All the positives about childbirth up to and including meeting dc obviously.

[coneywonder]

Just that really.

35 weeks and wanting to focus on the positives after hearing a lot of negatives.

Might be nice to share our stories?

[5YearsTime]

BadIdeaBear I found the scripts useless but the Rose visualisation and surge breathing was helpful.

The thermometer script has actually been good for helping me to sleep when I'm too alert listening to my PFB breathe!

[BadIdeaBear]

Brilliant thread coneywonder thank you. ftm - I've done a hypnobirthing course and we've been practising relaxations and scripts at night but need to step up a bit I think at 34+3. Great stories - I've been wavering in confidence and calmness recently - why do people continue to tell you crap stories as you get into late pregnancy? But this thread has helped a lot!

[coneywonder]

Beautiful. Thank you :)

[WhatToDoWithMy2]

I've had two babies- one long, slightly complicated delivery, and one quick, easy waterbirth.

Positives about both: it was exciting; it was exhilarating; it was bonding for me, DP, and also my Mum who was there; it was sort of trance-like and magical. Gas and air made me feel delightfully wasted. It was interesting, too- a totally unique experience.

Additional positives about second birth: It was just bloody amazing, to be honest. I'd do it again every day. I felt empowered, strong- and probably totally high on hormones (powerful things). Giving birth in water was beautiful. Feeling in control of the great force of my contractions was ace (I did Maggie Howell hypno-birthing CD, would reccomend highly).

Best of all, of course, you meet your baby at the end!

Good luck!

[WhatToDoWithMy2]

I've had two babies- one long, slightly complicated delivery, and one quick, easy waterbirth.

Positives about both: it was exciting; it was exhilarating; it was bonding for me, DP, and also my Mum who was there; it was sort of trance-like and magical. Gas and air made me feel delightfully wasted. It was interesting, too- a totally unique experience.

Additional positives about second birth: It was just bloody amazing, to be honest. I'd do it again every day. I felt empowered, strong- and probably totally high on hormones (powerful things). Giving birth in water was beautiful. Feeling in control of the great force of my contractions was ace (I did Maggie Howell hypno-birthing CD, would reccomend highly).

Best of all, of course, you meet your baby at the end!

Good luck!

[WhatToDoWithMy2]

I've had two babies- one long, slightly complicated delivery, and one quick, easy waterbirth.

Positives about both: it was exciting; it was exhilarating; it was bonding for me, DP, and also my Mum who was there; it was sort of trance-like and magical. Gas and air made me feel delightfully wasted. It was interesting, too- a totally unique experience.

Additional positives about second birth: It was just bloody amazing, to be honest. I'd do it again every day. I felt empowered, strong- and probably totally high on hormones (powerful things). Giving birth in water was beautiful. Feeling in control of the great force of my contractions was ace (I did Maggie Howell hypno-birthing CD, would reccomend highly).

Best of all, of course, you meet your baby at the end!

Good luck!

[coneywonder]

Let's get some more stories going+!

[loveulotslikejellytots]

Thanks coney. Will keep a note of that until after my scan.

[coneywonder]

The marie mongan book I have found is the best and the rainbow relaxation that goes with it :) just listen to that every night xx

[loveulotslikejellytots]

I'm 8 weeks with my first dc.this thread has me in tears! Can anyone recommend some hypnobirthing books? I've looked at local courses but they are £££ I really can't afford that at the moment. I'd love to get a few books and have a read and see what I think. If I still don't feel confident I'll look at the courses again but it sounds like a lot of you had good results just from reading books.

[DandelionWishes88]

Your stories are so empowering! This is my first pregnancy and im wanting to focus on the good not all the bad. I know that things can go wrong and not to plan but I need to think positive and all you ladies are a huge help.
I CAN DO THIS!

[coneywonder]

Eeek thanks ladies. So glad I did and am doing hypnobirthing!! Also the perineum massage I was a bit wary of but may give that a go now too xx

[meringue33]

Gas and air is fun

I totally lost my cool both times but the mad stuff I shouted was hilarious looking back, and provided DH some good anecdotes for his groom's speech at our wedding!

The feeling at end when baby pops out - I felt pain didn't matter at that point because you know it's all over - one more push and they're here!

Hearing that first cry

[BreeVDKamp]

Oh yes I also did hypnobirthing. Not much chance to use it as my labour was 40 mins (DC1) but didn't have any pain relief so maybe it helped! Was enjoyable and relaxing in pregnancy in any case.

[BreeVDKamp]

Facing/overcoming your fears, for me it was forceps, injection in back (both of which I was scared of), and tearing (which no-one wants!). Feel I can do anything now I've done that!

[5YearsTime]

Oh and if you haven't done it already try some perineal massage....that is something you can control about labour and delivery!

[5YearsTime]

I did hypnobirthing before hand and during labour I was in boatloads of pain and did push for ages.... I thought I'd forgotten everything and failed completely.

Then the next day I realised that I gave birth with no pain relief and breathed it all through and did labour in the dark, in the pool.

It may not have felt like the twinkly lights crap you see on YouTube but I bloody did it. Now I feel like superwoman and am so proud of my body and what it can do. Fuck the stretch marks and wobbly bum that I'm left with....I made a new human.

[peacefuleasyfeeling]

At about 39 weeks (with DD2 ) I decided to read a hypno-birthing book. I watched a few youtube clips. The effect those simple exercises had on my birthing experience was remarkable. I was able to "ride" the contractions much more effectively and when it came to it, actually just "breathe" DD2 out without a shadow of pushing (or pain relief). I am still amazed, a couple of years down the line, and wish I hadn't dismissed it as "too much like hard work" the first time around, because it really wasn't. I now get why people are a bit evangelical about it. That, and birthing upright on my knees, totally revelatory. Good luck, OP.

[ishallnamehimsquishy]

I'm almost due with no 3 and your thread is making me cry!

I head a bit of a hard time with DC1, the good bit was DH telling me in theatre whether it was a girl or a boy.

No 2 was amazing in comparison. I used natal hypnotherapy and had a fast labour that felt very intense, but not painful. I loved having my baby placed on my chest and just getting to lie and cuddle for a while.

I actually feel quite excited for this next birth, more confident than before. This well be my last baby and I can't wait to meet them.

[Roseybee10]

I used hypnobirthing but more the breathing than visualisations. I found you're natural reaction to s contraction is to tense up to fight the pain but going limp and breathing deeply makes it much less painful and keeps you in control.

I forgot the pushing. With my first I did coached pushing as she wS back to back so needed help from me to get out. With my second my body completely took over. I didn't intentionally push once. My body just had waves going down it and pushed her out on its own. It was the most incredible thing I've ever felt. Also crowning in the water wasn't really that painful at all.

[Tonicandgin]

Yep I did the visualisations. Found the ones for stage 1 were easy to do and helpful but by stage 2 I was in the zone (and frankly high on gas/air) so didn't really need them. They did help with first toilet trip post dd though.

Scripts were amazing! I got dh to record them on my phone and had them in a loop when I went into hospital. Helped keep me in the zone.

Also the induction script actually got me into labour. Dh and I did the script, I felt this weird shift down in my abdomen, I then woke up a few hours later win the early stages.

[coneywonder]

Glad you like it ladypug. Think we are owed some positivity. Thank you all so much for replying. Keep them coming :)

[Snowflake15]

I love this thread! Making me feel much better about birth (still got a while to go) and even more sure that I want to do hypnobirthing

[captainproton]

I know that some women die in childbirth, and there are thousands of women who suffer hideous injuries through birth, but some do not find it as hard as others. My contractions were very powerful, but I didn't try to fight them or let them scare me. I sort of let them wash over me. If you have suffered awful period pain in the past then you are already aware of what it is going to feel like (contractions anyway). This is the advice my stepmother gave me and I found it very helpful and boosted my confidence.

I also did a lot of reading about birth, how some women were so terrified and frightened of giving birth they sort of clammed up, and things slowed down and they needed intervention. For their second births they got more into it, did a lot more things in preparation like walking up and downs stairs to help get babies head down in early labour. Using a birth ball to sit on instead of a chair and just rocking side to side. Giving birth kneeling and not laying down. Gravity helping the baby out. I made sure I did all these things and I am sure it helped.

For me at least I couldn't believe how strong the pushing was and it wasn't like TV, my uterus just did it. I couldn't have made myself do it if I tried. Amazing things our bodies.

I don't know if anyone else has discovered this but after having a baby my periods have got less painful, I now no longer need medication to relieve the pain because I don't have any pain. It was an unexpected bonus!