I originally wrote this when my Hypnobabies class ended.  The bold thoughts are what I added after I had Bryson. 

We finished our Hypnobabies classes last night. There were 5 nights of classes and it is a really great program.  Rob was telling me last night how much he learned and how much better prepared he feels for this birth. Rob still felt this way after we had Bryson.  We also had a doula this time, which he LOVED, came in handy when he was SO hungry, he went and got dinner after they broke my water.  :)

Here are the things I really like about the program.

1.  I love the fingerdrop technique, which empowers me to get my self into deep hypnosis in a matter of seconds. I imagine that will be invaluable if I start to lose focus during my birthing day. I actually used the peace, peace, peace cue way more than the fingerdrop.  I think once I was in hypnosis, I just went into center and stayed there (with hypnobabies, you create a lightswitch, off you are completely relaxed not moving, center you are still in hypnosis and relaxed, but able to walk around, talk and such)

2.  There is also a great quick reference guide with prompts for Rob to help me get refocused. I am not sure if Rob used this, I never really got unfocused.  But he DID use the hand on the shoulder saying release cue for each of my pressure waves, once I asked him to.

3.  I love that each hypnosis cd lasts 30 minutes... which is a great length, just right for my older boys to watch 1 show and I am up and ready to interact with them again. Some are shorter about 24 minutes... still love this, as I have the after the baby comes cd and the peaceful sleep cd and still use those.

4.  I also have enjoyed having a class to go to and to get to know other families who are doing this. But even if we had done the homestudy it would have been more informative and comprehensive.  I actually am taking the classes again to get certified as a doula and still love the classes. 

5.  I am so glad I will have a hypnosis cd just for my birthing day. I really wanted one when I had Carson. THIS was probably the biggest difference.  The CD seemed to be perfect, she would say things just as they were happening.  For instance right before they broke my water I heard, "when your water releases it will be like a wave of anesthesia."  It was so cool how I always was hearing things right as I needed them.  LOVED IT!

6.  I also learned a lot about birthing and what is "normal" versus what Dr's like to expect.  For instance it is normal to be at  7cm for 3 hours for some labors, it is a natural alignment plateau.  Also chances are Carson was posterior and had I known then what I know now, I would have been doing belly lifts to get him in a better position which would have helped things to progress faster.  I was much more in charge of what I wanted during this pregnancy instead of doing what the Dr's or nurses are used to.  For instance after they broke my water... which I asked them to do, after being at 5cm for 4 hours, I wanted to stand up to help the baby engage more.  The nurse didn't really want me to (it makes a mess on the floor) but I knew it was the best thing to do, so I said, I am doing it and I did, it worked out great and it did make a mess, but that is what chuck pads are for!  I think had I stood up after they broke my water with Carson, it would have gone faster, instead I did what the nurses wanted.  (another benefit of a doula, to remind you of the other options and support you on what you decide)

Here is how it compares to Hypnobirthing, which I took 5 years ago while pregnant with Carson.  There was only pregnancy affirmations and 1 hypnosis cd to listen to. The classes had good relaxation info, but not great birthing info. There was not really good instruction on how to get re-into hypnosis if I got unfocused.  Which did happen after 14 hours painfree labor I lost focus when I was "stuck" at a 7 for 3 hours.  Once I made the mental shift that I would get an epidural if I was still at a 7, then I felt painful contractions... before that I just felt pressure.

So here I am at 31 weeks, looking forward to the day I have this baby. Not because I am uncomfortable (while I am at times) but because I am excited to give birth again. I truly loved giving birth to Carson and I think Hypnobirthing helped with that. His birth was an incredible empoowering experience.  This time I imagine it will be even better because I am better prepared and it will be my second VBAC, so hopefully a little faster. :)  Indeed it was a better birth, faster, no medications, no pain... it was AWESOME!

So I would say I am SOOOO glad that I did Hypnobabies this time.  I am glad I did Hypnobirthing with Carson, because that was the only option I had at the time and it was helpful.  But I was better prepared in so many ways for this birth because of Hypnobabies.

Some other differences between the 2 programs... in HypnoBirthing they do a fear release session, but with Hypnobabies you get a fear release CD so you can listen to it as many times as you feel you need it.  Great benefit for moms who might have more concerns than others.  Also Hypnobabies covers typical interventions done during birth and the pros and cons of these, so you are able to decide which interventions you do and don't want during YOUR birth. 

You can read Carson's Birth story HERE and Bryson's Birth story HERE!

Here is a link to another mom's comparison of the two... she also used HypnoBirthing with her first and Hypnobabies with her second.