Drug free labour

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Thanks for your comments on HypnoBirthing Mel!

It's hard to guarantee a labour without pain though, .

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I worded my post badly, what I was trying to say is that not all labours have to be painful, (some people will tell you that labour is always painful and there is no way around that). But the degree to which hypnobirhting helps varies from woman to woman, and some women will still need an epidural or gas, etc, whilst using it. However most women benefit from being in control during labour and find that, even if they end up have a c-section due to unforeseen complications, they can still have a positive birthing experience using hypnobirthing.

That said, an awful lot of women who use it experience little or no pain and I am able to testify to that! Let's hope Amber is one of those women

Mel

I think labour can definitely be less painful through techniques (i.e. like those taught through HypnoBirthing) in order to help you reduce fear and tension. Both of these things slow labour, stop labour or make it more painful. It's a natural thing to tense up when we are in pain, so this is why it's so good to learn. HypnoBirthing can help you to relax and let go - I think it's important women learn how to work with their bodies and not against it during labour - surrender helps so much - I completely think HypnoBirthing is brilliant and something all women should have access to if they want it.

But I also worry that women might do it on the premise of no pain and expect there to be none. Because working with women who think they will have no pain as a result can be really difficult when they do go into labour and panic because they do have pain which is not what they expected. As a birth attendant, my job is to help women focus and get back on track from these 'crisises of confidence.' I have seen it and I hear of it happening - but this is the nature of our jobs. It's common to have a 'crisis of confidence' in labour, some might not i.e. yourself Mel which is great.

I guess the trick is to learn that there are ways to help work with your body, to lessen the pain and if you do get the pain, there are ways to focus and get back on track - I think the support people around you are key in this too - it's harder to do if you don't have good encouragement. Some women who haven't hypnobirthed have also had no more pain than period pain - we are all different in terms of our pain tolerance and HypnoBirthing can definitely make it better to cope or even lessen that pain.

I really think HypnoBirthing is awesome, I am not bagging it at all. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to do it - but it's important to consider or factor in that you *may* get pain and how you will deal with that when it happens. A good topic of discussion with your support people - tell them what you will need to get you back on track.

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I really think HypnoBirthing is awesome, I am not bagging it at all. I hope everyone gets an opportunity to do it - but it's important to consider or factor in that you *may* get pain and how you will deal with that when it happens.

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Hi Kelly

sorry but I disagree with you on this point. One of the most importtant factors in HypnoBirthing is that you must believe 100% that it will work, or it will not. If you believe that you may experience pain, and are expecting it, then you will experience pain. Sure it may be less pain than most get, but pain is still pain.

I have done this twice now with no pain, as I did not expect any. I did, however, have a crisis of confidence during each of my labours (at the point of transision) and my support people helped me get back on track.

HypnoBirthing (at least the way I was taught it) did, however, also teach me that no matter what happens, the most important outcome is a healthy baby. This knowledge would, I believe, help women through if pain did occur.

A lot of people mocked me throughout my pregnancies when I told them that my labour would be painless. One of them was my MIL who is a trained midwife. She witnessed my 2nd son's birth. After the birth she told me that she wished she had known about this years ago, as she did not realise that labour could be painless.

But anyway this is just my opinion, and I think debate on this topic is the best thing anyway as it may open more women's eyes to the possibilities within them.

Mel

Hi Mel

I'm a HypnoBirthing practitioner and I too have had many clients who have birthed painfree (including my own daughter) and others that have said they couldn't say it was painfree but certainly not painful and that they were in charge of their birthing.

We can never guarantee a painfree birth even though I know that can be so. We are individuals and each experience is different, each set of beliefs is different and our ability to let go that birth is painful is very much influenced by society today unfortunately.

Positive posts like yours Mel shows women that the possibility IS most definitely out there and achievable and believing in your body's ability to just do it.

I have had many couples who say they are not sure that HypnoBirthing will work and had many doubts, but have gone on to have beautiful births, so even the doubting Thomases have surprised themselves with their outcome. Some have had caesarians and reported on fantastic caesarians.

We certainly teach natural birthing but special circumstances do happen and no matter what happens you still continue on with the program. A relaxed and confident mother has a relaxed and serene baby and boy are HypnoBirthing babies relaxed and serene. I have 2 little grandsons that are just that.

Some women Mel have the determination and confidence that they CAN birth painfree and do so very successfully. Others have wonderful birth experiences that they remember with love and joy and certainly one they will remember for a lifetime even though it was not painfree.

Thankyou for discussing this subject and judging by the many calls I get daily, women want a birth experience that is absolutely theirs not controlled by medical procedures.

Di

Haveing just given birth to my second 15 days ago id have to say i never had a birth plan either. Both my labour's were drug free and i have to admit that drugs werent even on my mind. I was so focussed on getting through the pain and concentrating for the next to come that it never entered my mind.
I thought my pain threshold was pretty low and that i would probably ask for them but like i said i just got on with it and thought each pain as 'positive' pain and one more step closer to meeting our new family member.

Good luck with it all.