Hypnobirthing - has anyone done it? Best home course to recommend?

[PGTips83]

Hi ladies,

I'm thinking about using hypnobirthing during labour, but it seems nobody does any classes in my area. Has anyone on here had any experience of hypnobirthing? Did you find it useful or is it only a nice theory that flies out the window the minute the contractions start?

I'm looking for any recommendations for books, online courses, podcasts, etc too.

Thank you!

Bumping
Not due til May but am very interested in this too

Natal hypnotherapy. It was wonderful. You can get the tracks on mp3 or CD and buy the book (Effective Birth Preparation by Maggie Howell). There are also classes, but honestly I really don't think the classes are necessary. It was literally two days of them telling you what was in the book for an extra 100+ quid.

I used it for my first birth and planning to do it again with this one. I had a home birth. Only pain relief I needed was a TENS. Didn't need the gas and air, didn't bother with the pool. I was genuinely really comfortable. I wouldn't describe it as painful. The only painful bit was the one cervical exam (never doing that again!) and my husband said I said 'ouch!' when dd crowned. I had a 2nd degree tear and stitches for that hurt, but overall birth really wasn't painful. It was intense and tiring, but not painful. And I was really relaxed and comfortable and it was very peaceful and nice. I can't recommend it enough. And it's not expensive.

I’m interested in this too. I’m familiar with mindfulness meditation but often find visualisations a bit less effective (maybe I just lack visual imagination). Is it quite visuals heavy?

I did a hypnobirthing class I found it good it really made me less nervous about the birth. I didn’t succeed In Hypnotizing myself to feel no pain during the birth but I did have the drug free birth I wanted so I’d say it’s a good idea. I went to a class but it was based the main hypnobirthing book

I'm interested in this too!
mindutopia I love hearing positive stories like that! How far into your pregnancy did you start? I'm only 16+5 now but the time really is flying!

@TheNewMrs I'm around the same time along as you are and just thought I'd get a head start on it.

Thanks to those that have replied so far, and thanks @Mindutopia for the recommendation! So it seems that the book is ample and the classes are superfluous - is that about right?

Through some research I've also found the Calm Birth School online, which looks good but I wondered if anyone else had used it or done the courses from it?

Thanks all!

Have you asked your midwife? We have free NHS classes in my area, my midwife gave me the details at my 16 week appointment.

A book alone is not going to work! Hypnobirthing is great, but you need a proper trained practitioner:

www.hypnobirthing-uk.com/hypnobirthing-uk-training

This is one of the training schools with good credibility.

Thanks all, but I'm in Belgium and I've just found out the one hypnobirthing class I'd heard of in Brussels has been discontinued! That's why I'm looking for alternatives with videos, podcasts etc :)

A book alone worked for me.

I read The Hypnobirthing a book by Katharine Graves. It came with audio stuff too, but I didn’t use that, due to laziness. I did the little exercises as ordered. Some were visualisations but not all e.g. post-it notes round the house with positive messages.

Maybe the birth would have been fine anyway, but I look back and think I was really rather relaxed about the whole thing. I felt in control and it went to plan (took the length of time I expected and I wasn’t overwhelmed with the pain.) Worth a try, I’d say.