Hypnobabies - Worth the money?

[smcdonald2]

I feel like I am totally hogging this forum! But I do have so many questions...At your suggestion (SnuggleBuggles, was that you?), I read "Easy Labor" last night and it was incredible. I feel so much more aware of all my labor options now.

I want to use a combination of natural and medical pain relief. Until I am able to get an epidural, I am interested in laboring in water and/or using self-relaxation/hypnosis techniques, like Hypnobabies.

Do anyone have any experience with this program? It seems to get better online reviews than the original Hypnobirthing program, and I prefer the idea of self-study. I'm willing to spend the $150 on Amazon for the program, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has used this and would be willing to share their experience?

[Tanya]

I got interested in hynobabies after seeing a Dateline special on tv where these laboring mamas used self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques and I was sooooo amazed by how calm it all was, etc.

So, when I finally got pregnant, I found a hypnobabies class in my area and signed up. I will say that MY hypnobabies class was a combo class. It had the hypnobabies relaxation techniques, but the teacher also went over all natural childbirth stuff and various scenarios and side effects of drugs, and interventions, etc. It was really a good class.
I ended up using the natural childbirth class stuff far more than the relaxation techniques. I'm a logical person with an engineering degree and I had trouble visualizing the hypnosis stuff. It's hard to explain. At one point, dh and I were cracking up trying to imagine my body as a large thermometer with the relaxation moving along with the "mercury". I just pictured me walking around with a giant thermometer sticking out my crotch and my head. Sorry, I just had trouble with it.
However, I went without pain drugs with both of my births. I had back labor with the first and knew what position felt better for me. For my second, my water had broken (same as first), but my labor didn't kick in and after walking, breast stimulation, showering, etc. didn't help, I did get pitocin. But I knew my options from my class and even with pitocin contractions, I was able to breathe properly and relax to a great extent (just not using the hypnobabies tapes, etc.).

From my experience, I'd strongly recommend an actual class. You can still do the hypnobabies program on your own, but I'd highly recommend a natural childbirth class. I still love the idea of hypnobabies, I just found the tapes to not work for *me*. I know many of the couples in my class had great success though. I just found that understanding what my body was doing during labor and how to breathe and use positions, etc. was what worked for me. I really think it has to do with how my mind works...math, science, logic.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Glad you liked "Easy Labor." I thought it was just a nice look at options.

I didn't do hypnobabies but I had taken prenatal yoga with a pretty unmedicated birth minded instructor. She gave us wonderful advice and during each class we practiced deep breathing and toning (ahhh, ooohhh, ohhh..) and that combination of techniques was fantastic. I spent most of labor just sitting calmly, breathing and/ or toning. I would have gone to prenatal yoga anyway b/c it was nice to chat with other pg moms and get a good stretch going. Learning and practicing those techniques was a bonus.

Just throwing that out as an option or something extra to do.

Beth

[o_mom]

I did Hypnobirthing with the book from Borders ($30?) and one additional CD I ordered from them ($10?). It worked very well for me. If I were to do it again, I would probably get the Hypnobabies self-study as it has more variety. The other thing I would do would be to practice while sitting or moving around. I tended to practice at night and fall asleep to it, so I tended to do that in labor which wasn't the best positioning.

[mama2g03]

I did not do the Hypnobabies but did the original Hypnobirthing class. I took it when pregnant with my DS, so about seven years ago. It absolutely helped me have the natural birth I wanted. I used the visualization techniques for relaxation and I am convinced that's what got me through the surges (contractions). With DS my water broke before I even started contractions and I know they were much more intense than with my labor with DD where my water had not broken completely. I used the opening blossom visualization and it was very effective.
For my second labor with DD I just reread my book and practiced some of the breathing and visualization when I got near the end. Labor and delivery with her was very fast and pretty easy - three hours start to finish and just a few pushes. Now that I am two weeks from my due date with this one I'm going to review my book but feel like I pretty much know what to expect by now.
I think as a pp mentioned it will depend on how well you can use the visualization. I think you have to be pretty open minded about the techniques because if you think it's silly or don't think it's going to work it probably won't. For me I expected it to work because even before I took the class I had been using visualization in sports and pain relief when I was younger. Good luck with whatever you decide! Let me know if you have any other questions.

[nupe]

I used hypnobabies home study course with second pregnancy. No classes were available for me locally. I LOVED it. Wish I had known about it for my first pregnancy. Totally worth the money.

[sunnyside]

I'm doing hypnobirthing class in a couple of weeks. HOpefully between that, prenatal yoga, aqua fitness, my doula, and some reading, I'll be equipped for natural birth. But if I need the epidural, I'm getting it.

[smcdonald2]

I have always planned on an epidural. But I have this fear that I'll be that random person who can't get it, or it doesn't take, for some bizarre reason. And I want to have some coping skills in case that happens!

[citymama]

I did absolutely no classes but had an unmedicated (and not short!) birth a couple of weeks ago. I had convinced myself I was unprepared because I hadn't done all the classes everyone else had done. (I did have a doula, which heled.) That's not to say don't do hypnobirthing/babies but that you already have tremendous internal resources to help you with your labor and birth! All the best.

[smcdonald2]

I did absolutely no classes but had an unmedicated (and not short!) birth a couple of weeks ago. I had convinced myself I was unprepared because I hadn't done all the classes everyone else had done. (I did have a doula, which heled.) That's not to say don't do hypnobirthing/babies but that you already have tremendous internal resources to help you with your labor and birth! All the best.

That's the most reassuring thing anyone has said to me so far. Thank you!