Labour anxiety & hypnobirthing

[springbaby22]

Pregnant with dc3. First labour got to hospital at 8cm using tens and paracetamol, triage midwife convinced me I wasn't in established labour when speaking me to the phone so was in so much pain and panic when I insisted I'd come in for a check anyway.
Second time expected the same and was terrified for 9 months but ended up with a beautiful water birth and the pain I'd anticipated never came.
Now 34 weeks with number 3, midwife say it could go quicker however as reassuring as this is I realise each pregnancy and labour can be so different. I don't know if a large age gap makes a difference in birthing experience?
I've tried hypnobirthing course with breathing exercises and trying to have a positive mindset through listening to positive birth stories but not sure when time comes if I'll remember any of it or if it'll go out of the window. Anyone have experience with hypnobirthing?
I have tens ready which worked really for early labour both times and hoping for another water birth.

Yes worked brilliantly for me! I was induced, which some purists say is supposed to stop hypnobirthing from working, but i was fine. I listened to happy music and the downloaded a rain and bird song sounds track and played that on loop for hours. I was so calm the midwife on duty didnt believe I was progressing at all, and I asked not to be monitored too much. .. eventually I insisted the baby was going to come and she checked and i was 7.5cm and had to be rushed down to the labour ward... delivered with gas and air, all fine.

I was a bit optimistic about Hypnobirthing as like you, I had massive anxiety around labour and giving birth. Honestly, Hypnobirthing changed everything for me! I did put a lot of effort into it… I read Siobhan Miller’s Hypnobirthing book and then went on to do her online course. To be honest, the online course was more beneficial as I found the information went in more for me. The good thing with the course is you have full access for a whole year so you can keep going back to it as you approach your due date.
I put aside 10 minutes every night to read / listen to positive affirmations and I also read a couple of positive birth stories a night (There is a private Facebook page you can access when you sign up for the course and there are 100s of them to read!). The most important thing I learnt was breathing techniques… It changed my whole experience.
Fast forward to my labour, I was able to “breathe through” my contractions. I used a TENS machine early on and I coped with my contractions at home for quite some time. When I got to the hospital, I was 9cm! My jaw hit the floor! The midwives said they didn’t even know when I was having a contraction because I was so much in the zone with my breathing that I was concentrating on that and only that.
All thanks to Hypnobirthing! So I would recommend it to anybody as it changed everything for me

Following. 28 weeks with dc3 and even though I've done this twice before the idea of labour terrifies me!! Dc1 beautiful relaxed water birth, calm and relaxed. Dc2 came quick, his heart rate kept taking a while to recover and the panic set in, he came out with hand against face and a whopping 10lb 3oz and took a min or so to cry. Which has left me a bit traumatised. Neither birth did I have pain relief. It worries me that labour gets quicker. Dc2 was 7 hours from start to finish

I'm going to look into hypnobirthing this time and really hoping for another water birth as that was by far the most relaxing. I feel the more relaxed you are the less painful it seems to be.

Following to see others experience x

@LollyLol

Yes worked brilliantly for me! I was induced, which some purists say is supposed to stop hypnobirthing from working, but i was fine. I listened to happy music and the downloaded a rain and bird song sounds track and played that on loop for hours. I was so calm the midwife on duty didnt believe I was progressing at all, and I asked not to be monitored too much. .. eventually I insisted the baby was going to come and she checked and i was 7.5cm and had to be rushed down to the labour ward... delivered with gas and air, all fine.

Well done for taking control and ask not to be continuously examined, sounds obvious but I suppose we easily tend to accept authority and agree with what is said. Was this your first?

@sunshinecitrus1

I was a bit optimistic about Hypnobirthing as like you, I had massive anxiety around labour and giving birth. Honestly, Hypnobirthing changed everything for me! I did put a lot of effort into it… I read Siobhan Miller’s Hypnobirthing book and then went on to do her online course. To be honest, the online course was more beneficial as I found the information went in more for me. The good thing with the course is you have full access for a whole year so you can keep going back to it as you approach your due date. I put aside 10 minutes every night to read / listen to positive affirmations and I also read a couple of positive birth stories a night (There is a private Facebook page you can access when you sign up for the course and there are 100s of them to read!). The most important thing I learnt was breathing techniques… It changed my whole experience. Fast forward to my labour, I was able to “breathe through” my contractions. I used a TENS machine early on and I coped with my contractions at home for quite some time. When I got to the hospital, I was 9cm! My jaw hit the floor! The midwives said they didn’t even know when I was having a contraction because I was so much in the zone with my breathing that I was concentrating on that and only that. All thanks to Hypnobirthing! So I would recommend it to anybody as it changed everything for me

Wow! This sounds amazing, thank you for sharing your experience. Was this your first birth? Need to continue with the affirmations. Did you ever feel lightheaded with the breathing techniques? My only issue but could just be me. Not on Facebook so just watch positive birth stories on YouTube and have to tell friends to stop with their horror birth stories.

@Snoopy28x

Following. 28 weeks with dc3 and even though I've done this twice before the idea of labour terrifies me!! Dc1 beautiful relaxed water birth, calm and relaxed. Dc2 came quick, his heart rate kept taking a while to recover and the panic set in, he came out with hand against face and a whopping 10lb 3oz and took a min or so to cry. Which has left me a bit traumatised. Neither birth did I have pain relief. It worries me that labour gets quicker. Dc2 was 7 hours from start to finish

I'm going to look into hypnobirthing this time and really hoping for another water birth as that was by far the most relaxing. I feel the more relaxed you are the less painful it seems to be.

Following to see others experience x

It's money well spent tbh as if it doesn't work it's not much to loose. They talk a lot about relaxation and allowing you body to take control of what it's designed to do. You would think it gets less terrifying the more kids you have but suppose we're all in the same boat. Have you considered a tens? They work really well for managing early labour.

@springbaby22 interesting.. I'll have a look at that! I'm up for trying anything that doesnt involve drugs as I dont like the idea of being spaced out x

@springbaby22 Yes this was my first birth No I don’t remember having any lightheaded feelings when using my breathing techniques. I literally breathed in for a count of 4 and out for 8 over and over when a contraction started until it eased and it really worked for me. I found that all of my contractions were in my back too which I wasn’t expecting so the TENS machine worked wonders for that. Yes I agree, definitely block the horror stories out. A couple of my friends gave birth before me and I told them in the nicest way that I didn’t want to hear their experience until I had had mine. Definitely don’t want to be scared into thinking mine was going to go badly, I just knew I had to keep a positive mindset until it was my turn to have baby

I did hypnobirthing in my first pregnancy. I was very pessimistic about it but my mum insisted and found a company who do a day's course in your home. I then had a track that I listened to each night coming up to the birth. When the time came, I used a TENS machine at home and was 6cm when I got to the hospital. I stayed in the birthing pool for the next 8 hours until fully dilated, but baby never engaged and I then spent 3 hours pushing before having an assisted delivery. I coped with only gas and air and that is completely down to the hypnobirthing. I usually cry if I catch a fingernail

With my second pregnancy, the people I did the course with first time around then had a book available on Amazon (Mindful Mamma) so I read that as a refresher and then just listened to the track daily again. I was so calm when I got to hospital that the midwife wouldn't examine me as she didn't believe I was in labour. An hour later, I was sat on a birthing ball eating, when suddenly the baby started crowning. I managed to walk to the birthing pool (in the next room), climb in and two pushes later baby was out, without even gas and air.

I found that hypnobirthing changed my whole mindset about childbirth and the pain that comes with it. It kind of conditioned me to see the pain as a positive one, and that if I relaxed my body would just know what to do. I didn't even have to listen to the hypnobirthing track when I was in labour, or do particular breathing exercises, I was just able to go into myself and cope with each contraction one at a time, knowing it would eventually end.

I'm now pregnant with number three and planning a home birth this time. I have no fear of giving birth and that is because of the hypnobirthing. I'm so glad my mum made me do it

Sorry that was really long, but hypnobirthing made such a massive difference to me when I wasn't expecting it, and I love to recommend it to other people

@OVO1410

I did hypnobirthing in my first pregnancy. I was very pessimistic about it but my mum insisted and found a company who do a day's course in your home. I then had a track that I listened to each night coming up to the birth. When the time came, I used a TENS machine at home and was 6cm when I got to the hospital. I stayed in the birthing pool for the next 8 hours until fully dilated, but baby never engaged and I then spent 3 hours pushing before having an assisted delivery. I coped with only gas and air and that is completely down to the hypnobirthing. I usually cry if I catch a fingernail

With my second pregnancy, the people I did the course with first time around then had a book available on Amazon (Mindful Mamma) so I read that as a refresher and then just listened to the track daily again. I was so calm when I got to hospital that the midwife wouldn't examine me as she didn't believe I was in labour. An hour later, I was sat on a birthing ball eating, when suddenly the baby started crowning. I managed to walk to the birthing pool (in the next room), climb in and two pushes later baby was out, without even gas and air.

I found that hypnobirthing changed my whole mindset about childbirth and the pain that comes with it. It kind of conditioned me to see the pain as a positive one, and that if I relaxed my body would just know what to do. I didn't even have to listen to the hypnobirthing track when I was in labour, or do particular breathing exercises, I was just able to go into myself and cope with each contraction one at a time, knowing it would eventually end.

I'm now pregnant with number three and planning a home birth this time. I have no fear of giving birth and that is because of the hypnobirthing. I'm so glad my mum made me do it

This so inspiring! Lol @fingernail statement, I'm the same. Maybe I can have a calm birthing experience too, minus all the worrying. Mindset must play such an important role in the birthing process. Staying calm and not panicking when it gets intense.

The birth centre I was planing on birthing at is currently closed due to staffing issues so I've been considering the possibility of a home birth too. Are you hiring a pool? What equipment do you need? The midwife said the possibility is always there to transfer to the hospital at anytime which sounds reassuring.

@springbaby22 My local birthing centre is closed too so that's the reason I'm going for a home birth as well. Plus I'm scared if this baby is faster than the last baby, then I won't make it to hospital anyway...

I actually booked my pool hire today from www.gentlebirthsbirthingpoolhire.co.uk. It seems really reasonably priced and all the parts you need are included, as well as delivery and collection. My friend had a home birth for her first baby and recommended the mini birth pool in a box.

I was told the chance of experiencing problems in a home birth (and needing to transfer to hospital) decreases dramatically when you've given birth before so that's made me feel more positive about it. Also, by pure chance, this time around I'm under a scheme where I have my own midwife who does all my antenatal appointments and will be with me at the birth, and she's massively supportive of home births too.

[quote OVO1410]@springbaby22 My local birthing centre is closed too so that's the reason I'm going for a home birth as well. Plus I'm scared if this baby is faster than the last baby, then I won't make it to hospital anyway...

I actually booked my pool hire today from www.gentlebirthsbirthingpoolhire.co.uk. It seems really reasonably priced and all the parts you need are included, as well as delivery and collection. My friend had a home birth for her first baby and recommended the mini birth pool in a box.

I was told the chance of experiencing problems in a home birth (and needing to transfer to hospital) decreases dramatically when you've given birth before so that's made me feel more positive about it. Also, by pure chance, this time around I'm under a scheme where I have my own midwife who does all my antenatal appointments and will be with me at the birth, and she's massively supportive of home births too.[/quote]
Thank you for the birthing pool recommendation have been looking at their site. Baby's measuring slightly on the bigger side and really don't want intervention during labour so considering it as a possibility if the birth centre doesn't open up in time. How far along are you? When do you recommend to start getting things ready by? I've also heard that tears and damage are less likely to happen in water so the pool sounds more appealing now.

@springbaby22 I'm 31 weeks pregnant. I reserved my birthing pool now as my friend said she struggled to find companies with availability closer to her due date. The birthing pool company said they will call me when I'm 36 weeks to arrange delivery of the pool and no payment needs to be made until then. I saw my midwife today and she will be doing a home birth assessment at 34 weeks so apparently that's when most people would book their birthing pool.

Everyone I know who has had a water birth has only had (at most) very minor tearing. Unfortunately I had to have an episiotomy with my first (as it was an assisted delivery) and I tore badly with my second walking to the birthing pool with her coming out! Fingers crossed it works out a bit better for me this time.