relax me; any other effects (pain relief) will be a bonus. I'm 30w now and have been listening to the hypnosis session a few times a week for 2 weeks or so. I always fall asleep 2/3 of the way through so I guess the relaxation element must be working!

hi
yes. I am doing it 'properly' for DC exected in autumn. I used it for DC 1 using just the CDs and it had some use.

I too am using MAggie Howell's CD plus Im doing a course on it with classes. I can really see how it works.
It doesnt stop the pain, it changes your perception of it and makes you relaxed and visualise subconciously what is happening during the labour process-

I have a nothing to lose attitude to it though. If anything I will be more relaxed!

I did it and I think I found my birth more manageable than everyone else I've spoken too (obviously there's an large element of luck too). I did the course, read the book and listened to the CD. I had to try and ignore certain aspects of the CD though ("blue is the colour of your lungs..." etc.)

I did not realise I was in "proper labour" until I was in transition and when DH suggested I was in transition I said he was being ridiculous and this was only the early stages.

Doing Natal Hypnotherapy this time - for variety - and the relaxation CD is less cringeworthy!

I was told about hypnotherapy at my antenatal classes, and I was very very interested. The instructor really sold it to us and then gave contact detailsof local therapists.. i was tempted but just found it too hard to believe.

I'm going to sound like a true convert now - it stops the extra pain that is associated with your anxiety, expectations and fear - all that was left for me was a feeling like strong period pains.

I did it, one-to-one sessions plus a take home CD.
I found that it helped enormously with 2 things - 1) the colossal birth Fear that I had and 2) with allowing my body to do what it had to do as and when necessary.
(oh and 3) the CD helped put me to sleep every night - I think much of it went in subliminially though)

I didn't find that I was able to use it to reduce or control my pain in labour, largely because I was induced and got very nauseous/sick with the contractions - I could use the breathing techniques and so on until the contraction pain and sickness really kicked in and then I just went onto a kind of autopilot.

But - when it came to the actual stage 2 contractions (evil), I just let myself go with the flow and it all went very smoothly, had about half an hour of those, every 3 mins or so, until DS was born.

I loved it, think it helped a lot, despite still having labour pain - but the acceptance of what was going to happen (and the relaxation CD) made a lot of difference to me.

As a hypnotherapist, using hypnosis for birth - which is hypnobirthing, alters your concept of pain. It also teaches you lots of techniques to remain relaxed, so you work with your body which is designed to give birth. In this way you can detach form the feelings of the contractions so you produce lots of serotonins which is the body's natural epidural.

Thus hypnobirthing helps you to have a magical birth experience as nature intended.

Lots of my clients have used these downloads
positive-birth.com with or without accompanying sessions with Kristin. I am now using them for my pregnancy and am so relaxed! She also has video sessions that come as part of the package so it is more than just CDs. Kristen herself is wonderful and calm and I feel totally secure in her hands (or voice I should say). From the stories I have had from my clients who have used hypnobirthing I would recommend it to anyone, in my mind it can only have a positive effect ... if only to help you feel more relaxed.

This will probably be no help whatsoever buuuuut... I watched a few clips on free birthing (yes I know its illegal and certainly wouldn't advocate) however watching a woman, standing up, giving birth with barely grimacing was really inspiring, it certainly gave me the confidence to go in without considering pain relief, I breathed, mentally told myself it was going to get alot worse so to calm down and I managed to breathe my babies out HTH

I did a two day course (well one day of a two day course - DS decided to arrive in the week between the two sessions!), and read the Marie Mongan book. I didn't manage to practice with the CD, but we did some of the deep relaxation exercises with the script in class, and I practiced breathing and relaxation on my own (albeit without the script).

I hadn't had enough practice to do proper hypnobirthing techniques, but I used the breathing and positive affirmations to get me through. For me, it was essential to me getting through the birth, and actually I found the birth was a really positive experience, despite rather a lot of intervention (prem labour at 31+5).

The key to it is shutting off your conscious mind - which can be tricky if you are feeling a bit sceptical! - and allowing your subconscious to take over and let your body do its thing without the fear-tension-pain cycle.

It doesn't take the pain away, but it makes it easier to manage.

I hope you give it a go, OP!

Oooo and similar to what VeremyJyle said - we watched a video in class of a water hypnobirth, and I thought "wow if she can do it like that, why couldn't I?"

Thanks everyone - think you've persuaded me to give it a go!

I bought a cd on amazon, listened to it every night when going to bed (always fell asleep through it so can't remember what it said!) but it must've gone in subconsciously because I had an amazing birth (well as good as it could be!) no drugs, just gas and air and no stitches or tears and from waters breaking to baby in arms . . 10 hours, pushed for 10 mins! Don't know if it was down to the hypnobirthing or not but I don't know of anyone else who had such an easy time. Did yoga too from 5 months onwards so think that helped too. A lot of it is mind over matter. . You can do it!!! Good luck

The Royal Society of Medicine recently had a day long conference on the use of Hypnosis for Childbirth. Basically, it WORKS - differently for different people, but it definitely works.

HypnoBirthing, The Mongan Method is the longest standing, and International, well documented method and has been used successfully all over the world.
ENJOY!

I found the marie mongan method book really annoyed me and I refuse to read anymore after reading last night in it that babies whose mothers have a traumatic birth are more likely to commit suicide in later life & mothers who had pain relief in labour are more likely to have drug addict children when they grow up! Didn't find that helpful in the least! :(
So does the natal hypnotherapy book have anything like this? I'm very interested in hypnobirthing still but don't want to waste more money on a book that irritates me!

Oops, ignore my above post!! it isn't the mongan method I was reading but the leclaire method! So will try either Mongan method or natal hypnotherapy as long as they don't contain the above crap!

Yep, did it before giving birth last year, and it really helped for two reasons: 1) it was reassuring to know exactly what was happening at each stage of labour, and to work with the 'discomfort' (hypnobirthing speak for pain) without panicking; 2) the breathing exercises really helped during labour (the visualisations not so much - thinking about balloons floating in the sky etc etc didn't do much for me). But I definitely think it helped me give birth naturally and at home because it gave me lots of confidence, which is one of the most important things to have when going into labour.
Having said that, I do Bikram yoga too and I am convinced that the stamina I built up from that also helped me in labour. Don't think it's recommended for pregnant women though, so it's not a helpful suggestion really, unless you already practice it yourself.

Give it a go, I read the Mary Mongan book with CD ( at the quote above, I used to read it before bed, so was half asleep). I had a home birth, waters broke at 9 in the morning, baby at 4.10. I had no pain at all.
Don't know if it would have happened like that anyway. I couldn't complete the 3rd stage and had to transfer for a manual extraction, where I got a 3rd degree rip. so I paid in the end.
Give it a bash, you have nothing to lose..

so glad you claryfied that debdee, i've read Marie Mongan twice now was worried i'd missed something!! i would definately recommend the Mongan method and hypnobirthing, at the very least it will help you relax through pregnancy. i did the course, book and cd with my first and although i had an emcs (not birth related) it definately helped me before hand. now i'm going for a vbac and feel HB will be essential in helpeing me through it.

I used the Natal Hypnotherapy cds from about week 33(listened most days in evening) read the Mongan book and also went on an evening course called 'breathe for a better birth' in London. Had a pretty smooth labour compared to many I know and although I was in pain it was manageable (only tens, water and co-codamol for pain relief) and I felt pretty calm and lucid throughout.
All the breathing exercises went out of the window during pushing, so maybe next time I would practice those more.
For me it was worth i even though it didn't make things pain free as it gave me and DH a lot of confidence - cemented my instinct that my body could do this if I let it get on with things.
Give it a go - it can't hurt to have the extra tools at your disposal during labour

Thanks all, have read the Mongan book, and have found an instructor who comes to your house to help with the breathing etc if you've already read the book, so works out about half the price of the course.

I could have written the same post as teaandhobnobs.

I did the 2 day course at 34 weeks, but didnt get to do the second part of the course as baby came to soon.

Got to 9cm dilated within 4 hours, just controlling breathing and using the techniques. Didnt realise!

Needed a bit of gas and air to deliver but i think this was only due to the fact that we hadnt covered the birth breathing in the course (second half) the gas and air did naff all!

Really positive birth experience, felt elated and wanted to do it all again. Second degree tear but was up and about half an hour after we were taken back onto the ward.

Would recommend you doing it for sure but, if you start it at the latter stages of your pregnancy just remember the whole "fear, tension, pain" cycle. That was all that I focussed on throughout the birth and it got me though pretty much pain free.

Looking back I would not say that any part of the labour or birth was painful, just uncontrollable. Id do it again tomorrow!

Good luck x

I read the book, well some of it and it gave me faith and confidence in myself and my body. My mum wondered why we were going to hospital as I didn't 'look like' I was ready but ds was born 30 mins after arriving.