The Positive Birth Company feedback

[SquigsC]

Hello all,

I am currently watching The Positive Birth Company hynobirthing course. I am half sold on it - I think the meditation/breathing is really useful however I find she makes statements (often scientific) but without reference to any papers/statistics/evidence which concerns me. I was looking for feedback from people that have given birth using their methods? First time parents would be particularly useful as this is my first birth, which I know is notoriously meant to be the hardest one. Thank you :)

What are birthing people?

I read Emily Oster's expecting better before I did the course. It refers to the studies that the course also mentions and was the best birth/pregnancy book I read. I liked the course although didn't do the affirmations. I found it focused me in the run up.
I had a homebirth (mainly because of Emily Oster's book) and found the breathing and app helpful.

I didn’t use The Positive Birth Company as I’d heard they were very anti-intervention and I knew I would likely be needing an induction. I did do hypnobirthing though and found it useful to know the stages, what happens with interventions and to practice the breathing techniques. I wasn’t able to access gas and air until I was 8cm so all I had was the breathing technique and I do think it helped.

It’s important to remember though that sometimes breathing alone isn’t going to get rid of the pain, it depends on a lot of things as to how well you cope with the pain. Asking for pain relief doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It’s also important to remember that no amount of positive affirmations and fairy lights will prevent you from a having a c-section if you need it. Accepting interventions doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The hypnobirthing course I did highlighted that you choosing an induction/c-section is a choice you make to keep both you and your baby safe and it’s a valid choice as much as having a home birth with no pain relief.

I did PBC with my first and found some of it useful, some of it not. I actually think the anti intervention stance of PBC may have contributed to my long lasting feelings of failure around my category 2 c-section (among many, many other factors that I'm currently working through with a therapist).

Currently 37+5, having an ELCS at 39 weeks and gave up on PBC when that decision was made as I felt it wasn't appropriate for me anymore.

Interestingly several midwives have felt the need to say things like "it's no less of a birth" and "it's not a cop out" regarding my ELCS, and then expand on this by saying all this positive natural birth stuff is making a lot of women feel like failures for needing intervention. The consultant told me not to go on any Facebook groups of that nature because they are "toxic".

I am about the most gullible/easily led person you'll ever meet and it genuinely didn't occur to me to question the wisdom of PBC until a medical professional gave me 'permission' (ironically)

I loved it. I found the videos really reassuring and loved using the Freya app in early labour. Reading the positive stories really helped me stay calm pre-birth and I thought all the practical tips on advocating for yourself, choice etc were great.

BUT I ended up being induced and a EMCS and I felt like that goes against massively what’s being peddled on it. I wish they were more open about choice rather than the feeling that you should try and relax as much as possible because relaxation = natural labour = avoiding the dreaded cascade of interventions

All their recent bullshit on using gender neutral terms and eroding women from the language has really got my back up. I feel like it’s fine to have SOME social content aimed at the trans community but given what a deeply feminine thing giving birth is, which only women can do, and only a tiny minority of the trans community will use PBC it’s massively backfired

I didn’t find it anti intervention at all.

What was your question, out of interest?

I did positive birth company and HATED it! The only useful thing was the breathing exercises. It was so slow, and patronising. I followed the Instagram for a while and the owner (Siobhan) is a nasty piece of work.