Natal Hypnotherapy & Home Birth

[Bun87]

Hi ladies

I've purchased Maggie Howell's Effective Birth Preparation book and the Pregnancy Relaxation CD (planning on buying the other 3 as and when I need them).

Has anyone used these and had a positive birth experience? I'm hoping for a home birth and want to stay as calm and relaxed as possible - hoping the CD's will help! People keep trying to put me off a home birth, telling me it's dangerous etc. I'm fully prepared for the fact that I may end up having to be transferred to a hospital, so I will have a hospital bag ready, but if possible I want to try to have baby at home.

I fell asleep listening to the pregnancy relaxation CD last night - must have relaxed me too much! Would love to hear your experiences of using the CD's and any tips/advice too

Gem x

 

[MindUtopia]

I'm doing natal hypnotherapy as well. I can't say yet how it's worked in birth but I've found doing the CDs to be really wonderful, relaxing and empowering so far. Like you, I started with the pregnancy relaxation CD from around the middle to end of 1st tri and did that 1-2 times a week. I really enjoyed it and honestly I had almost no pregnancy-related stress and I've slept amazingly until just recently (when baby started stabbing me in the ribs all night), so it definitely must have helped. I've been doing the birth prep CD since last month and it's also great. We did take the class (just the one day natural pain relief one, which is just 95 quid) and it was really worth it. I don't honestly think you need to take the class. Everything that we went over in the class is in the book. But I think it was helpful for my husband to understand how hypnotherapy works and to practice ways to support me while I do it. Our instructor did three hypnotherapy sessions during the day that partners did too. I don't think it would work as well if you just gave your partner the CD to practice with himself as the CDs are obviously very geared towards women rather than both of you. So I think that aspect of the class was really helpful. I'm so glad we did take it and it was worth the money, but really, you don't absolutely need it and I think I would have felt confident doing it on my own if we hadn't taken the class.

My advice would be to keep using the relaxation CD when you feel like you need it. Do it at a time of day when you wouldn't normally be going to sleep. You might feel like you sleep through it, but as long as you wake up when she tells you too at the end, you aren't really asleep, just in very deep relaxation and that means it's working. I started the birth prep CD from about 29 weeks. I do it 2-3 times a week and will start up doing it every day from 37 weeks. I feel really positive and relaxed about birth, so it's obviously doing what it's meant to do!

Oh, and one of the ladies on here, Solitaire89, recently had an awesome home birth with NH. See if you can search and find her birth story. It's great!

 

[bubbles]

I had my boy 3weeks ago at home and did natal hypnotherapy. There's a link in the hb&h thread at the top or it should still be on 1st page in the birth announcement section

 

[rachiedata]

I did natal hypno with my son, and at the time I didn't feel like it helped particularly during the birth, on reflection it did help with calm, regular breathing during the birth. OH brought it up with one of the midwives when I was being told I STILL wasn't in established labour - he asked did she know I was doing hypno, and that it often leads people to believe you're not really in labour when in fact you are, just coping well!

It was very useful for relaxation and focus and positive reinforcements in third tri. Started listening to it again last night and fell right asleep, forgot just how peaceful "3...2...1... relax!" makes me feel!

Good luck. Homebirth isn't dangerous, ignorance is.

 

[solitaire89]

Me! I had a great birth experience using Natal Hypnotherapy the link to my birth story is in my signature. In short, i had a pain free, drug free, fear free labour and home birth with my first.
If its any consolation, people kept telling me the same things about home birth. But as one of the pps has said, it is lack of knowledge that is the biggest problem.
Natal hypnotherapy is fantastic - you've got a good thing started if you've started on the pregnancy relaxation. It really helps to get the ground work on place to then build the other cds onto. And don't worry if you fall asleep; your mind will take on board all of the important bits, even if you don't recall it. I usually fell asleep with the pregnancy relaxation cd, and i think i only listened to the birth prep cd once properly!
As for tips - what about using an essential oil every time you listen to the cd? That was it will act as a trigger for you either when in labour, or just when you need to relax. Just an idea
HTH

 

[Bun87]

Thank you ladies - needed to hear some positive comments after all the negative things people have been saying! Essential oils are a good idea - will have a look for some now! X

 

[solitaire89]

Just make sure you speak to either a mw or qualified aromatherapist about which essential oils are safe to use during pregnancy I used lavender and rose maroc, but there is debate about the use of these... Rose especially during pregnancy, though it should be safe in labour!