Hypnobirthing?

[Bobduncan]

Hi all,

I keep seeing hypnobirthing popping up on MN and wonder if it's a fad, or actually genuinely useful and something you would recommend? Also, if you think it's great, any providers you would recommend? Huge thanks 😊

I know a fair few people who have tried it and love it! Only started hearing about it a few years ago but it has probably been around for a long time, maybe just not called 'hypnobirthing'.

I purchased a pack from The Positive Birthing Company which is an online hypnobirthing course with videos and positive affirmations and breathing exercises you can do etc, I'm 26 weeks and have found it helpful so far. It explains things from a scientific perspective, with a bit of the wishy washy stuff thrown in there later down the line. The intention I think is to change the idea of birth from a risky medical event to a natural, empowering experience. Changing the preconceptions you have about birth and changing your mindset etc.

Agree with PP, Positive Birthing Company is good and they have YouTube videos covering lots of things. I'm due any day now and have used it a lot to prepare for labour and birth in terms of what to expect (physically) and for tips around pain relief (breathing exercises etc). I also think it has a good philosophy around having birth preferences rather than plans, and hoping for a straightforward uncomplicated birth but understanding how that can change and being prepared for that mentally.

I read a couple of hypnobirthing books/listened to some resources before my first and I found some of the techniques really useful during labour. As with all things, some resonated more with me, other parts of it I didn’t find as useful. Definitely give it a go and I’m certain you’ll pick up some useful tips.

I did a hypnobirthing course purely because the leader of my NCT group was training in it and offered the course to us for free so she could practice basically. I didn’t expect to like it - I 100% do not get along with the meditation bit in a yoga session, etc.

I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad birth - and I am SO GLAD I did the hypno stuff. Not because it did anything to magically make my body give birth simply in some sort of natural and primal way. But because I ended up in three days of labour without being able to have any drugs, gas and air, etc, followed by the most intense 90 minutes of my life when I went from that to a crash section, and I was still calm as can be. I never lost it, neither in anger or sadness or just plain confusion. I just kept listening and breathing and basically mentally detached from the pain so I could still understand what all the consultants were saying when everything went wrong.

(baby was absolutely fine. I was Not A Pretty Picture but I recovered with time and never suffered from ptsd and instead have an eerily just-the-facts type recollection of each thing as it happened.)

If it turns out you don’t have a weird anomaly no one picked up in all the time you were pregnant, I think the hypnobirthing things could make the whole experience even a bit chilled! But I have no real idea of that. I recommend it for staying calm in hell.

YES it is incredibly helpful, I found it really good. I would recommend the Positive Birth Company as well. It's great as it covers the science of labour and birth as well as coping techniques (breathing, visualisations etc) which genuinely help keep you calm during labour.

Sorry OP I’m going to go against the grain here - I also did the positive birth company pack and it really made me naive to how birth would actually be. When my birth didn’t go to plan it made me feel like a failure, I think it’s a bit condescending as well - saying that birth shouldn’t hurt etc. calling contractions ‘surges’.
By all means try it but take everything with a bit of scepticism - I think it contributed to my PND as it made me have a picture of birth in my head and it definitely did not match reality.

100% recommend - main thing to take from it is how to stand up for yourself, don’t be pushed into things you don’t want! BRAIN is really useful if you Google that. I did the positive birth company course, the naked doula is good too, along with one strong prenatal mama on Instagram!

It was the best thing I ever did and didn't just help me for the birth/pregnancy but also I use it in every day life! The woman we used also helped a lot with advice for after the baby was here, so breastfeeding, sleeping, weaning, general advice for becoming parents.
We didn't use the Positive Birth Company but used a private woman from 'The Calm Birth School' - she was called Sally Elspeth if you google or Instagram her. I'm sure she does zoom classes.
I agree with PP about positive birth company being a bit too focussed on the 'positive' and then women feeling like a failure, which is why we chose to use Sally

Thank you everyone for your responses. Sounds overwhelmingly positive so I definitely think I'll give it a go, even If it's just for some useful breathing techniques 😍

With my first I did an NHS hypnobirthing course run by a midwife at my local hospital.

With my second I bought the online PBC course so that I could 'refresh'.

I recommend hypnobirthing every time I'm asked about it. You're given a good explanation of the birth process and of the reasons that hypnobirthing techniques help. I found it incredibly useful and would describe both my births as relaxing (considering I was giving birth!) and positive. I wouldn't say either birrh was 'pain free' but I would definitely say they were manageable and my second birth (which was more relaxed, at home) felt closer to the 'pressure not pain' sensation that hypnobirthing courses describe.

The other thing I'd add is to use what you feel works for you and discard the rest. There's no point trying to persevere with something that feels unnatural (therefore unlikely to generate oxytocin) for you. I wasn't a fan of rebranding terminology (contraction to surge), mantras (just too much!) or light touch massage (I prefer to labour alone and prefer a hands off approach... my DH left me to it until the pushing stage and even then he only quietly observed and sat with the midwives who were pretty much doing the same!).

Yes would defo recommend even if all you get from it is a greater understanding of the birth process to reduce any fear or anxiety you have. I've used it twice and had two calm water births good luck x

Ah yes, that reminds me... I also had water births (x 2) and highly recommend. I found the warmth and weightlessness (compared to dry land) very soothing.