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Product Description
'Junior Pregnancy & Birth'
"Simple but specific hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques for an
easier birth... enjoy the experience of birth."
easier birth... enjoy the experience of birth."
'I'm Pregnant'
"Any normal, low-risk pregnancies can use the exercises outlined
in this book... leading to a peaceful birth."
in this book... leading to a peaceful birth."
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
94 of 107 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Supporters of this book will all insist that it should be used in conjunction with a course, and this is true, because you can't do hypnotherapy from a page. However, it should also be pointed out that hypnobirth courses are expensive, to the tune of several hundred pounds. This is a business as much as a book. You can use a similar method with Natal Hypnotherapy for much less money.
As to the book itself - well, be a little wary. Some of it is basic common sense: the more fearful you are, the more intensely you will experience pain. Breathing and visualisation can relax you. This is all perfectly true and reasonable.
Some of it is rather affected by the idea of other cultures being 'Noble Savages' - it doesn't use that phrase, but it's very starry-eyed about how other cultures don't use pain relief as if that's always good for the woman, which is just not the case: some women in cultures without medical pain relief have a terrible time. It's also rather judgmental about using pain relief, which is not good news if your birth turns out to be difficult, because generally speaking women who used pain relief are women who found the pain unbearable and will be feeling emotionally fragile as it is.
An important fact can be seen in the opening chapters: the author found that with relaxation, she was able to bear her own children with little pain and distress. Okay, so that speaks to the value of her method, but it also speaks to the fact that she found childbirth comparatively easy: she didn't have to deal with a labour that went on for days, or had the baby in the wrong position, find her labour stalled, or generally speaking had problems that would make things more painful. Reading the book, I got the feeling that she didn't quite grasp that this was not everyone's experience - or possibly that she blamed all labour complications on doctors or bad attitudes and forgot that before medical technology was advanced, death in childbirth was very common, good attitude or not.
She also talks of how in her first two births, doctors intervened at the last minute and imposed on her pain relief that she didn't want or need. This is very bad, but again, I got the feeling that she didn't quite grasp that pain relief isn't an intrusion forced on every woman by doctors who don't understand her. Forcing pain relief on a woman who doesn't want it is cruel, but so is denying pain relief to a woman who needs it, and this book edges towards that cruelty by implying that pain relief is a sign of being brainwashed by doctors. There's a hostility to medicine here that is not in the interests of the many women who will find that medical intervention is something they turn out to need after all.
If it works for you, you'll feel extremely excited about it and praise it to the skies. But it isn't going to work for everyone, the courses are excessively expensive, the author's understanding of other cultures is at times sentimental and patronising, and if it doesn't work for you you'll probably end up feeling worse for having read a book that so explicitly links the pain of childbirth with a bad attitude - it'll make it easier to believe that your suffering was your own fault.
In general, it's a book that's going to get either loved or hated, depending on the birth experience, so shop around for cheaper options and bear in mind that the praising voices are only one side of the story, is my advice.
As to the book itself - well, be a little wary. Some of it is basic common sense: the more fearful you are, the more intensely you will experience pain. Breathing and visualisation can relax you. This is all perfectly true and reasonable.
Some of it is rather affected by the idea of other cultures being 'Noble Savages' - it doesn't use that phrase, but it's very starry-eyed about how other cultures don't use pain relief as if that's always good for the woman, which is just not the case: some women in cultures without medical pain relief have a terrible time. It's also rather judgmental about using pain relief, which is not good news if your birth turns out to be difficult, because generally speaking women who used pain relief are women who found the pain unbearable and will be feeling emotionally fragile as it is.
An important fact can be seen in the opening chapters: the author found that with relaxation, she was able to bear her own children with little pain and distress. Okay, so that speaks to the value of her method, but it also speaks to the fact that she found childbirth comparatively easy: she didn't have to deal with a labour that went on for days, or had the baby in the wrong position, find her labour stalled, or generally speaking had problems that would make things more painful. Reading the book, I got the feeling that she didn't quite grasp that this was not everyone's experience - or possibly that she blamed all labour complications on doctors or bad attitudes and forgot that before medical technology was advanced, death in childbirth was very common, good attitude or not.
She also talks of how in her first two births, doctors intervened at the last minute and imposed on her pain relief that she didn't want or need. This is very bad, but again, I got the feeling that she didn't quite grasp that pain relief isn't an intrusion forced on every woman by doctors who don't understand her. Forcing pain relief on a woman who doesn't want it is cruel, but so is denying pain relief to a woman who needs it, and this book edges towards that cruelty by implying that pain relief is a sign of being brainwashed by doctors. There's a hostility to medicine here that is not in the interests of the many women who will find that medical intervention is something they turn out to need after all.
If it works for you, you'll feel extremely excited about it and praise it to the skies. But it isn't going to work for everyone, the courses are excessively expensive, the author's understanding of other cultures is at times sentimental and patronising, and if it doesn't work for you you'll probably end up feeling worse for having read a book that so explicitly links the pain of childbirth with a bad attitude - it'll make it easier to believe that your suffering was your own fault.
In general, it's a book that's going to get either loved or hated, depending on the birth experience, so shop around for cheaper options and bear in mind that the praising voices are only one side of the story, is my advice.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was sceptical when I finished reading the book but as my nearerst hospital was so overcrowded I decided to go with it and aim for a water birth at home. I listened to the CD whenever I could and it helped me relax throughout my pregnancy. To be honest I expected it to not be a massive help during the labour as I hadn't done classes but I couldn't have been more wrong. When my contractions started I bunged my ipod on along with my tens machine and listened to the CD again and again. I wasn't aware that I had got into a hypnotised state because the pain was still intense but by the time the midwives got to me I had got to 8cm dilated with no pain relief and was ready to get into the birth pool and go for it. I had gas and air which was a god send and I was in labour for 9 hours. I truly believe the hypnobirthing/ home birth (no stressful moving around to get to hospital) and birth pool combination can really work.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book a few years ago whilst expecting my 2nd child. I had a very painful and out of control experience 4 years previously with my first child so decided that I wanted something different 2nd time round! I didn't even get to finish the whole book but the difference in birth's was unreal! i had gas & air only and my daughter was 10lb 2oz. I was in active labour for only 2 hrs and went home in time for tea! It rationalizes your whole mind and not just for giving birth - i felt completely normal and chatted throughout with my husband. such a contrast from first time round.... read it - it can't hurt!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
don't knock it!
I used this book in conjunction with classes and I cannot tell you how much this helped me. So many people, when I told them I was a hypno mum, were very skeptical and insisted... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kafi, London
bit of a let down
Alot of waffle about the history of the process, think ill of given birth before i get to the good bits! Read more
Published 2 months ago by mopster
Helpful advice about relaxing muscles during labour
I bought this too late in my pregnancy to do the hypnobirthing training but I found the chapters on the breathing techniques very useful and used those in labour. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ork100
Fascinating and (hopefully) extremely helpfull
I am just over half way through this book and simply cannot put it down. It is fascinating, informative and well written. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Anna
Amazing!!
I read this book and did not do a course - I don't think you have to, although it is probally helpful. I followed the book and the rainbow relaxation CD. Read more
Published 9 months ago by kate LJ
change your mindset for the better
This book was recommended to me by a good friend. I would certainly recommend it as, before reading, I was dreading the birth of my first child. Read more
Published 9 months ago by K. Smith
LOVE LOVE LOVE this book
This is my new bible! I am only 20 weeks and have read it once and am about to start reading it again. Read more
Published 10 months ago by MiniC2011
hypnobirthing review
this book was very well written and not too much american jargon in it, unfortunately there should be a rainbow relation CD with this book to enable you to listen to the... Read more
Published 14 months ago by gelfling-girl
Really positive book
I was really pleased to receive this book. After a traumatic labour with a previous child and wondering what went wrong, I really feel as though this book has given me some... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lucy
Thought-provoking
The first part of this book is excellent, explaining, basically, that the more relaxed a woman can be during childbirth, the less pain she will feel. Read more
Published 17 months ago by bluebell
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