Hypnobirthing - Has Anyone Tried It?

April 8, 2004 7:32 AM

Has anyone tried hypnobirthing? [more inside]

We took the first of 4 classes last night, and are pretty excited about the promise of a calm, relaxed childbirth experience. Can this really happen?

posted by grateful to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Isn't class going to tell you the answer to that?
posted by agregoli at 9:20 AM on April 8, 2004

I've known three moms who had at least one child this way, and all three described it as a very positive experience. One had the baby, stood up from the bed, walked to her room, and took a shower with no assistance.

I think it's great that you're proactively seeking out ways to turn what so many people view as a scary or painful experience into something positive and pain-free. Good for you! In many ways, I think your mindset will dictate a great deal of your experience.

Congrats on the baby, by the way!!
posted by pomegranate at 9:44 AM on April 8, 2004

Ok here comes another birth story. A LONG time ago when I became pregnant with my first child I made my husband go to all kinds of classes. I even tried to talk him into letting me have a underwater birth which was the hip way to give birth at the time. Of course he immediately nixed that idea so I agreed just to do it "naturally" practicing meditation and breathing exercises for six months. When the big day finally arrived all my preparation and expectations quickly flew out the window. Before I realized I was actually in labor it was too late for my husband to get there in time and my father in law rushed me to the hospital where my beautiful daughter was born 35 minutes after I arrived. No time for breathing! No time for drugs! No man to hold my hand! No time for anything other than concentrating on getting her out of my body. I took her home the next day. Her birth still remains the most wonderful experience I've ever had or probably ever will have physically and emotionally. Each woman's birth experience is unique. All the planning is fun and very worthwhile while you are waiting but honestly when the time comes...the baby will arrive regardless of your best intentions. The experience really depends on how calm and relaxed both of you are about any given stressful situation. Good luck and enjoy!
posted by oh posey at 9:46 AM on April 8, 2004

Response by poster: pom-

Thanks, this is our fourth, after a single and a set of twins. We're having the baby with midwives at a birthing center, so hypno seemed like a natural extension.
posted by grateful at 9:50 AM on April 8, 2004

I don't have anything to contribute, but I'd like to say, it sounds very retro-futuristic!

posted by Capn at 10:53 AM on April 8, 2004

When my wife was pregnant we went to one session on hypnobirthing, and as amazing as it seemed on the videos we were shown, it was hard to believe that anyone could muster that much concentration and poise in the middle of labor. More power to you if you..er your wife can do it.
posted by briank at 11:47 AM on April 8, 2004

i am the product of a hypno birth.

my mom "took a train to chicago" during labor and felt no pain, she says.

recently she actually took a train to chicago and wondered if she would feel labor pains. she didn't, fyi.
posted by n9 at 12:01 PM on April 8, 2004 [1 favorite]

I can't really speak to hypno-birthing, but I can say that if the hypno thing doesn't work out, definitely go for an epidural over narcotics. I gave birth two weeks ago, to my second child (although the first one was 14 years ago.) I have a needle phobia, and with my first birth, I was too afraid of having someone stick a needle in my spine to have an epidural, so I opted for narcotics. I found it just made me nauseated and out-of-it, and didn't really help the pain that much. My phobia has lessened since then, and two weeks ago, I had an epidural for my second (induced) birth. It made everything much more pleasant, and I wasn't paralyzed from the waist down like I was afraid I would be. I was numb, but still able to move my legs. It made the numerous checks for how dilated the cervix is much more bearable, as well. (In my first birth, I was in tears every time they checked my cervix because it was so dang painful. After the epidural, it was just a little uncomfortable.)

It would be great if you can do this with hypnobirth, but just be prepared for the idea that things might go differently and you may not be able to do it that way, and that there's nothing wrong with having an epidural if you need one, or having a (necessary) C-section, or whatever might arise. I sort of prepared myself for worst-case scenarios, and when I had a few minor problems during labor, I was able to say to myself "This is far from the worst thing that could happen", even though at one point, I was hooked up to seven things a once! (Pitocin IV, epidural, oxygen, internal monitors (one for baby and one for contractions), blood pressure cuff, and saline to supplement the amniotic fluid)
posted by Shoeburyness at 12:05 PM on April 8, 2004

Two things:

What Shoe said

and

Get a doula
posted by daver at 9:41 PM on April 8, 2004

I hope it's as wonderful for you and your SO as it was for me. My first two (no hypno) were excruciating. The second even more so. With each contraction I pictured being hit by a mack truck; I've never experienced anything more physically terrifying. But the emotional dissatisfaction of the first 2 births were enough to make me seriously consider alternatives. These births were preceded by lamaze type classes.

There was even more doubt after taking the first of about 3 hypno sessions. How on earth was this going to help with the pain. All I can say is that it did. We will have our fourth the same way.

I get the impression not all hypno-birthing techniques are the same. My instructor, who also became our doula, said that I would be completely aware of what was going on, and that the hypnosis technique was a way of finding an extreme state of deep relaxation, rapidly. Between the contractions I looked about , asked to have a drink or have someone open a window.

I highly recommend it : )
posted by Feisty at 1:38 PM on April 9, 2004