Hypnobirthing?

[runninginheelsisnotfun]

Hi all!

I am hoping for some recommendations or experiences with hypnobirthing please.

I read the Maggie Howell book with my first DC and it really helped me up until I hit established labour then it all went out the window and I panicked.

This time I would like to read/practice a bit more so it's maybe a little more effective.

Any thoughts on the best books/apps etc to buy and if an in person class is worth the money?

Thanks x

Watching with interest. Thinking the same thing 🙂 good luck x

I would love to do a class but it's around 300-400 quid. A LOT of money!!

I got the Positive Birth Company digital pack and loved it. She's just released a book (literally today!). No idea if it's any good but if it's at all similar to the digital pack then it'll be great.

I really want to try and my midwife has recommended it. It's £200 near me which is still a lot of money but i'm not sure I would find completing a course in front of the computer screen the same as attending a group though as I struggle with stress, relaxation and switching off my mind.

I bought a Marie Mongan hypnobirthing book and CD which I did listen to many evenings, but always fell asleep listening to. Not sure how useful it was.

I also recommend a book called Birth Skills by Juju Sundin - she's an Aussie birthing coach, and a book called (something like) Natural Childbirth by Ina Mae Gaskin who is a doula/midwife from a women's commune in US.

Tbh bits of both books were a bit whacky in places but I took little bits from everything and used it all to help me. I had a very positive straightforward home birth and mainly used visualisation techniques, pacing, and window breathing (in for 6 out for 4) to get me through it.
I also used a tens machine which was awesome.
Good luck!

frizzy the digital pack only costs £35, so massive difference in price. And it is a series of short videos (amongst other things) which are really easy to listen to. I would usually watch a few at a time in the bath! I think the term "hypnobirthing" makes it sound like it's all about relaxation and hypnosis and breathing etc, which would make you feel like you need to be "in the zone" to take part it. That stuff is a part of it but what I found most useful was the actual scientific content which helped me understand labour and birth, and change my mindset on what they entail. You could quite easily take all of that in while sitting on a train or cooking dinner.

An actual in person course would probably be better of course, it's just whether or not you can afford it. I couldn't but tbh the online course has been amazing anyway.

I did a course and actually paid for it to be a 1:1 course so she came to our home and it was just with DH and I, was around the £200 mark but for me worth every penny. It put me in a really positive mindset and gave me lots of useful techniques plus the science and info about what muscles are doing what was more in depth than either NHS or NCT. I think you could get most of it from a book and cd or online course but for me it really helped DH understand what would be happening and how he could support, he found it much more useful than NCT.
I ended up with first birth as a waterbirth, which was lovely, midwife commented that I’d been very quiet. Second was rather fast and I spent an hour of the 3 hours alone, the hypnobirthing techniques definitely helped keep me calm.

I really recommend the Positive Birth Company’s digital pack. I agree with the previous poster that you can dip in and out in a casual way. I used to watch videos during my lunch break at work.

A lot of the science stuff was a refresher from what I’d learned on my NCT course the first time around, but the visualisations, affirmations and breathing techniques were so helpful. I went from feeling afraid of giving birth to being excited to do it.

In the end, I had an unplanned home birth in my bathroom on Christmas Eve, having taken just two paracetamol and using breathing techniques and the affirmations MP3. It was an incredible experience.

I think the Positive Birth Company is fantastic value for money and I want to shout about it to everyone who is pregnant.

Try www.fearfreechildbirth.com/
Fab podcasts and the lady behind it started looking at hypnobirth then went even further

@nannypear I totally agree that it is really pricey. Wish it could be cheaper. And tbh I'm not sure if we will be able to afford to stretch to it either. I've tried mindfulness at home before though and I just can't switch off. Baths don't relax me in the slightest and I guess I'm hoping being out of the house and in an alternative location might help me focus (instead of thinking oo ill just put that washing on and maybe ill sort the living room out etc)
I have friends who are doing online versions, possibly the same as you have done, I just worry it'd be a struggle for my mindset.

Daisy Birthing may be an option for you??

The weekly Mum only classes are fab. There's also workshops for you and birth partner. Around £75 for 6 weeks.

Daisy Birthing- A weekly antenatal class for expectant mums to help you enjoy pregnancy, stay mobile, learn about your changing baby and body and prepare for a confident birth. Our unique Active Antenatal method draws on elements of active birth, pregnancy yoga, hypnobirthing and antenatal education to create one very powerful combination. From easing pregnancy ailments, adapting to your changing body, preparing for birth and informing your own individual choices - we've got you covered.

thedaisyfoundation.com

Highly recommend The Positive Birth Company digital pack.

It was the best thing I’d invested in!

Really helps with gaining knowledge about labour & delivery, mindset & breathing techniques which helped 100% during my labour & delivery 4 weeks ago today!

Had the best experience 💗

Watch it with your birthing partner if you can - we did chapter by chapter through the week

Thanks everyone! I done daisy birthing with my first and really liked it but wanted to take it further this time. It's a great class.

Think I am going to invest in the digital pack and (strap my husband to a chair and force him to participate) ask my DH very nicely to get involved cause he was useless last time.

Fingers crossed for a straightforward birth 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

Just chiming in to say I also like the positive birthing company pack! I haven't given birth yet as I'm only 34 weeks, but I'm quite an anxious person and I've found the relaxation tracks very useful. I also like the birth affirmations, although I found them a bit awkward at first I think they are less cringy than other affirmations I've come across, but obviously that's personal preference haha

I bought it when it was discounted, but to be honest I think £35 is a fairly reasonable price for it, I'm considering buying her book too

I bought the kindle version of "your baby your birth" by Hollie de Cruz (bought when it was £1...) and loved it! There are also 2 free MP3s you can listen to on the website (if you google Penguin Your Baby Your Birth you will find a while page of info and links to the 2 MP3 files).
I also bought the digital pack for the positive birth company though haven't gone through much of it yet but haven't gelled with it so far. I was considering buying the Hollie De Cruz (London hypnobirthing) online course for £95 mostly to get more MP3s but am undecided yet, my DP isn't down with the idea so definitely no in-person course for us!

A friend has started offering her hypnobirthing classes online which are great and only £29.99. The website is www.confidentbirth.org

I never got my Dh to watch the videos with me, but I made the videos into an Audio CD for his car while he's driving to work and some of it seems to be going in - he's mentioned a few things recently which I know are from the videos!

I agree with all positives about the positive birth companies digital pack, amazing and 100% worth every penny.

I also read the books by Katherine graves and Sophie fletcher and preferred the Sophie fletcher one :)

I did the classes ran by the NHS so it was free and had the books. Didn't work for me personally but I've heard great stories. If you think it will greatly help it's worth it.

I did both a taught course and an online one. Definitely recommend an online course.
The woman who taught us face to face was completely unable to critically evaluate information she had been taught and was teaching some outright falsehoods to anxious first time parents. I'm so annoyed I did it now.

I read some books on hypnobirthing and found it to be positive beforehand and possibly subconsciously during the birth too because I enjoyed the birth and was extremely relaxed/asleep between contractions; I didn't consciously remember to practice what I had read but maybe it just occurred naturally after all the reading of the books. My friend lent me the books (I didn't request them, but thought why not?!). I'm glad, but I certainly wouldn't have paid any extreme amount of money.