HypnoBirthing® UK

Hi Everyone,

I am seriously considering Hypnobirthing, but know very little about it, so please excuse my ignorance!

The nearest I have ever experienced to HypnoBirthing was a sample session as part of my NCT antenatal classes almost 2 years ago, and I felt extremely foolish and embarrassed because we had to imagine waves on a beach or something like that...I have great difficulty visualising situations like that as it seems really ridiculous so I just felt very self conscious and never gave HypnoBirthing another thought just out of sheer embarrassment. My husband likewise felt like a fish out of water - we prefer some good loud rock music when relaxing, and the music played during the session just aggravated us!



Is this what hypnobirthing is all about, or is the visualisation and music not essential to the system?

I believe in the principle of Hypnobirthing, and I cannot argue with the fact that it has helped probably millions of women, but I cannot see how it would work for someone like me, and am worried that I might discover smack bang in the middle of transition that I've wasted my money!!

I am expecting baby number 3 on boxing day. My first birth 12 years ago was a peaceful, blissfully calm hospital waterbirth, and I didn't even need gas and air - I can honestly say I felt no pain, and giggled my way through labour.
My second labour was completely different, it was a highly medicated horrendous hospital birth and I was denied all freedom of movement and forcibly made to stay lay down on a bed - They wouldn't even allow me to try to find a comfortable position!

I am hoping for a home waterbirth this time around, but am petrified of experiencing the same pain.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Lynsey
XxXxX

Hi Lynsey,
Well done for even considering HypnoBirthing, with the experience you describe.
Here's how it could help you:-

* I learn much from my clients and a valuable lesson i've learnt is that we all have our own inbuilt learning style, therefore if you're not a a visual learner, the aspect of visualisations puts people off. I provide my clients with a learning style questionnaire at the beginning, so we know from the outset who is audible, visual or kinesthetic learners and how you can apply the course to suit your style. I have found this to be the single most useful thing that changes the understanding and satisfaction element. So, there's hope. I don't know your style, but kinesthetic learners often like water for birth but cope with rousing "music" or marching in labour in order to relax, so that might be why you feel unusual, but you're quite normal!

*Hypnosis is achieved through imagination - this doesn't have to be visual, as long as you imagine what you want about the beach, for example, you can get deeply relaxed. The more deeply relaxed you get through the techniques we teach, the nearer you are to the most primitive part of your brain - then instinct takes over and you can relax into the style of your first birth.

*There are all sorts of tips and techniques on the course that help you reach this deep centre of the brain, and make a great birth plan, focusing always on the positive. You make it what you want and you make it work through correctly applied practice (my 1st point above).

Hope that helps,
Bernie - HB practitioner/midwife.

It might seem like a leap , but it is worth it , and it does help enormously .
Money is never wasted when you have invested in yourself , your relationship and your baby .
The next best thing is to find out who teaches it near you , and make contact !
Eleanor

Well done for considering HypnoBirthing. I chose it for my first baby as I was extremely fearful of birth. The course really changed my mind about this, and after I finished it, I looked forward to the birth. I had a great experience giving birth to my son, it was the most amazing experience of my life. You certainly have had 2 extremes of birth. Since your latest one was highly medicalised, you'll find that HypnoBirthing can really help to release any fears and emotions you now have about birth, and help you to trully look forward to a calm, peaceful and comfortable birth experience.

With regards to your music preferences, many women choose to use different music to relax to, other than the one used in class, and the Rainbow Relaxation CD. There is a UK HypnoBirthing video where the couple use Elton John to relax to! It is worth contacting your local practitioner and having a good chat about this all with him / her.

BTW my wonderful experience continues on, as I consequently trained as a practitioner, and now teach classes and LOVE it. I find that even the sceptics at the beginning of the course turn to be totally pro the idea once they have been to a couple or more classes.

It is the most amazing, empowering way to spend money I can think of!!!!