Hypnobirthing

if all else fails, you might be able to find it as a pdf or ebook via a torrent site.

duddym, after all of the positive comments now I've started reading the book that I had offered to give to you! I bought it at Kinokuniya in Malaysia when we were on holiday but there is a HUGE Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall, perhaps they will have it.

Just to add, I really second what HelloAgainKitty says. I used the Marie Mongan method and found it great. To be honest I also found some bits a bit OTT and sort of cherry-picked what I used but overall I found that it helped me remain very relaxed and for me that was the key to being able to deal with each contraction. I had a drug-free, pretty great delivery and I would definitely use it for any further babies we may have. My doula (Elizabeth Bain) worked with me on it. I would encourage anyone to use it......in fact, my midwife at AH was very impressed with it afterwards! Best of luck!

Thanks HAK what book did you read? Think I may be doing it solo as there don't appear to be any courses currently running. The Mongan method one. There were bits which made me cringe a bit (can't remember which), but it was the sentiment of it that really confirmed it to me. I didn't do the relaxation (I'm not good at relaxing at the best of times), but instead went for visualising when was going on during each phase and kind of willing my body on... you know, like when you're at the gym and you're really pushing yourself and while part of you is aching and wants to stop, you give yourself a pep talk - like "go on, work harder, $&** you!" - at the same time as having a real understanding of what's actually happening inside your body. As always, I don't know how much of it was just in my mind, but hey, if it worked in any way, surely that was the aim of the game! One thing is for sure though, I have never, ever felt so completely in tune with my body as when I was giving birth to DS, nor as focussed and aware. It really is a heightened awareness - I can still remember being able to focus on the muscles rather than the contractions. Ah, yes, that reminds me - in the book, it calls contractions "waves" or "pulses" (which I found a bit silly)... and I was just about to say, about dealing with contractions that it's like the difference between surfing the wave and being in the water as the wave breaks over you. Same wave, just a completely different perspective... Of course, sometimes you fall off the board and the wave still breaks over you, but hey, no one's perfect!

If you can get hold of the book and read it, then you could pass on the course - I just read the book (and didn't listen to the CD/DVD) and it just clicked - I already felt that it was "my" approach, so reading it just confirmed what I already believed... anyhow, don't know what made the difference, but I had a wonderful labour and birth!

duddym, my friend is back in Canada although she was here for a couple of years. I'm over by Ibn Battuta but I'm going to Fed-X on Sunday to send a package to my parents so I can always drop the book in a Fed-X envelope to you if you'd like. When are you due? I'm due April 5th, had a dream last night that I went into labor totally unprepared!

hi there are a few people offering hypnobirthing classes in Dubai - it really depends on what method you are looking to do - either hypnobabies or the Marie Mongan method, to name but a few methods on offer. The Marie Mongan method - HypnoBirthing® - The Mongan Method - is a unique method of relaxed, natural childbirth education, enhanced by self-hypnosis techniques. HypnoBirthing® provides the missing link that allows women to use their natural instincts to bring about a safer, easier, more comfortable birthing. Emphasis is placed on pregnancy and childbirth, as well as on pre-birth parenting and the consciousness of the pre-born baby. As a birthing method, HypnoBirthing® is as new as tomorrow and as old as ancient times. They are both excellent course but offer slightly different approaches (but all with the same aim) to make birth a more calm, positive, powerful experience. I don't know of anyone who offers hypnobabies classes here in Dubai but you can do the course on line or buy the course cds- although there are benefits to attending a group or even having one-to-one classes. There is also a group in Dubai called Be Empowered who offer a free open house for women/ couples who are interested in finding out more about hypnobirthing, having a doula at your birth, how to achieve a positive birth, relaxation methods, alternative therapies and also placenta encapsulation. http://be-empowered.weebly.com/our-aim.html this is an excellent community group. For a list of hypnobirthing practitioners in Dubai see below. ABU DHABI: Danielle Way Abu Dhabi, UAE 056 1236055 www.hypnobirths.co.uk DUBAI: Muneeza Akhtar Ahmed [email protected] www.letsbirthcalmly.com Jasmine Collin +971 501323669 [email protected] PooJa Sawlani 0506543582 [email protected] hope this helps - you can buy any of the books on line or some of the shops stock them in Dubai - if you wish to learn the methods on your own. There is also another new webpage on birth called One World birth http://www.oneworldbirth.com/ it gives great information all from leading experts in the world of birth offering up to date researched based information on birth. http://www.oneworldbirth.net

Just be sure of what you want as I was also thinking of hypnobirthing but what I actually wanted was hypnobabies which is "same same but different". One of my closest friends is a Doula and she is a hypnobabies instructor which she recommends over hypnobirthing. See her page on Facebook "Prenatal to Parenting". If you "like" the page you will get LOTS of daily information and articles on yours newsfeed about birth and beyond, it's fabulous. I have a hypnobirthing book and CD that I bought accidentally (thinking it was hypnobabies). You can have it for free if you want as I'm going to order the hypnobabies books online.