Purposely written so that you have to attend a class. ( )

A lot of anecdotes and claims without evidence or references to back it up. There was good information on relaxation techniques and such but it was interspersed with a lot of fear producing stories. I thought it was strange that the author kept emphasizing the need not to fear childbirth but then would write pages that, had I been a first time mom about to give birth, would have given me a lot of anxiety and fear.

Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke was a much more helpful book with methods and exercises for relaxation during childbirth (and pregnancy and afterwards too.) A much more positive presentation than Hypnobirthing and full of the evidence and research (with sources) missing from this book.

(And just to note- relaxation and absence of fear definitely does help reduce pain during childbirth, but does not completely eliminate it. This is coming from someone who has given birth four times without any medication or medical interventions.) ( )

This was absolutely the best book I could have purchased. Hypnobirthing got me through the labor of both of my children. It even came with a CD to guide you through what you learn in the book. I had doctors and nurses in amazement, they could not believe the sense of comfort and ease of pain during my labor and delivery. When I told me doctor I was going to "breathe my baby down"- he laughed, told me it wasn't going to work but decided to humor me and allowed the time for me to try.... When he came back, he actually apologized and brought in another doctor to show the "phenomena" he just could NOT believe that I had used the power of my breath and hypnobirthing to lower her down into the birth canal and ready to come out.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST, MOST IMPORTANT TOOL ANY EXPECTING MOTHER OUGHT TO HAVE.
It teaches you how and why it works. Birthing your child becomes a loving, warm experience- the stress and trauma to the child is minimal, and it is a wonderful thing. The pain endured is easily shifted when using the techniques within the book and CD. ( )

I have signed up for the course. The book is a good overview of the theory, but I feel that I need an instructor to guide my practice. ( )

I'm giving up. I can't take any more of this über-crunchy hippie-dippy nonsense. While I can get behind the idea that birth doesn't have to be scary and horrible, and that the scary parts can be eased with self-relaxation techniques, I just can't read any more of this book. Even the sections that could make sense, I have trouble parsing, thanks to the reinvented lingo (for instance, I won't have "contractions," I'll have "uterine surges." There will be no "pushing," only "birth breathing"--because it's apparently my lungs that will be responsible for getting the baby from the inside to the outside?).

Then the directions on how to properly breathe to achieve that meditative state only cause me more stress because I can't do them properly (hey, while your diaphragm is being pushed 2" higher due to that baby right under it, take the deepest, slowest breath you've ever taken and expand the diaphragm all the way down into your pelvis!) (note: it does not actually advocate for expanding your diaphragm into your pelvis, but it does seem to suggest doing the impossible.)

I'm okay with a certain amount of crunch, but HypnoBirthing is way, waaaaaay over that line. I tried, but I really need something that has facts in it. I will be more relaxed if I know exactly what can and will happen, rather than attempting to BREATHE my child to the outside world. ( )