Hypno birthing/meditation/ breathing techniques

babywiik

I'm mostly asking this to STMs but if any FTMs have anything to add feel free! Has anyone used the techniques mentioned in the title (Hypno birthing/meditation/ breathing techniques) while in labor? What was your take on them, did you like/not like? How soon did you begin practicing the techniques? We're they classes you attended or something found online? Or maybe someone tried something else that worked well for you?

I feel like it's sort of early posting this but I hit 20 weeks today and though I know I can't plan out exactly how the birth will go I want to prepared myself a little bit with anything that could help. I got a little freaked out this morning thinking how fast the time is passing and it's a completely new experience that I feel I know nothing about even though I've done lots of research!

Also, I found these neat podcasts about women sharing their birth stories. They're all positive, (so no horror stories) although many did not go as the women planned. 

https://www.thepositivebirthstorypodcast.com/home/episode/ccfcc5df/episode-8-emmas-birth-story

crizz13

The Birth Hour podcast is another podcast with all sorts of birth stories from all kinds of women. I highly highly recommend it. The host does a good job letting listeners know at the beginning of each episode if there's anything potentially triggering in the episode so you know when to avoid. 

I am a third time mom, but I've enrolled in an online course actually created by the podcast founder called the "Know Your Options Childbirth Course" and have started listening to/ watching the modules. I want to be prepared for whatever situation comes my way this time. I've had two vaginal, epidural, hospital births. Depending on the COVID situation, I am potentially going to be laboring at home longer this time and have been looking in to getting some hypno birthing tracks/ positive affirmation cards to help along the journey. 

bserena

@crizz13 I love the Birth Hour podcast! I listen a lot on my commute to/from work. Highly recommend. I have thought about doing her childbirth course too, let me know what you think of it!

name1109

@babywiik thanks for posting this! Baby four here. First one was epidural/6 hrs, second was 15 minutes 6cm to 10cm and natural, third was epidural/8 hrs. I think I’m going for natural with this one. I want to do anything I can to help my post recovery.  

csardaszz

My midwife suggested I look into hypnobirthing. I’m curious about how different it is from the sort of mindfulness/meditative state you get from a really good yoga session. A bit of googling indicates it’s one and the same: breathing technique, visualization, mindfulness with nonattachment, and reframing.

I’m planning a home birth and [at this point] I’m confident I can do it, but it seems I’m grappling with some latent fear. I think that working on confronting fear/anxiety and reframing the birthing process in positive language, while ramping up yoga/meditation may be more beneficial for me than buying a book or taking a course.

That being said, I’m wondering about the line between being confident and *too* confident when it comes to birthing. Accepting the unexpected is important, but accepting major  complications as an inevitability seems presumptive. Where is the line?

ecolton01

I took a class around the Bradley method with my first . It was a 12 week course once a week and I highly suggest finding one like this if your overall goal is to give birth “naturally “. I hate that term because every birth is natural no matter how the baby comes out lol. 

In my course we went over all the techniques spoke about above, and also went through ways and positions your partner can help during active labor. (Helping expand your hips , massage, hold , help push etc ) . It’s a class designed just as much for the partner as it is for the momma. That way when your in the thick of active labor they can help you, and be your voice (super important because I couldn’t communicate what I needed very well from about 8cm to birth) . 

With my si Felton pregnancy I was able to accomplish the unmedicated birth , and to be honest it was harder then the unmedicated birth of the twins but that’s the difference between a full term almost 8lb kid and 2, 32 week 3 and 4 lb kids lol . 

Both very different birth stories both beyond rewarding!! My boys went straight from the OR to the Nicu and I was able to walk and go see them only 20 minutes after I gave birth! That was the best part . 

Feel free to ask me any questions you have, I plan I’m giving birth in a birth center this time because they let you go hone only 4 hours after baby is born and recover in your own bed which sounds like heaven . I would do a home birth but I live over an hr away from the nearest hospital and if shit hit the fan I would never ever forgive myself 

hedgepig

@csardaszz Re: confidence. I recommend "Natural Hospital Birth" by Cynthia Gabriel (I was able to listen to it for free from my library) because she talks alot about being truly committed to your birth plan, while understanding the uncertainties of birth. The idea is to have no regrets - if things don't go the way you hoped, then at least you know you did everything you could to make it happen.

Re: unmedicated/low intervention/physiologic birth:
I know not everyone likes to research, but this is one place where I think knowledge is power, since so many hospital practices are outdated and not supportive of the birthing mother's choices. Some resources that I have really enjoyed:

Evidence Based Birth website (and Rebecca Dekker's book "Babies are not Pizzas: They are Born, not Delivered") (Also they offer an online childbirth class that I haven't done, but am considering)

The Birth Hour Podcast (they also offer the "Know Your Options" childbirth class that I haven't taken but have heard great things about)

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (so inspirational!)

Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke (meditation preparation for birth)

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin (great for moms and partners!)

Doulas - I didn't have one, and won't this time because there's a good chance that this labor will be as fast as the last, but if I were a FTM again, I definitely would. They're supportive for birthing parent and non birthing parent, and have the experience to help with all sorts of things. 

Supportive provider - your care provider should be supportive of the type of birth you want. It isn't too late to change providers if you don't feel like you are comfortable and happy with your provider (unless you are somewhere like where we live where there are basically zero choices). You should feel empowered to really ask your provider about their thoughts on various interventions - Natural Hospital Birth and Babies are Not Pizzas both have good sections on how to ask and what questions.

csardaszz

@hedgepig Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll check it out. I just finished Birthing From Within (Pam England & Rob Horowitz) so I have a spot in my reading rotation.

I found my doula the other day and she is the perfect fit, I met her before without knowing she’s a doula, and we connect really well. Just knowing she’ll be there (and the statistics around birthing with vs. without a doula) has significantly reduced my anxieties.