Natal hypnotherapy - is it possible to over-use it?

[strawberrybubblegum]

I'm 37+5 and started getting moderately painful cramps at night: presumably my body gearing up for labour. I tried using the breathing and visualisation from the hypnotherapy CD I've been listening to, and it does seem to help quite a lot.

But I'm worried that if I over-use the techniques now, they won't work so well when I really need them during labour - like getting habituated to pain-killers stops them working so well. I'm worried that I might start associating the visualisations (especially my lovely beach!) with pain, rather than relaxation. Does that happen? Or would using them now with minor pain actually help, as practice?

I don't want to risk losing a coping mechanism by using it when I don't really need it!

Practice makes perfect! I don't think you can overuse it at all. I did hypnotherapy ( just book and cd) for my second birth and practiced ( is that the right practice?) during twinges and painful BH and had a great birth. It was an amazing experience (still painful but nothing I couldn't deal with)

I've not actually got to this stage yet but I've read through the booklet and I'm fairly sure it says to practise, either with pregnancy aches and pains, or even by holding icecubes behind your ears etc and trying to block out that sensation.

No. Hypnotherapy works better the more you use it.

I used it with my 2nd consciously. I didn't bother with my 3rd because i was already programmed to cope.

Great - thanks everyone!

That's actually quite a bonus that I can use it for minor aches too!

Yes I'm having sessions.

It's more a case of the more the better, sounds really good your practising like this and it's helping.

I'd def. keep on as you are.

The more you use it the more deeply it will become ingrained. I am a qualified hypnotherapist and it works...and it will carry on working for many other things, pain relief that is non pregnancy/childbirth related for instance.

Good luck and enjoy.

As a Natal Hypnotherapy practitioner I can say that it is good to practice as that is part of the embedding of suggestions into your subconscious - giving you ways of coping. And as others have said, using the techniques to help with pregnancy discomforts (and post birth as well) is brilliant!

Can I hijack your thread?

My partner and I are struggling to get time at the same time to listen to the CD we bought. I know it says it's important for him to hear the CD as well but is it vital? I'd really like to get started and don't want to wait on him.

How necessarily is it to wait on him do you think?

God no crack on yourself. You need the techniques more.

My dp isn't doing any if it. He would put me off!