HypnoBirthing® UK

[millybean]

hi, i'm 21wks at the moment and bought the hypnobirthing book last week. i've used nlp before, so i didn't need much convincing about hypnbirthing, but wanted to make sure i got the right source (wanted to avoid "i'm a goddess, worship me and sprinkle some patchouli on that"). i'm still reading the book but it's a relief- it makes me feel so much more confident and "normal" now!

wanted to know about people's experiences with hypnobirthing in the uk, as we're using the nhs and it looks like we might hit a few walls, so it's good to be prepared. i gather that some professionals can be quite dismissive if you aren't screaming for drugs, and as this is my first birth, i suppose i might be subjected to a bit of that- it probably says a lot that there's only one birthpool in my hospital.

looking forward to replies!

[ockysmith]

Hi there,

Well done on buying the book and starting on your quest for a better birth .

I dont think you will hit brick walls with the NHS, perhaps a few obstacles if you are unlucky, but most NHS midwives are very welcoming and understanding of HypnoBirthing - in fact many of practitioners are NHS midwives.

Do look into taking a local course though, it definitely adds to what you will learn from the book.

Sarah

[karen_26]

Hi,

I'm quite new to this too, and its my first baby. Was going to just use the book originally but after my first NCT class and realising that I'd need my birthing partners FULL support and understanding to do it properly, I'm now doing a course. I was a bit concerned at my NCT class by how little information about hospitals you get unless you specifically ask. The other people in my group has researched more than me too. I feel much more confident now I know more about it all. My mam and sister (birthing partners) are amazed at how logical hypnobirthing is and are completely on board with the whole thing. I'm now planning a home birth as I reckon that going from a relaxed comfy home environment to hospital will be the most stressful part so I'm aiming to avoid it if possible. My midwife has been really good. She has another hypnobirth before I'm due (end Feb) and wil let me know how it goes. I think it depends on the hospital and the individual midwives, also the consultant caesarean rate at the hospital. Having opted for a home birth, we went through a lot of questions we hadn't discussed before, I'm not sure if/when that would have happened if I'd not gone for home birth.

I think as long as you're clear about your preferences and ask for time and no intervention when not required you should be ok. i also think that its really the job of the birth partner to fully understand and support what you're doing so that they can deal with other things while you focus on the relaxation.

I'll put up a post when I've had the baby to say how it went. I'm pretty excited at the moment. Doing the homework every day and more organised than I've ever been!

Hope all goes well

[millybean]

thanks ladies.
yes, i'll look out for your post after the baby's born, karen. my husband's very supportive and has even been listening to the cd with me on our ipod station when we go to bed!
i've typed out some relaxation/visualisation scripts for my friend (who has a lovely calm voice and gives me free reiki) to read- my husband has studio equipment and is going to record her for me so we can make an extensive playlist.
i wanted to go to a hypnobirthing group, but we can't really afford the £270 for the course (especially after having bought a quinny travel system and £1000-worth of nursery!)

i figured, that as i've used nlp before, and the point of natural birth is that it's normal anyway, i should be able to cope without the classes- marie mongan did it so why not me- haha! my husband knows it's important for him to be my advocate and make sure i am cared for properly but unintrusively and we're doing a maternity tour tomorrow. ideally i want the whole shabang- hypno-home-waterbirth- but having read about hypnobirthing i'm actually more open to being transferred if need be (not many midwives available where we are, so we might end up in hospital), because i'll still feel in control and at ease- and that was the main reason for me choosing homebirth. youtube has really helped me understand hypnobirthing- i've seen some inspirational births on there, and they have helped me with my visualisations, especially the blue ribbons (which i've sort of converted into a velvet drawstring purse, because the ribbons kept getting tangled up in my crazy mind!)

anyhoo, dinner calls!