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I did the Hypnobabies home study course with my first pregnancy. I also took a (non-hypno) natural birthing course with DH and read several books about natural child birth. The Hypnobabies was nice because I had quite a bit of anxiety during my pregnancy and I felt that it really helped calm me down to listen to the affirmations every day. I also tended to listen at night and it helped me fall asleep easier (they say you can just fall asleep while listening and still get the benefits...who know if that's true though). I started it at 30 weeks so I got 9 full weeks of it.

After all that, I felt ready for a natural birth, but of course things didn't go as planned. My water broke and contractions started really quickly and painfully (no slow build up, as all my courses and reading had taught me to deal with), plus I got stuck in triage for 4 hrs because there were no rooms available in L&D and everytime I started to get into my Hypnobabies, something would beep or someone would come in and need me to do something. They also wouldn't let me get up from the bed or move around at all. So I ended up in too much pain and too distracted to get into the Hypnobabies like I had planned. As soon as I got a room in L&D, I asked for an epidural and I have no regrets. I did get a vaginal birth, so that was good.

My understanding is that if you want a natural birth, hiring a doula is really the best thing you can do. The Hypnobabies was really nice for my pregnancy but didn't help me at all during actual labor. For this baby, I am going to plan on the epidural from the beginning, even though I may still start listening to some of the Hypnobabies stuff again now that I am getting towards the end since it is soothing. Not sure if that is helpful!

I attended Hypno classes and hired a doula that was familiar with it. I had a C Section, but my Hypno studies still came in handy.

First, I would create a birth plan/ birth preferences and start communicating your desires with your health professional. One of my doctors asked me three times in a row if the no pain meds on my plan meant no epidural. One thing Hypno teaches is visualizing your birth. Writing out the birth plan may help you do just that.

Second, start listening to the Rainbow relaxation tape and Birth Affirmations. If you have the time, I would aim to do them twice a day. Honestly, just thinking about them made me calm. My doctor's marveled at my low blood pressure throughout my pregnancy. I listened to them even during my c-section.

Third, start practicing the Hypno techniques. You may need to look on You Tube to see the breathing techniques done in action correctly. The Hypno book is full of relaxation exercises. I would suggest doing those with your doula unless you and your partner can keep a straight face. Same goes for any visualization scripts you Google.

Based on the class that I took, what you will miss out on is direct instruction on how your partner can physically assist you during birth and the breathing/ visualization techniques. We also viewed beautiful, calm births each class, which for many in the room were aha moments.

Good luck!

I didn't do any classes, but I did read the Hypnobirth book as well as the Bradley Method book, Ina May's book and a general Lamaze class and a specialized natural birth class. And I had a doula. Geez, I'm an overprepared nerd! But I'm glad that I pulled from a lot of resources because it really helped.

I found some of the thought excercises from Hypnobirthing were really nice. I liked the relaxing from head to toe, the silver glove thing and the rainbow cloud thing. I will say that parts of the book gave me major cases of the eye rolls. But that's okay. With everything I took an attitiude of using when I found helpful and not worrying about the stuff that I didn't find helpful.

I got through 21 hours of labor without meds, which I doubt I could have done without the prep and my doula. During actual labor, I used a combination of different techniques. Early and late in labor I was moving around, which doesn't work well with Hypnobirthing. But, I spent most of the middle of labor laying in the jetted tub at my hospital using guided imagery and I think the Hypnobirth training really helped during that part. The tub was the biggest help in the whole labor process. I loved that tub!

So I think it's worth the class, but maybe look at some other techniques as well. And, ultimately, realize that labor doesn't always go the way that we have planned and THAT IS OKAY. I find that women that get their hearts set on one particular kind of birth are often disappointed when things don't go as planned. But if you go into things with an open mind and lots of tools you can use to get you through, then you've got a better chance of having a "good" birth, whatever that looks like.

I used hypnobabies and LOVED it. I did the home study and it really helped my anxiety. When I went into labor I was a mess, I was ready to go straight to the closest hospital for an epidural despite having planned to go to a birthing center further away. I didn't want to put the tracks on because I was trying to "save" them for active labor. As soon as my husband overruled me and turned it on it was like I turned into a different human being. I genuinely only remember my labor as being intense from there on out whereas it was excruciating until then. He kept telling people about it because he was so impressed, it was like I was able to just relax and go with it as opposed to fighting it and being terrified of the next contraction.

Now mind you, my labor was 6.5 hours, first baby, I was in transition 45 minutes after my first contraction and pushing although not productively before we even left the house for the 40 minute drive. I do recall that pushing hurt and was not terribly pleasant, but once I was actively pushing it didn't take long.

I actually am looking forward to giving birth again. It was truly an awesome experience.

If you have any specific questions let me know, I could talk your ear off about it.

I just read through other people's comments and I wanted to add that I did not hire a doula which ended up working out fine for us. I was very specific about where I planned to give birth though and the birthing center was extremely open to hypnobabies and hypnobirthing. Our orientation there actually suggested we do that in lieu of the standard hospital class. This definitely made a difference. I thought it was interesting that when my nurse called the midwife she emphasized that I was using it and told her to hurry because the hypno babies tended to come faster. My midwife kind of sucked but my nurses were amazing.

If you decide to do it definitely turn it on immediately when you go into labor.

I did it, and I would say Meh. It was not overly helpful. Natural birth hurts. You do it and you cope and if you can't, you get an epidural. More important, IMHO, are being with providers and a partner who will support your birth plans, not push you either way, who will remind you of what you wanted during labor, and who will support you in whatever choices you make.

I downloaded the hypnobabies tracks (no book or class). I found them really helpful for insomnia in 3rd trimester and relaxing. I had a doula and ended up with a 51 hour labor. I made it, unmedicated but it wasn't a positive experience.

I tried listening to the tracks before LO2 was born but there's one line about "I will have the birth I deserve." It made me feel really crappy about birth number one and I couldn't continue.

@Rescuemom10: I'm in the same boat as you! I have about 9 weeks until my due date, I'm interested in hypnobirthing as well.
I also live in a rural area with no classes around. I've told my midwife about my intentions and she's really exciting about using it.
I have a friend who did it and she had two amazing birth experiences. She recommended I get 'The Mongan Method' hypnobirthing book. It comes with a CD as well. I just started reading it and listening to the CD. She also lived in a rural area and didn't attend any classes either. She did it all on her own using online material, I feel confidant that will be sufficient, and I'll be reserving the right to use medical interventions if necessary.
I've also listened to a ton of podcasts and am doing prenatal yoga to help with focusing and breathing exercises.

We did an 8 week hypnobirthing course based on "The Mongan Method". I started listening to the tapes afor 30 min a day around 30 weeks. I has a fantastic med-free labor and delivery. I labored at home for 3 hours, arrived athe hospital at 5cm, labored for 3 hrs in the shower (on all 4s with hot water hitting my sacrum and the remaining 3 walking around my room (with my husband doing counter pressure during contractions). It was 12 hr hour labor and it was a wonderful experience. I listened to the tracks in the tub and while walking.

The things that most resonated with me and were most helpful during labor:

- Labor is not painful. Getting burned alive and getting skin grafts is more painful. Labor pain is a sign your body trying to expel your baby from your body. It's your muscles and your body working to do what you want them to do.

- Your body knows what to do, your mind had no place in childbirth. The science of fear, cortisol and fight/flight response.

- You can do anything for 30sec/1min/2min/3min. This I actually learned from Beachbody but it helped tremendously. I countdown to every contraction and knowing that it was almost halfway through kept my head safe. I also chanted "Im not gonna die" I knew the pain was not gonna kill me so chanting that help push out any fear I could have had.

I think all the prep helped. I was super excited and happy about going/being into labor and didn't feel any fear and coped really well until transition (from 9-10 cm). Those 30 min were rough and it was really hard to focus on breathing/chanting/affirmations, Pushing was a breeze after transition