Hypnobirthing

[Mustang27]

I really want to try hypnobirthing for my 2nd birth but it’s so pricey. To do a course is 250 quid and with a toddler and baby on the way and only my partner working at the mo it’s just not viable.

What alternatives are there out there? Is there self taught stuff I can do? Any one with any experience that can help me out in any way I’d appreciate.

I have no advice I'm afraid but bumping for you, and placemarking I've been wondering about this myself OP. I'm only 9 weeks pregnant but have liked the look of hypnobirthing from what I've seen so far.

I’m 28 weeks tomorrow so I’m cutting it really fine lol.

Congrats on your baby news. It is really interesting I’m hoping that any body with any experience will fill me in. My first labour was such a positive experience until the last hour or so where I panicked and let emotion get the better of me so I was hoping to avoid that this time and Hypnobirthing seemed the right place to look but 250 quid is expensive at the best of time and probably out of the question completely with Christmas coming up.

I read Sophie Fletchers Mindful hypnobirthing book and listened to her mp3s too. It gave me everything I needed to be able to have a mindful homebirth with my first baby. It will change your outlook on labour.

www.amazon.co.uk/Mindful-Hypnobirthing-Mindfulness-Techniques-Confident/dp/0091954592

There are lots of others out there but I couldn’t recommend this one enough!

Ah Reyson this is what I was hoping for.

So pleased for you and being able to have a lovely home birth. I’m desperate for one but my mil is a dr and my oh is a worrier pair these things together and it makes for a never ending argument. I’d love for my toddler to be part of it as much as possible and the thought of having to be away from him during something that’s going to have a massive effect on his life seems sad to me.

Oh and the books free on Audible even better. I can listen and take notes.

I've never read about it, but during my labour I had several midwives and a doctor make a comment about how I was Hypnobirthing? All I did was 'zen out' as my other half puts it. Completely go into my own bubble and world, concentrate on my breathing and relaxing my body. It significantly reduced pain (I never had pain relief in both of my births), so if this is indeed "hypnobirthing" then I'd recommend it, but I wouldn't waste money on courses because what I was doing was essentially just a beastier version of meditation

I used Maggie Howell’s Natal Hypnotherapy mp3. Was £10 and downloaded it from her website straight onto my phone. I started listening to it from about 36 weeks until DS was born at 38+4. I used to fall asleep every time I listened to it but it must have still ‘worked’ as I managed to give birth to my DS with no pain relief and didn’t go to hospital until I was 10 cms dilated. I couldn’t recommend it enough!

I also bought the Effective Birth Preparation book by Maggie Howell but didn’t read it all and I don’t think it added anything more tbh

Can you look for a group class that might be less expensive? We did 1:1 last time as well as reading Marie Mongans book and used the rainbow relaxation cds but it was a lot of money. This time around I'm not sure whether to try a group class or just read the book again and practice the breathing techniques myself.

Hehe a beastier version of meditation, love it. I had mini mustang on just gas and air so I class that as pretty good but I do just want to zone out and focus on delivering bump in the calmest way possible. I’m a stress head.

Wow @TheSleeperandTheSpindle that sound pretty ideal. Il give them a look into and listen too.

The group classes are still 80-90 pounds which is pricey enough.

Il check out the rainbow med cd and your author as well. I imagine they are all much the same so will only help compound my learning and not conflict with it.

I had a few people initially question safety around home births etc... however I was very certain from the beginning that’s what I wanted. The statics on homebirth v hospital birth regarding intervention weigh massively in the homebirthing favour. Armed with the facts there wasn’t anyway anyone could argue that I was safer at hospital. Obviously homebirths are only an option if you’re having a ‘straightforward’ pregnancy.

My husband and I went to a (free) homebirthing workshop run at our local nhs hospital by the head of community midwives which was incredibly insightful. You could take any family members along too, which would help win over your mil and oh! Could you ask at your next antenatal appointment if there is anything similar in your area? It’s worth exploring if it’s something you’re interested in doing, and mil and oh should be more open minded to the idea.

I agree, the less disruption for your son the better!

@Mustang27 I must admit the mp3 sounds very hippyish to begin with, all about golden light and visualising dials and waves, but if you can get passed that then the techniques themselves are very useful

That’s a great idea Reyson il ask at my next app. I did just broach the subject again on home births and explained there could be something that nhs does to help us get a bit more clarity. I got “il come with you but don’t expect me to change my mind” attitude  it makes me sad and kind of leaves me hoping I go into labour when he is at work and I just won’t tell him. He said the crash team was standing by when mini mustang was born they weren’t needed but if they had been I’d not have got that at home  I have no recollection of this I will request my midwife looks into my birth notes to see what is in there. Unfortunately oh and mil are very firmly in the we are always right camp.

I’m quite partial to the odd bit of hippyishness in my life so I’m sure I will cope TheSleeperandTheSpindle lol.

archive.org/details/HypnoBirthing

That's the link for Marie Mongans rainbow relaxation. I tended to put it on when I went to bed, most of the time I was asleep before it finished.

I did it! So relaxed I had DD2 on the pavement while wandering over from the multi-storey. And DD3 got stuck but again I was able to stay calm and cope.

I read Marie Morgan's book, ignored the rubbish bits (asking the Mw for time to try
Clitoral stimulation ) and just did the breathing techniques for the balloon in your tummy with a delta waves deep sleep album on every night at bedtime.

I still use the techniques now when I'm stressed or feeling pain e.g. Dentists. It really works.

I like the Sophie Fletcher book too - have been doing the meditations every night for a few weeks now and I do find them really relaxing (and I'm a very anxious person). I found out a couple of days ago that I need to be induced on Thursday coming (will be 37+2) and I will definitely still be doing the meditations in labour.

That’s great that he he agreed go with you if you can find a homebirthing talk! Sometimes it doesn’t take a lot to change someone’s mind, and it could just be the eye opener he needs.

In my experience the midwives you have at home during the labour are super aware of yours and baby’s safety as they’re not in the hospital setting, they also don’t leave your side. Any sign of the start of a complication they would call an ambulance which would automatically be a top priority call and you would be taken to hospital on the blue lights. The statics for this (in our local trust) are so low.

The aftercare after birth for me was amazing, ds was born at 9.30pm, after making sure everything was clean/tidy, me and husband had showered, baby latched on correctly and had made us a cuppa they let themselves out at 1:30am after tucking the three of us into bed. Not sure you could say you get this level of treatment on the maternity ward.

I really hope you’re OH comes round to the idea.

If you want your husband on board go on a course - I think I could have had my three as I wanted with books/online/cds but we went on the course together and it changed his feelings about childbirth completely. He is quite science/logic based and thought hypnobirthing sounded weird and I think just came on the course to humour me, but he totally 'got it' (prob helped the course was run by a midwife not a hippy!) and was brill at the birth of dd1. I didn't need pain relief and he was there for me all the way (about 6-8 hrs I think?) he said/did all the right things and would have advocated for me if the midwives had been too interventionist/annoying, but actually they were lovely (midwife led unit not hosp) and commented after what a lovely calm birth it had been - this was 10 yrs ago so had prob not seen many 'hypnobirths' then...

Placemarking

I did hypnobirthing using CDs only. I've been practising self hypnosis for a while so it came naturally but it was a simple enough technique.

That said, after 48 hours in labour, I went to hospital and took every drug offered. Can't win them all.

I love these positive stories! You found one you like the look of @Mustang27 ?

Can I just ask, how far along in pregnancy would you all recommend getting into the hypnobirthing techniques?

Iv got Reysons one downloaded on audible and il listen once I have put my wee one to bed. Il search the rest tonight as well and then have my pen and paper ready so that I can take notes start with what I like the look of best and pretty much hopefully glide through the rest of this pregnancy lol.

Yeah Gin that’s grim but it happens hopefully you didn’t feel to negative about the whole experience afterwards, you must have been exhausted.

Yeah Just il try and get him involved as much as he will let me but he also has Aspergers so can just shutdown at information that just doesn’t make sense to him.

Oh wow Reyson that sounds really nice I’d love that.

Il take a look at that one too Agent good luck with your induction.

Haha SilverdaleGlen that is very calm I think I’d die if I birthed in a multi storey though lol. Yeah I guess you can just apply it to any stressful situation it will definitely benefit me.

I read the Sophie fletcher book from 10 weeks & also a home birthing book (which has studies in on how beneficial they are.)

The earlier you start hypnobirthing the better.

I got to 8cm before midwives arrived then just stayed in the "zone" & DS was born 2 hours later.

I like the waves as contractions ideology & the pain dial really helped me.

Also I am very "sciencey" & I still had a home birth & did hypnobirthing. It does work.

I also got the Marie Mongan book which came with a CD. I must have listened to it every night for nearly 2 months and I'm not sure I ever heard the end of the 2nd track...
The book as pp mentioned, was a bit wanky in parts. I also took what helped me and left the rest.

Also read Juju Sundin's Birth Skills book. She's essentially an Ozzie doula for rich people but her book was also useful in parts.

Was also incredibly lucky to have a med-free home birth, and still use window breathing and other techniques in stressful situations or to go to sleep.
Good luck all!