Has anyone used hypnobabies? - Page 2

[EmmaJean]

KM, DITTO!!!! I'm loving this thread! I love HBabies. (like I said before).

I've often wondered what my experience w/ it would've been if I'd have had a long labor like w/ James. I think I would've listened to the tapes for a while and then just enjoyed being w/ dh and mw, turning "off" when each surge came. It's just an excellent way to relax and not get into the fear-adrenaline-pain cycle (just like Bradley teaches). I never at all felt detached from my body or in some "other realm" during Lily's birth (when I used HBabies). It was more like I was more aware of my body and just letting it do its thing. If I wouldn't have had the CD to listen to and ground me during my last 1.5 hr of labor (Lily's was just 3 hrs and we spent the first half cleaning and ignoring things!) I would've given in to the pain and fear of the intensity. I wouldn't be able to stay grounded and in control, and NOT AFRAID!!! I was super scared and in complete denial that I was in labor, let alone transition! 20min into the cd (if that) I worked through all those feelings, remembered all the things I'd been practicing, empowering phrases and imagery, it was really amazing.

I love to talk about this! The creator of the program used to post on MDC now and again. I'll have to check if she's been around lately. She's awesome!!

ETA: here's her name on MDC: hypno-teacher although she hasn't posted in a couple years!! I guess she was on just when I needed her.

[grace's voice]

So if I were to buy just one of the CDs, which one would you recommend? Cash is tight right now, but I would like something to just help me relax. I was on anxiety meds (much needed) for several months before I got pg, and have been way too anxious lately. I'm really afraid it will come to a point where I may have to take the meds while pg. I'm willing to try anything to keep that from happening. Also, I'm having trouble conjuring up a positive attitude towards bith and I know that if I don't get that straightened out it will be a very unpleasant experience, which I know it doesn't have to be because my last one was good.

[KateMary]

I think you have to buy the whole set of 6 CD's that are in the home study course for about $120 (hypnobabies). They are a course in teaching you to put yourself into self-hypnosis so you need to do each CD in order over time. I think they sell some specific CD's for controlling morning sickness and one for specific fear of needles but those are used once you already know the basics of self-hypnosis. Check out ebay. It sounds like it would really help your anxiety.

[happeeevraftr]

Originally Posted by KateMary

I don't think hypnobirthing claims that the pain does not exist. Quite the contrary in fact. It teaches you to use the power of your mind to create anesthesia to deal with the discomfort of labor. More importantly, it teaches you to enter the experience free of the fear of pain, which is really the enemy of a successful birth. Pain and discomfort will be there either way, but if you perceive it without fear, you will be much more successful in achieving a natural birth.

Wait a minute... I read some of the hypnobirthing book and they did seem to be making the claim that it doesn't have to be painful. I was under the understanding that the pain exists for those who are expecting it to exist, and for those who are afraid, but that if you are knowledgeable about the way your body is working, and able to relax completely, you will not feel pain. It will be hard work, like working out or running a marathon is hard work, but it won't be painful. And I've talked to women who used hypnobirthing and truly felt no pain.

Originally Posted by KateMary

Really, any birth program that claims that "pain doesn't exist" would not be based on the realities of biology.

What biological reality is there that states labor has to be painful? I thought the 2 groups of muscles in your uterus are supposed to work together, and as long as you are relaxed, they are able to do that. It is only when you cannot relax because of fear (or annoying hospital nurses ), that the muscle groups cannot work together properly and so it creates pain.

Not trying to be argumentative here at all... I just understood it a little differently, from my limited knowledge of the subject.

[Dreaming]

I just received my HypnoBabies package in the mail today. I did a lot of research and the program (IMO) was favored over other hypnosis programs.

Anyway, to clear up the Bradley (embrace the pain) vs. HypnoBabies (use hypnosis to decrease or completely make pain disappear) debate:

The creator of the HypnoBabies program was trained in Bradley and taught that for 10 years. She said that it is NOT recommended that a person studies both HypnoBabies and Bradley for the same birth because they are conflicting philosophies with regard to views on pain (as I stated above).
Not all women are able to make the pain totally "go away" but many can.
Frankly, I'm all for a pain free birth (and really really really aiming for one).

Oh, and the program recommends avoiding negative (i.e. painful birth experience stories) and T.V. shows like "A Baby Story" because they feed the subconscious with negative ideas about birth. Stick to postive reading and watching (like "A Thinking Womans Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer and etc).

[grace's voice]

See, what I get out of Bradley is that the more you are able to relax, the less pain you will feel. And we were told in class that some women, who are able to fully relax, do have painless births. Which is why I was thinking the 2 would work together... I was never told to embrace pain, but to realx and surrender to the journey of birth. We were never told to expect pain, we were told contractions were powerful, and interesting, and that there was an intense momentum to birth... but never a mention of "pain." Pain is how you percieve it, and we were taught that. If you go into labor and relate a "pain" to being an alert that something is wrong (like if you're injured), then you will tense. If you feel a contraction and have the attitude that this is a good, positive, essential sensation and you just let go and let it happen, then could it really be considered "pain"? I don't know if maybe I just got a unique Bradley class or something, I suppose I'll find out when I take my next one with a new teacher here in a few months!

[hypatia]

Originally Posted by grace's voice

So if I were to buy just one of the CDs, which one would you recommend? Cash is tight right now, but I would like something to just help me relax.

Good news: You can go to the Hypnobabies yahoo group and get the scripts that go with the CDs for FREE. You can record yourself or your husband reading them.

[grace's voice]

ooooh! Thank you!

[Tanibani]

Originally Posted by happeeevraftr

Can someone tell me the difference between Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies? Were they developed by different people but basically the same? Or is it the same thing and the words are just used interchangeably? I've heard of hypnobirthing mostly, and I know there are classes taught around here. But I've only heard of hypnobabies on here.

I took the HypnoBirthing class in 2000 (first baby) with an amazing local instructor and succeeded in having a painFREE 18-20 hospital labor and birth.

My birth story is on MDC somewhere (no time to look for it right now.) If you want to read it, let me know and I'll post the link.

I believe the HypnoBirthing class is simply a class (it's best to take it as a class).

The HypnoBabies is really a study at home kit, that seems to be waaaaay more comprehensive than the study at home kit sold by HypnoBirthing. The HypnoBirthing founder never meant for her particular program to be sold as a study-at-home kit. It's best if you can take the class with a great teacher (but that can be hit or miss. What if the teacher is a too "green" or a dud? I was very lucky to have an amazing teacher.)

PAIN

If there is ANY tension in the body (if the woman is tensing her muscles anywhere) there will be degrees of pain (depending how how bad the tensing is).

First baby - I went limp like a rag doll completely... and felt no pain. When I took a shower in the hospital, it allowed me to relax even more deeply and I even felt ENDORPHINS during the shower and my labor!!!! I never felt transition as horrible. I was brushing my teeth during transition.. and just leaned over the sink during the surges (contractions) and relaxed and breathed deeply. Then back to brushing. Even my HypnoBirthing practioner was amazed. (I had her there because I didn't know what to expect. I did not need her or my husband "coaching" me during the surges. I was able to relax on my own because I had the CD script memorized in my head. )

Second baby - homebirth
I was a bit of a nervous wreck about it. I never had a homebirth before, what would it be like, yada, yada, yada... this time I did feel some tingling of discomfort. I needed to be in the bathtub to help me relax through it. (First time I didn't need the water.) The discomfort was close to being pain, but I was OK through it. Somehow, I couldn't relax at home. I guess I found it difficult to tune out my home environment (whereas, for me, at the hospital, it was easy. Weird!)

[KateMary]

Originally Posted by happeeevraftr

Wait a minute... I read some of the hypnobirthing book and they did seem to be making the claim that it doesn't have to be painful. I was under the understanding that the pain exists for those who are expecting it to exist, and for those who are afraid, but that if you are knowledgeable about the way your body is working, and able to relax completely, you will not feel pain. It will be hard work, like working out or running a marathon is hard work, but it won't be painful. And I've talked to women who used hypnobirthing and truly felt no pain.

What biological reality is there that states labor has to be painful? I thought the 2 groups of muscles in your uterus are supposed to work together, and as long as you are relaxed, they are able to do that. It is only when you cannot relax because of fear (or annoying hospital nurses ), that the muscle groups cannot work together properly and so it creates pain.

Not trying to be argumentative here at all... I just understood it a little differently, from my limited knowledge of the subject.

I think we are both thinking the same thing. I agree, birth does not have to be painful. When I talked about the realitites of biology, I mean that the muscles are working hard to get a job done and most women are going to feel them working. When the body is working really really hard, some people define that as pain. I agree it is like a huge workout or running a marathon (personally I'd rather give birth anyday than run a marathon, that actually sounds more painful!) But its all in how you perceive it. I just don't think that hypnobabies claims that you won't feel anything, you might not feel pain, but you will feel pressure, tightening, etc. They describe it in a lot of different ways on the CD sessions, but its clear that you're not just going to feel nothing at all (like you would with an epidural).

[BeachBum]

The creator of the HypnoBabies program was trained in Bradley and taught that for 10 years. She said that it is NOT recommended that a person studies both HypnoBabies and Bradley for the same birth because they are conflicting philosophies with regard to views on pain (as I stated above).

I didn't do Hypnobabies, but did do hypnobirthing (class) and Bradley. I thought they worked well together. But I'll admit that I would just pick and choose what worked for me.