Hypno-Birthing

[greenlizard]

Is is worth it? I am considering going to a local class which runs for 4 weeks and includes a CD etc but it outrageously expensive (£260 ) and I don't know if is worth it or whether I should get a CD/online course instead.

Any experiences you can share with me?

Thanks

I did it. My course cost was a similar cost to yours (4 weeks of 2.5 hours and as many biscuits as you could eat) but I thought it was worth it.
The course was limited to three couples so plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
My OH couldn't attend the NHS parenting classes so it was great for him to learn about the ins and outs of labour and he's been amazingly supportive of my hypno practice. The course taught him massage techniques and how best to support me in labour for example.
I learnt a lot more about the 'process' of labour/birth than I did from the NHS classes and I feel more confident about getting the birth experience I want.
The tutor was available to ask questions 'out of hours' which you wouldn't get from self practice. She also set 'homework' to ensure you were practicing and perfecting the techniques.
The course was lot more than a CD and a book. I appreciate you can practice yoga from a YouTube video, or home exercise from a DVD but no one is checking your technique is right, if you've never done it before, as a trained professional would do in a class.
I'm really glad I did the course and miss my weekly sessions actually. I feel a lot calmer and confident about baby's impending arrival...
With regard to the cost, I've been given practically all my baby stuff 2nd hand, or have bought things from Gumtree/Ebay so I feel I saved the money elsewhere. Your tutor may offer a discount, or payment plan. You can only ask. Good luck!

OP I did the Maggie Howells CD you can get from Amazon. I haven't had my baby yet so can't say if it works for birthing, but I have felt amazingly calmer and more prepared for it all by using that regularly. It is essentially yogic breathing and visualisation. You do have to do it pretty religiously though.

I did a hypnobirthing class five years ago and it did help. I think its better you buy some CDs and read up about hypnotheraphy in child birth before you shell out for a class. Hypnotheraphy and childbirth is not for everyone. Whatever anyone tells you there is no guarentee that childbirth will not hurt and that you will not have complications. I did the the Maggie Howel class (natal hypnotheraphy) rather than hypnobirthing because I felt it was more honest about the realities of child birth.

What I took from the classes and listening to the CD was living in the moment and not worrying about what might happen in the future. I think that there is a lot of truth that fear does cause pain in childbirth. I found it helped me to delegete worrying to the midwife. I had a three hour labour and gave birth at home with no pain relief other than TENs.

I also did the Maggie Howell natal hypnotherapy - worth getting hold of a copy of the book to read through first to see if the ideas in it chime with your own. I paid about £220 in total I think for 2 full-day sessions, but it was well worth it. My tutor was an independent midwife who was very experienced and also ran NCT ante-natal classes - she was absolutely brilliant, it felt like she had seen every possible eventuality and could answer any question. Our first class was just my husband and I in our own home, as there was no-one else booked in that day, and then the second class was with one other couple in the tutor's home. It was brilliant ante-natal preparation.

My first child came early, so in the slight panic to get to the hospital, we didn't actually take the CDs etc, so in that sense I didn't "use" the techniques in that I didn't self-hypnotise. However, I used a lot of the visualisation techniques and a lot of what I had learned in terms of understanding the process my body was going through, what the contractions were doing, the knowledge that my body was designed to do this - I stayed calm and fairly relaxed throughout, pretty quiet and just got on with it. I was in labour for 8 hours in total and only used gas and air as pain relief and I think the information I got through the hypnotherapy prep played a big part in this.

I am pregnant now with my 2nd child and am fortunate enough to have been offered a free Hypnobirthing class, which I am going to attend as a refresher. But I agree with a PP that Natal Hypnotherapy seems a bit more "realistic" - I prefer the language they use and the approach is just slightly different, so I will continue to use my old CDs as my main preparation for birth. I am planning a home birth, barring another unscheduled early arrival and I think this will really help if it goes anything like my previous labour.

Good luck!

I did a hypnobirthing course (4 week 2 hour sessions) and read a really good book and used the Maggie Howell natal cds. I didn't find the course taught me anything I hadn't learnt from the cds, book or going to pregnancy yoga. My course was free (run through my Midwife service but by a qualified hypnobirthing instructor) but I wouldn't have bothered with it if I'd had to pay. Most of the work from the course will be done at home so as long as you do read and use the cds you should be fine. I read the hypnobirthing book by Katharine Graves. It explains all about the process of labour, what your body is going through and the theory and practice of hypnobirthing.

I had a fab birthing experience and I'm sure the techniques helped me stay calm despite dd1 being rushed unexpectedly to nicu straight after birth.

I'll be using the cds again this time, and the pregnancy cds really does help you relax

I did this course and it was invaluable. Laboured calmly at home until 9cm, went to birthing centre to finish, all without meds. I really think that my calm relaxed state led to a quick (-ish for a first baby) labour of 8 or 9 hours. I'll be using it again in a week or so ( I hope!) and I feel pretty confident. I also credit the course with completely changing my views and feelings about child birth. I was almost phobic about child birth before, not in the least now!

Just to add, I did the Mongan Method classes and I would recommend that you do classes rather than just read the book/listen to the CDs.

ive done a video course (not wanting to single them out, but if you google 'calm birth school', that's the one I've done) and have found it invaluable- 12 videos, some mp3s and private facebook group for ongoing support. I think there's a free taster of it available through the website so you can see if you think it'll work for you

There weren't really any classes available in my area, an I've quite liked the fact i can rewatch the vids when i like

I did the Mongan course. It was brilliant and I felt calm and in control throughout the labour. I laboured at home watching comedy DVDs and drinking a glass of wine (!) for the first few hours. And then when the contractions got more intense I bounced on a birth ball in my lounge with the lights down low, listening to the MP3s from the course.

I went into the birth centre and was found to be 7cm. Gave birth 5 hours later to a bouncing baby boy (9lb4!!) with just gas and air for pain relief.

My hypno instructor was the first person I told after the birth, after my parents!! I was in a massive high and credited her for helping me to have such a fantastic labour.

I just read a book and listened to a cd in the last few weeks before my due date and it really worked!
Personally wouldn't bother with the class and start with a book/cd as ReallyTired suggests and if you feel you need that little extra guidance then you could book a course?
I was really scared of giving birth and was open to any pain relief going but it turned out I didn't need anything just gas and air in the end and it was definitely because of the hypno birthing!
I listened to the cd during labour and it was invaluable to me-don't get me wrong-it still hurt like hell but it helped to manage the pain calmly and not freak out and shout/scream etc
Give it a go-you've got nothing to lose and lots to gain!