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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Actual reason why hypnobirthing classes are so expensive?

33 replies

erikab922 · 24/02/2014 22:30

Just wondering if there are any hypnobirthing instructors about who can explain why the courses are so expensive. Seems to me such a shame to exclude an extremely useful birthing tool from folks who can't afford it. I know there are self-taught courses, books, CDs etc but everyone who has done it says the courses are the best option.

I had an extremely painful natural birth with with DD1 and would like to try hypnobirthing with DS1 in August but we will not have room in the budget for an actual course at the current prices. If there's a business reason behind it then I can be persuaded the courses are priced right so please clue me in - thank you! (I am guessing the reason is 'because we will always find someone who will pay £££'!).

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AnythingNotEverything · 24/02/2014 22:33

I think you got it at the end there. They are priced as high as the market will bear.

I have half a memory that my midwife said there was a midwife doing them locally. Not sure if it was on the NHS though.

SoonToBeSix · 24/02/2014 23:16

Where do you live? One to one midwifes offer free hypnobirthing.

Shallishanti · 24/02/2014 23:20

because they need to make a living
how many courses do you think are needed within one person's reasonable commute at any one time?

greentshirt · 24/02/2014 23:35

I've done the one to one hypnobirthing and it was ok. If I'd paid the sorts of prices I've seen hypnobirthing classes advertised at I would have been gutted.

If you can't afford a course then a DVD and book would definitely be worth a try. The one to one course was a good introduction and overview but definitely needs to be accompanied with other materials

mrsmugoo · 25/02/2014 10:19

The book and the CD has been fine for me!

ToddleWaddle · 25/02/2014 10:36

Book and cd for me too and a few pregnancy yoga classes.

mrsbug · 25/02/2014 10:42

I had the cd copied from a friend which worked really well

dashoflime · 25/02/2014 10:43

No idea, but you have reminded me of a funny story...

At NCT class we were introduced to the idea of hypnotic relaxation and asked to lie down and listen to a CD.

All very relaxing and lovely- so far, so good.

Then, just before the end of the CD- a woman's voice, still in that "hypnotic-you-are-sleepy" type voice starts talking about where to buy the hypno tapes and visit our website at such and such a place and so on...

I leap up and say "Bloody Hell- Did you just Hypnotise us and play us advertising?! That can't be right?!"

NCT teacher looks awkward, other couples look at me like I've got two heads. DH snickers

ananikifo · 25/02/2014 10:53

2 out of 5 couples in our NCT class took expensive hypnobirthing classes. One had a elves and the other had a very fast, intervention-filled birth where she was told just to hold her breath and push! I feel bad for them. I had a cd and book. They were good for relaxation in pregnancy, when I remembered to use them, and with very early contractions. As the pain got worse, visualisation just didn't help at all.

ananikifo · 25/02/2014 10:54

That first couple had an elective c section for an breach baby, not elves.

mrsbug · 25/02/2014 11:13

elves really would be a surprise

I thought the hypnotherapy stuff helped me to cope with the birth I had (which incidentally involved forceps, stitches, hardly the stuff of anyone's dreams), and get through it relatively calmly. Which is really helpful if you are generally a bit of an anxious person, like me.

mrsmugoo · 25/02/2014 11:17

I opted out of NCT and hypnobirthing classes, I'm about £500 richer and don't think I am any less informed due to the amount of reading around the subject I've done - actually I feel I'm probably more informed over all as I have different perspectives rather than just the standard approved hypnobirthing/NCT view.

MummytoMog · 25/02/2014 12:04

My course was very expensive and a bit of a crock to be honest. I found the most useful bit was doing the CD affirmations, which I listened to on my commute everyday. And I did stay very calm during my long, painful and full of interventions delivery. It was actually much more use during my second, very quick and easy delivery, in which I actually did just breathe the fucker out. Was not happening with malpresented first baby, but DS was just raring to go and slid out like a greased piglet. Was awesome. If I were you, I would buy the CD, read the book and practice the breathing, but not worry about finding a course!

isisisis · 25/02/2014 12:09

I got the box set of Maggie Howell CDs off eBay for about £12 & then her box from amazon. Probably about £25 all in. A friend did a course & paid £££ but don't think it was any better.

isisisis · 25/02/2014 12:10

I didn't get her box, I got her book. The box would of been handy for the elves to pop out of.

mrsbug · 25/02/2014 12:13

yes it was the Maggie Howell one i had, I loved her voice!

I love the idea of your ds sliding out 'like a greased piglet' mummytomog

Inglori0us · 25/02/2014 12:24

I'm a psychologist twa

Inglori0us · 25/02/2014 12:25

Sorry.
I'm a psychologist trained in clinical hypnotherapy and I've done a course in hypnosis for childbirth.
I donrec

dashoflime · 25/02/2014 12:27

Keep trying Inglori0us

Inglori0us · 25/02/2014 12:31

Sorry. Phone screen is dodgy!
I do recommend finding a trained, qualified and accredited hypnotherapist rather than a Mongan method hypnobirthing person. My personal view is that they lack therapeutic experience and are often mums who have no clinical background at all.

The hypnosis training on the course is very brief and basic. The course is incredibly expensive and I think that's why the hybbobirthers charge so much as they need to recover this cost.

The National Council of Hypnotherapists has a search function on their website to find local and qualified therapists.
For your information I charge £70 per hour for one-to-

Inglori0us · 25/02/2014 12:32

One sessions. This is pretty typical for a therapist in London.

Inglori0us · 25/02/2014 12:33

Poxy iPhone is going out the window soon.
Sorry for the multiple messages!

ksrwr · 25/02/2014 12:36

i did a very expensive hypnobirthing course, read the book, listened to the cd, did all the practises, then when my first contraction hit, hypnobirthing didn't even cross my mind!!
i do think the affirmations gave me an underlying confidence that all would be ok tho.
but i dont like the inference that you get from this course that you can in some way take control of the birth expereience, because i dont think you can. in fact the best thing is not to get involved and let your body get on with it in my opinion. and the bit about breathing your baby out, just plain dangerous, push when your body tells you to!

FrankelInFoal · 25/02/2014 12:41

You could try Lazy Daisy Birthing Classes instead. They're a form of active birthing/Hypnobirthing. I did two courses, each one cost me £54 so nowhere near as expensive as some of the figures being quoted on here. I opted for them over the NCT classes which just seemed like a conveyor belt to me.

LatinForTelly · 25/02/2014 12:50

Weirdly I haven't talked about this for years and am now about to mention it on the second thread in 20 minutes but . .

I was given the Gowri Motha Gentle Birth Method book from a friend (who said, I wanted to burn this book after my birth, but if it helps you at all, you can have it ) Well, I did find it helpful, and bought the GBM birth preparation CD, which I found hugely helpful.

Being slightly overkeen, I then did the Hypnobirthing course, and whilst it was interesting, I found the GBM CD better (is £12 in their online shop).

The GBM one is more focused on the physiology of birth, and imagining your body preparing etc. IIRC, the hypnobirthing was different visualisation and relaxation techniques.

Not sure what the prices for a Hypnobirthing course are now (I did one more than 8 years ago), but I would just buy the book and CD if you are into the Hypnobirthing brand, or see a hypnotherapist individually, or buy the Gentle Birth Method CD.

Good luck OP.

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