Hypnobirthing: A Natural Approach to a Safe, Easier, More Comfortable Birthing

by Marie F. Mongan

Book Overview

HypnoBirthing(R) has gained momentum around the globe as a positive and empowering method of childbirth. Here's why: HypnoBirthing helps women to become empowered by developing an awareness of the instinctive birthing capability of their bodies. It greatly reduces the pain of labor and childbirth; frequently eliminates the need for drugs; reduces the need for caesarian surgery or other doctor-controlled birth interventions; and it also shortens birthing...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0757318371
• ISBN13: 9780757318375
• Release Date: December 2015
• Publisher: Health Communications
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Essential for Pregnancy & Birth

This book was life changing for me! A friend recommended it to me when I was having some labor anxiety during my 6th pregnancy. I wish I had read it sooner because my 6th labor was my best. I didn’t push at all and had a beautiful home birth! The even more amazing thing is that I had NO pain after birth which I’d never experienced previously. I didn’t even need a peri bottle! My other births had been relatively smooth and good, but this one was above the rest. Even my midwife wasn’t sure if I was in harder labor and right before the baby came she didn’t believe he was crowning because I was so poised. Every pregnant woman needs to read this book for a healthy outcome for their child and themselves.

Very helpful even though I didn't practice everything

I didn't take the hypnobirthing class and I have to admit that I didn't do all the exercises and certainly not with the frequency recommended, so I wasn't surprised that my labor was not completely pain-free. That being said, to the extent that I did practice the breathing in combination with pain-coping techniques from the "Birthing From Within" book, I felt very prepared for labor and my birth experience was really positive - I even smiled during labor even though the contractions started at about 5 minutes apart and quickly progressed to 2 minutes apart. The "pain" was bearable and I believe my ability to relax with the help of the CD early on in labor made the labor relatively short for a first timer (12 hours). The staff at the birth center was surprised with how "in control" I was. I attribute it to the wonderful explanation in this book of how important it is to relax during labor and my husband and my usage of co-chanting during each surge. My husband also really helped by coaching me to stay relaxed so our baby can come out and reminding me how each contraction ("surge") brings our baby closer to us (hypno birthing concepts). Another helpful thing was during pregnancy not letting people tell me scary birth stories (when someone seemed like they were about to start a scary story I used to say "only happy stories please"). Reading a lot of positive birth stories was also helpful for me. To summarize, this book was very helpful for me and I recommend reading various books to have a variety of things to draw on during labor since you don't know what will be the most helpful.

The perfect gift for any pregnant woman!

It is now three days since I gave birth to my first baby, a beautiful 9lb girl. In my last few weeks of pregnancy I met a neighbor who insisted I read this book as soon as I could. She described the hypnobirthing philosophy of birth with no pain or fear and how she had used it successfully with her third child. I was skeptical that it could help me much because I had heard that first babies were more difficult to deliver than second or third babies, and I thought maybe her success was due to her previous experiences with labor. Regardless, I decided to buy the book. When it arrived a few days later I skimmed through it and attempted some of the breathing techniques. I found them very difficult because my lung capacity at 9 months pregnant was pretty low. The accompanying CD, however, was very easy to use and I got sort-of addicted to it (only the relaxation part) because it helped me get back to sleep when I woke up at 4am every morning. It taught me to relax my entire body instantly, with the idea that this could help me through contractions. It also improved my breathing technique somewhat. When labor came I was able to use my relaxation skills to work through early, active, and transition labor stages with relatively little pain and a strong sense of control over my body. I was happy and thought I would get through everything fine until the pushing stage. I had not read or practiced any hypnobirthing techniques for pushing and, unfortunately relaxation was not an option. My pushing was intensely difficult and there was most certainly pain and fear. I believe, however, that had I discovered hypnobirthing earlier and practiced all the breathing techniques, I may have had an easier time. Even though my pushing stage was hard, I didn't tear and I didn't require any medication, stiches, or other interventions. I plan to recommend hypnobirthing to all my pregnant friends early in their pregnancies, based on my strongly positive experience and will use it from the get go myself if I am ever pregnant again.

I'm Sold

As opposed to Henci Goer's "Thinking Woman's Guide to Better Birth", which scares you into wanting a natural birth by making pretty much all intervention sound ghoulish and dangerous, this book makes you want a natural birth because of the beautiful experience that the author describes when talking about her own hypnobirth and the other births that she's been involved in. I can only speak for myself but I respond far better to positive motivation. The philosophy behind this method and the book makes good sense: women have been having babies for thousands of years, our bodies are designed to do it, and a lot of the pain in labor comes from being conditioned to be afraid of it. You get scared, you tense up, and it hurts. When I went to my obstetrician today, I asked her what natural birth method has been the best in her experience, and she said that all her hypnobirths have been "beautiful". What can I say? I'm sold. I'm having a hypnobaby!

IT WORKS. PERIOD.

I was a skeptic. But with my first pregnancy, I had so many problems with drugs *not working*. The epidural wore off. Twice. And the third time it never took. I had other drugs on top of it, and they ran through me like water. The doctor said my adrenaline was running so high, it didn't seem like anything would take. And when it finally came time to push, I was so exhausted, they had to use forceps to keep me from a c-section. And I felt every bit of it.So with the second pregnancy, I knew better than to rely on drugs. I had to learn how to deal with it on my own. At first, I was panicked. And then I read this book. I thought they were crazy. But what the heck - I gave it a try. I labored at home for 18 hours without even having to call my doula yet. My husband watched football playoff games!!! But be careful - you can cut it too close! I genuinely felt very little pain! But if I had it to do over again, I would have gotten to the hospital just a bit sooner, because my daughter was born only 20 minutes after I got in my hospital bed! I was not in near the amount of pain after delivery, my daughter was very alert, and best of all, I had - I still can't believe I'm saying this - a WONDERFUL labor and delivery. It reaffirmed for me what we are really capable of handling - not just having handed to us, but *handling*.

All pregnant women should own this book

I found this book to be extremely helpful, even without taking any hypnobirthing classes. The Hypnobirthing book shows you how to prepare mentally (with focus and relaxation techniques) and physically (with stretching exercises and instructions for perineal massage if you want to try it) for childbirth; it teaches you what all of your muscles are doing during labor to help you work with your body, which decreases the pain you experience; it suggests better positions for labor and delivery than the standard flat-on-your-back position; and it explains to you why childbirth doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) a painful or scarey experience. I studied this book religiously before the birth of my second child, and that birth was so much easier and more peaceful than my first. I delivered my son without any medication or intervention, thanks to Hypnobirthing.