Your Baby, Your Birth: Hypnobirthing Skills For Every Birth

I used HypnoBirthing with my first child and it lived up to the hype - not just because it was a calm beautiful birth - but mainly because it gave me the power to know my rights, have belief in my body and perhaps most key - is that when things don’t go to plan- it gives you the tools and techniques to get through. So why you may wonder read another book on the subject,this book is great for first time mums but also second and more - because it requires practise, focus, repetition, knowledge and belief. Hollie consistently informs you with no bias of your rights whatever route your birth takes. She is honest, real and (crucially) current in her writing- never afraid of saying what many other books dare not to say. For example her passage on bottle feeding when breastfeeding does not go to plan is eye opening and important for women who often feel they have failed by not being able to breastfeed. It shows birth stories in all their glory and colour. It is a book that every pregnant mother should be given on their first midwife appointment! It would give them the strength, empowerment and guidance that so many women could benefit from & ultimately impact the rest of their and their babies lives. Get it for anyone you know that is expecting - I promise you they will thank you for it.

I would recommend this book and the audio tracks that come with it wholeheartedly to anyone expecting whether a first time mum or with previous birth experiences. Would highly recommend for birth partners to read it too. I started reading this book about 6 months into my first pregnancy. I hadn't been super scared of labour and birth before, but I did feel like the social stigma of it being horrible was hanging over me and I was afraid of the potential interventions that can go with birth. I wanted to feel like I was in control of the situation. This book gave me tools to feel calm and ready for whatever turn my labour would take. It is beautifully written and everything is put in a very understandable and relatable way. It's not too hippie or patronising. My partner was very suspicious of hypnobirthing as a concept at first, but after reading Hollie's book he was totally on board with it. I felt informed and empowered. I started looking forward to giving birth. We were lucky enough to have a drug-free, smooth, calm and fairly quick birth, the tools I got from this book helped me cope with the process from beginning to the end. I am so happy that I can look back and say it was one of the most intense, yet best experiences of my life. Thank you Hollie, your voice carried me through most steps of labour and my son's birth.

This book gives a good, clear, down to earth explanation of hypnobirthing techiniques, which I feel not only helped me achieve a successful water birth, but have given me some tools to use in motherhood and in general life. I am not usually an affirmation sort of person, but the ones promoted here are just good sense, and sometimes you just need to see things written in black and white to be reminded of that sense! There are various exercises you can do, and relaxation practices, and there is also supporting MP3 material on the Penguin website. The most useful thing I found was the suggested statements to put on your birth preferences plan - it really helped me think about what I wanted to happen in the ideal scenario, and how I would want to handle things if they didn't go to plan. I also read another hypnobirthing book and looked at lots online and while I found them all useful, I particularly liked that Hollie also talked about the post natal period, and how to continue the relaxed and confident approach to the newborn days. I shall be recommending or lending this book to pregnant friends!

I found this book to be really informative about the mechanics of birth and not at all condescending about the birthing process (in comparison to other books!) and ultimately helped me feel in control over the birth I wanted for me and my baby whilst also accepting that changes can happen last minute as no birth ever really goes to plan! Some of the activities weren’t for me but understanding how to breathe through contractions was definitely used whilst I was going through it! After finishing this book I had a really positive attitude towards giving birth and I was actually looking forward to it as it helped me decide my birth plan, be open to changes and remain calm throughout the birthing process. I hope this can do the same for others x

The book was good and really helped to calm my nerves during pregnancy so it was great for that and helped me to really narrow down what necessities I wanted during labour and after. However when the day came I didn't really use any of the techniques, or the bits I had bought - it all very quickly. I ended up with severe preeclampsia and needed all sorts of medical help from the hospital staff and spent 10 days in hospital, but I still consider it a positive experience - I certainly don't have any regrets or feel like I was pushed into anything. I stated on my notes that I didn't want any students as the books made it sound like it would be nicer and calmer without, honestly the students in the labour ward I went to were the best and really supportive and I regretted putting that on there - one of the students ended up staying with me anyway and she ended up being the best support at the time I needed it the most, as the midwife was busy talking to the drs, updating my notes, and doing various other medical bits (due to the preeclampsia there was a lot going on). The main bit I took away from this book and others was to understand what your rights were and what your options are regarding interventions, drugs and the location where you choose to *plan* to give birth (in the end my options were limited, but the reasons were medically justifiable and I think that's the main takeaway to bear in mind). So the reason my experience was positive was because I did a lot of reading beforehand so I knew what to expect at each stage - including this book, other hypnobirthing books but also online. I think you could probably read up a lot of hypnobirthing techniques online yourself tbh, and Google some birthing mantras which really helped me to keep calm during pregnancy. I would just advise first time mother's to take note of how many stories in the book, on the website, or any courses you end up doing are also from FTM and what their experiences were. I think if I had another baby I might use hypnobirthing techniques abit more.

I have just had my 2nd baby and can honestly say that Your Baby, Your Birth made my experience an exceptionally calm and controlled one. I opted for a home birth (I had one with my first too) and people thought I was crazy. I know its not for everyone, but I've only been to hospitals to see really ill people, and so instantly associate them to negative times. I wanted to be in my own home, in an environment that I was completely comfortable in, and to be in control of what was happening. I tried Hypnobirthing the first time round, spending a fortune on 1-2-1 sessions...when I went into labour I used the techniques I'd learned, but they soon went out of the window when things really got going. On hindsight I realised that I wasn't really prepared. My sessions hadn't educated me on what my body was going through and so I lost control. Of course it was fine and I got through it, but it wasn't the experience I'd imagined in my head. This is the key with this book - it totally prepares you for what is happening, educating you on the different stages of labour and why you're body is doing what it is. For me, this meant that I didn't panic, I stayed in control and I used the techniques that the book teaches to breathe through the experience. You have to be prepared to put the work in, it's not just a read the book and you're done job, but using the book and the MP3's regularly throughout pregnancy to get ready. My husband also read it and so was an amazing support throughout the labour. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who is expecting a baby, whether they are opting for a homebirth or hospital - I will be buying it for all of my friends in the future and even recommended it to my midwives for any ladies that they have who are interested in hypnobirthing. Fantastic book, thank you Hollie!!

This book is wonderful! I bought this book when I was six months pregnant with no idea about hypnobirthing and hoping it could calm my nerves about my birth. It really does! Especially when used with the mp3s that I listened to in the car. Hollie’s calm tone resonates throughout the book as it does on the mp3s and the visualisation tools are invaluable and easy to practice. Large sections of the book are dedicated to planning how you want the birth to be for you, and made me and my husband consider things we would never have thought of and understand and know options. My birth did not end up being straight forward but in times when decisions needed to be made it was the hynobirthing skills I had learned from this book that allowed me to be calm and in control in the birth of my little boy. My husband listened to it as an audiobook so we were all on the same page as well! I’ll be revisiting it again if we are lucky enough to have more children in the future. Thank you Hollie!

Doesn’t so much teach you how to hypnobirth as tries to convince you to do it - and to book a class to do so. It’s ok but I’m no better informed than before. Also the mp3s are cringey and don’t work if your happy place is water based as mine is, and she has the most irritating voice and rate of speech on earth. Not sure who told her she should record them herself. A lot of the stuff is really good though, just a bit twee at times.

Perfect book to teach many things about hypnobirthing

Easy to follow, practical advice on how to give birth without fear regardless of what path you choose (or end up going down.) I highly recommend this book to any pregnant woman or birthing partner.

In a world where I found pregnancy and birth to be dominated by lists, rules, medical teams, pharmacies, appointments, risks, and endless plans and worry, this book will strip away all of the noise, and reminds you that in fact the only things that really matter are you and your baby - and puts you back in control of both. At 30 weeks pregnant, it calmed my fractured, racing mind like nothing else could, and gave me the tools I needed to live and enjoy my birthing experience. Thanks to Hollie, I went into my birth feeling strong, empowered, and able to make measured decisions that were right for me and my baby. I was able to see me, my partner, and the hospital staff as a team all on equal footing and all working together to achieve a happy, healthy birth. I've since recommended this read to other pregnant friends and their feedback has always been the same; thank %^*& for this book !

This book helped me experience a beautiful, positive birth! Of course that's not to say it wasn't challenging at times, but I had the tools to calmly face these :) It also helped me to accept that each birth is individual and I had no expectations, I feel that's one of the reasons it was such a positive experience. I didn't have an epidural (although I began labour with flexibility towards this, also thanks to this book). Widwives and staff commented on how calm and well I managed, one actually asked if I'd done a hipno-birthing course ;) Easy read, sometimes slightly repetitive but I think this helps to reiterate important points. I think some visual diagrams would be good for us visual learners eg. breathing techniques throughout labour.

Easy and enjoyable to read. Calms all anxieties about giving birth and makes you feel empowered. I really like that she doesn’t push for a drug free home birth like some other books because she understands from experience your birth plan can change at a moments notice. Instead, she urges you to focus on breathing techniques and trust in your own body to go with the flow with whatever interventions or drugs are required. If you have any anxieties about giving birth this book is a must read.