Hypnobabies homestudy and other reading

[Oztok5]

I'm putting together my reading list for the next couple of months, and I have a question for those of you who are familiar with Hypnobabies. As background information, this will be my first birth, and we're planning a homebirth with a CPM. My "due date" is April 25th.

I'm planning on starting the Hypnobabies homestudy course the last week of January or so, and I'm trying to decide if I want to plan on reading any other birthing books. I've read a lot of birth stories/watched videos on the internet, and I feel pretty familiar with birth from the research I've done when deciding on a homebirth. The only book I've read on childbirth is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, but that was well over a year ago.

I've heard a lot of people recommend Birthing from Within, but I've also heard that it can conflict with the hypnobabies strategy.


For those who have done/are doing the hypnobabies coursework, do you think that will be sufficient preparation given the place I'm starting from? Were there any other birth books you found particularly helpful? I heard that Natural Birth the Bradley Way had great photos...

For those who have read Birthing from Within, do you think that it would conflict with the hypnobabies strategy?

Thanks!

[evjolin]

for what it's worth, here's the website of our local hypnobabies instructor. at the bottom is her suggested reading.

http://www.hypnobabiessaratoga.com/birthresources.htm

[Oztok5]

Thanks for the link, evjolin! I'll be sure to take a look at her list.

[xixstar]

I think I would skip Birth and Beyond with hypnobabies. I did read it last time and liked the book, but it has the approach that birth is painful and you need to prepare for that. That doesn't really flow with hypnobabies. I did like the book because I like artsy ways of processing stuff, but I'm not re-reading it this time because I am going with hypnobabies (waiting for it to arrive today!).

I like Ina May's books for lots of birth stories. Can't really think of any others I'd recommend for someone thats already done birth research already.

[Sudonk]

You don't really need anything else, but there are plenty of great resources that compliment your Hypnobabies preparation. There is a great list of recommended reading books in Hypnobabies (first week, I think). The "Journey Into Motherhoodnspiring Stories of Natural Childbirth" book is especially good and uplifting. I believe it is even available as a free download online! I loved reading a birth story from that book every night before going to sleep to my Hypnobabies CDs. Also, check out the birth stories on www.pregnancybirthandbabies.com for inspiring Hypnobabies births!

I wouldn't recommend Birthing From Within if you're doing Hypnobabies. I can see how it would be useful for people with a different outlook on birth, or who are dealing with a traumatic past birth. I read it between births, but since I had already had a lovely, totally comfortable and enjoyable birth using hypnosis, I just couldn't relate to that book. All that warrior, she-woman, coping stuff was completely alien in light of my personal experience and seemed over-the-top.

-Susan

[freistms]

I agree also. Skip Birthing From Within. It's a good book. The artistic aspects of it are great. But it does directly conflict with the Hypnobabies philosophies. The mind is a powerful thing. You are learning to harness that power. Don't shoot yourself in the foot, so to speak. If you are interested, maybe read it after the baby is born. I think it can really help with processing the birth postpartum, too (even if you have a great experience).

One book I would totally recommend is the Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (by Henci Goer). I hope you have a wonderful fabulous homebirth. But if you end up transferring for any reason whatsoever, you want to walk into a hospital armed with every piece of information you need to make informed decisions, and that book will provide you with a a great foundation. (The hospital staff will respect you more if you can have an intelligent conversation about all of their suggestions without relying on your midwife.O I think it is more informational and scientifically oriented than Ina May's book, maybe, but they are very complementary. Those are the two books I've gone back to in each of my pregnancies.

FWIW, I'm expecting in February and planning my third hypnobirth (first time hypnobirthing and last time hypnobabies, using hypnobabies again this time).

Good luck!

[ColwynsMommy]

I read everything I could get my hands on, in addition to doing Hypnobabies, and this was for my third birth! Granted, my third birth was my first without an epidural, so it was almost like doing it for the first time.

You need to really know yourself when you make this decision. For me personally, *I* feel safer and more confident when I feel like I have every single bit of information I can possibly get. I think Hypnobabies is great, but the truth is, it doesn't work for everyone, and I wanted to have that reassurance that I had a backup plan for dealing with pain. I would have felt nervous and unprepared if I hadn't read a lot of books beforehand. Other people don't feel that way.

I also don't see a problem with mentioning pain or contractions. I don't get what the big deal is, to be honest. I mean.. the word 'contraction' is a very literal description of what is physically happening to your body. I don't understand why people get worked up over the word 'contraction' instead of just accepting the actual definition of the word while disregarding any negative connotations. And I don't think talking about pain is necessarily a problem, either.

But that's just me.

I really liked the book The Birth Partner because it had very explicit instructions on positions to use, what to expect, etc. I'm sure there were mentions of pain and fear (I honestly can't remember), but the illustrations and instructions were the exact sort of thing I was looking for.

[Sudonk]

Originally Posted by ColwynsMommy

You need to really know yourself when you make this decision. For me personally, *I* feel safer and more confident when I feel like I have every single bit of information I can possibly get. I think Hypnobabies is great, but the truth is, it doesn't work for everyone, and I wanted to have that reassurance that I had a backup plan for dealing with pain. I would have felt nervous and unprepared if I hadn't read a lot of books beforehand. Other people don't feel that way.

I am the same way, and have spent at least 10 years reading everything I could get my hands on about birth and pregnancy. I was really impressed with how complete the Hypnobabies information is, and just can't think of anything useful for "dealing with pain" that wasn't covered in the Hypnobabies materials or suggested reading list. Movement/position changes, counterpressure, fetal positioning, rice packs, even things like emotional/mental comfort approaches, staying hydrated/nourished, urinating frequently, etc. are all in there. It's just that much of it was described in ways besides calling it "pain relief", but it was all there. I definitely was not less prepared because I didn't seek out reading materials that would undermine my preparation using Hypnobabies.

Originally Posted by ColwynsMommy

I also don't see a problem with mentioning pain or contractions. I don't get what the big deal is, to be honest. I mean.. the word 'contraction' is a very literal description of what is physically happening to your body. I don't understand why people get worked up over the word 'contraction' instead of just accepting the actual definition of the word while disregarding any negative connotations. And I don't think talking about pain is necessarily a problem, either.

But that's just me.

Well, that's the whole point. We all consciously know what a contraction is, and understand that it describes well what the body is doing. The language change is essential for bringing our subconscious mind the same knowledge and understanding of birth that we have consciously chosen. The reason for using different words with respect to our own birth isn't because there is some conscious reason to dislike the words that are usually used. If it were as easy as "disregarding any negative connotations", then it would be no big deal to ignore the language we use and the outcomes would be the same. But that is simply not how the mind or birth works. What you're saying is fine during the pregnancy. But during the birth, our conscious understanding of the words doesn't matter because our subconscious plays such a huge role. Many, many people who consciously accept throughout their pregnancy that their contractions can be comfortable and very different from all the horror stories they've heard find that their birth begins and as soon as they know that they are having "contractions", their subconscious mind takes over and says, "Oh, those are contractions! Well, then, of course I'm in pain now, because a lifetime of hearing about them has taught me that contractions are horribly painful."

It is a very simple, easy thing to bring the subconscious into line with the beliefs and choices of the conscious mind by introducing a new word for contraction that will not lead to subconscious beliefs overriding all we've worked for. I know it bugs some people, but the bottom line is that there is a definite parallel between the people who choose to use the new wording and the people who are most successful in achieving the results they want from Hypnobabies. It's about focusing on the needs of the subconscious mind and not letting the pride/ego of the conscious mind interfere with those needs. It doesn't matter if someone consciously prefers the "old" wording. Nearly everyone does, because they're used to it. At the end of the day, they will find greater success with Hypnobabies if they allow their subconscious mind to re-frame their expectations of birth using different words. Clearly, no one HAS to do that, but they need to understand and accept that they may not achieve the same degree of effectiveness with the skills they are learning as a result of that choice.

Originally Posted by ColwynsMommy

I really liked the book The Birth Partner because it had very explicit instructions on positions to use, what to expect, etc. I'm sure there were mentions of pain and fear (I honestly can't remember), but the illustrations and instructions were the exact sort of thing I was looking for.

That book is excellent! It is also on the recommended reading list in Hypnobabies.

-Susan

[Oztok5]

Thank you for the advice everyone! I'm going to go ahead and skip Birthing from Within for now, but I may pick it up after the birth. I'm glad to hear that you found the hypnobiabies material to be pretty thorough. I can't wait to get started once it comes in the mail!