Was this hypnobirthing?

[emyandpotato]

At my antenatal classes we did an exercise where we all had to lie in a comfortable position and then the woman leading the group went through all our body parts in turn and told us to move them slightly and then relax them, and then told us to imagine we were on a beach and then described the scenery etc etc. After I got over feeling a little silly it was actually really relaxing and I was wondering if this was hypnobirthing because we weren't told and if it was I'd like to look in to getting some hypnobirthing tapes.

 

[Bournefree]

It is a common relaxation technique, but whether this is specifically used in hypno birthing I don't know - could be? Principles are the same. It is all about creating an optimal atmoshere to relax and if you are relaxed and not tense you won't be working against your muscles and experiencing pain as a result of the tension caused by anxiety.

Some of the ladies who have done the course and not just read one book like me, will be able to help further.
xxx

 

[emyandpotato]

Thanks I just don't wanna/can't afford to spend all the money on the tapes and the classes but am so desperate for a calm and natural birth. Wish I could do like a taster course on hypnobirthing

 

[Blah11]

ask your MW if theres any free classes in your area. My MW runs one for the NHS that I'm going to go to when I'm around 30 weeks. I sorta naturally hypnobirthed with amelie. I just sorta zoned out and focused on breathing and counting until the peak of the contraction then counting it as it went away

 

[emyandpotato]

ask your MW if theres any free classes in your area. My MW runs one for the NHS that I'm going to go to when I'm around 30 weeks. I sorta naturally hypnobirthed with amelie. I just sorta zoned out and focused on breathing and counting until the peak of the contraction then counting it as it went away

Is the breathing and zoning out pretty much the jist of it? I think I have that down from when I got tattoos, not that it's the same thing ofc

 

[Blah11]

well sort of. You're supposed to use the techniques like breathing to get yourself totally relaxed so the pain is a lot more managable.

 

[Mervs Mum]

As the others said that's a relaxation script. To me hypnobirthing is deep relaxation and breathing techniques. The breathing techniques are specific to the different parts of labour; sleep or calm breathing, surge breathing and birth breathing.

 

[emera35]

I had some hypnobirthing (well one session, then went and had a baby before i could have the second session) and going down steps and onto a beach was one of the relaxation techniques that we were taught. In fact i used it specifically during my labour when i started to panic with the contractions and it was amazingly helpful, allowed me to remove myself from where i was and really concentrate on what i was trying to acheive. From experience i can't recommend hypnobirthing enough

 

[5-a-side]

Check out Eb@y for the cd's as you can sometimes get them on there cheaper.

I did natal hypnotherapy with dd2 (who was a 4hr no drugs, natural VBAC) and it helps you to think positively, the contractions (called surges) can be thought of as a flower opening, the sea flowing, etc, I thought of a bright golden light every surge making the light brighter and coming down and out of my body.
You dont think of much else just the thought of using the contraction to its best use.

Its worth a try, definitely, it may seem weird at first but be open minded about it (and I actually use similar relaxation/visualisation at the dentist which I find scarier than childbirth!!)

Hope that's of some help.

 

[numum]

go for the hypnobirthing i totally reccomend it. one of the things i found best(i did classes) was a session on fear release with oh it was great for us to be open with each other about our fears relating to labour and birth and very important for deep relaxation to have that all dealt with beforehand. conditioning is so important, every day, even the days when i really didn't feel like it i did the relaxation exercises so by the time i went into labour oh only had to stroke my arm and my whole body relaxed.

 

[lynnikins]

i used a relaxation technique of my own similar to what you describe but no picturing idilac beaches lol when in labor with ds2 it kinda went out the window at the end when DH arrived this time im hoping i can be at home and that my focus wont be interuppted like that