I recommend this book to all who are pregnant! It gives an excellent new point of view to giving birth. This is especially helpful for those who are afraid of giving birth or scared of pain. This book hopefully will change their minds completely and see matters in a more positive light.

When I became pregnant with my daughter, I knew that there must be a better way to give birth than what is typically presented by the American media. Laying on your back and being yelled at to hold your breath and push strenuously is not my idea of a peaceful, natural way to bring a child into this world. Luckily, in my exploration of only the most mainstream pregnancy websites, I happened across a description of how some women use hypnosis for natural childbirth.

Now, if hypnosis does not sound "natural" to you, hear me out, because it didn't to me at first either. But, once I read about how the neocortex (our big modern brain) has gotten in the way of normal birthing, it made sense. Our cultural impressions and fear of birth have become engrained. Combine that with the self-consciousness and anxiety caused by laboring in a hospital, surrounded by strangers, and you have a recipe for a slow (if not completely stalled), painful birth experience.

The Mongan Method builds on the natural childbirth movement and acknowledges that women around the world and throughout history have given birth easily and painlessly. A pain-free birth? Who wouldn't sign up for that??!! I enjoyed a peaceful and comfortable labor and birth and cannot overstate my satisfaction with Hypnobirthing.

It is strongly advised that you read this book in conjunction with instruction by a certified Hypnobirthing childbirth instructor, which I totally agree with. My Hypnobirthing instructor was an amazing mentor to me on my road to natural parenting. If you are interested in providing your child with the best in natural parenting strategies, I also highly recommend Healing Our Children: Because Your New Baby Matters! Sacred Wisdom for Preconception, Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting (ages 0-6) by Ramiel Nagel.

This book is clear and fun to read. It will get you excited and feeling postive about the birth of your baby!

Do NOT buy this book. It is useful (to the extent that it actually may be) only in the context of an official five-part HypnoBirthing® class. And if you're pregnant and want to take an INFORMED approach to your pregnancy and to ALL your options for pain relief, as well as to any medical interventions that may become helpful or necessary during your labor and delivery, do not go anywhere near one of these classes.

As a certified consulting hypnotist, I attended a training intended to certify me as a teacher of HypnoBirthing® classes. The training was sponsored by the HypnoBirthing® Institute and presented by the founder herself, Marie Mongan.

I had really been looking forward to this training. Obviously, as a hypnotist, I have seen the efficacy of hypnosis for pain management, and I thought we would be learning about specific applications of hypnosis to pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

But on the very first day, my heart sank as soon as the opening session began. The first thing Mongan did was call attention to what was clearly a major point of the training: that the HypnoBirthing® trademark is sacrosanct and must never be used without proper authorization. In fact, that single point was reiterated more than any other during the time I spent in this training.

Also on the first day, I quickly decided that I was unwilling to pass on the information that was being presented unless I could verify it myself through my own reading. And I would have had to find quite a bit of time to do all that reading, since the founder was unable and, I suspect, unwilling to cite actual studies or any other type of scientific research to back up her frequently outrageous claims. Her stock response was "This is how I believe the body works." She also mocked scientists for their practice of collecting data first and then formulating their hypotheses on the basis of what has been observed. Her own method, she boasted, was to formulate a theory and then go in search of evidence to support it. If you were to read this book or take the HypnoBirthing® training, you would see that her approach to "science" has all the hallmarks of the procedure she so proudly described.

And why should that be surprising? The antiquated junk science on which Marie Mongan's "theory" is based--namely, the eugenics-based junk science of Grantly Dick-Read--took precisely the same approach to data and hypotheses. Dick-Read decided that "primitive" women did not suffer during labor and delivery, and that modern Englishwomen had been socialized to believe labor was painful. Thus their socialization made middle- and upper-middle-class Englishwomen extremely reluctant to bear children. As a result, they were relinquishing the reproductive field to women of the darker, "inferior" races, who were evidently propagating like bunnies and getting ready to inherit the Earth. But if Englishwomen could be persuaded that labor was not inherently painful, and that it was merely the result of fear and the resulting muscular tension, then they would be willing to reproduce in greater numbers, thus mailing two of Dick-Read's letters with one stamp: beating back the "primitive" invasion of polite society and the incursion of educated women into the professional workforce (lower-class women had always been expected, indeed forced, to work).

I should mention that I have no background whatsoever in maternal and child health or in childbirth, apart from having been born myself and witnessed several births. If the HypnoBirthing® training for instructors simply presented pregnancy- and labor-specific applications of hypnosis, my lack of relevant experience would not have been a problem. But the training gave me 13.5 hours of brainwashing in "birthing basics"--that is, Marie Mongan's very own private set of "facts" about the "beautiful birthing female body"--and on that basis I would be considered ready, after another 16.5 hours of indoctrination in the trademarked HypnoBirthing® syllabus, to go forth into the world as a "childbirth educator." Participants who had no background whatsoever in hypnosis were similarly unprepared, and similarly encouraged, to call themselves "hypnotherapists" after 13.5 hours of instruction.

Anyway, after two and a half days I finally accepted a simple fact--sitting through the remaining day and a half of this training so as to obtain my HypnoBirthing® certification would do nothing to help me recoup my financial investment, since by that time I had realized that I wanted nothing to do with HypnoBirthing® and that I would be embarrassed to add this organization's precious trademark to my business cards and brochures. So when we broke for lunch, I left and didn't return. Sure, I ended up wasting $600 ("early-bird pricing" rather than the usual $650) for what turned out to be nothing but an indoctrination in how to implement Marie Mongan's trademarked, rigidly controlled method of brainwashing and guilting pregnant women. But at least I didn't waste any more of my time.

I can't speak about other programs that use hypnosis for childbirth, but I can say this: beware of HypnoBirthing®. It is a cult, complete with a self-mythologized founder, its own special facts, its own language, and its very own version of ancient history. Its principal tenet is that important medical information must be withheld from trusting, vulnerable pregnant women (the theory being that if a pregnant women spends any time worrying her pretty little head about complications--or "special circumstances," as HypnoBirthing®'s creepy euphemistic jargon puts it--she won't be able to sustain the inflexible routine of self-brainwashing and "affirmations" on which HypnoBirthing® is based).

I don't think a responsible, ethical program of education can be predicated on denial, distortion, and withholding of facts--on truthiness, in a word. So do yourself a huge favor. Avoid this book--and everything that is supposed to go with it.

After this book, just arrived at Oct, 8. i opened it, and the i read in 2,5 hours, and i almost finish to read it. There's so may new knowledge that me and my wife get from the book. It is very simple and very supporting book for those who feared about birthing.
At the first my wife is worried about birthing, and i said that's a method from Marie Mongan, Hypnobirthing, my wife suddenly rejected, she thinks that hypnobirthing is a method that make her in a state of unconciusness when birthing, and we had a little argue, so i checked up the net for the book, and i found that this book is the answer.
For all of you that support for the natural birthing and looking the best way in birthing, i suggest you to read this book and looking the practitioner for the next step.

I found this book pretty late into my pregnancy (around 7 months). Don't get me wrong, the book has alot of great information and even some exercises you can try yourself. But my opinion is that to really benefit from hypnobirthing, you would need to take the actual classes to have an instructor teaching you and walking you through it. Many of the exercises described in the book were vague and I wouldn't have been sure if I was doing them correctly.

I loved the general information the book has to offer about how our body reacts to fear, how to do pereneal massage, how to know when you may be close to beginning labor, etc...etc... All of that was great information and I'm glad I got the book. But unfortunately, I do not think I will use hypnobirthing during my labor this time around. I may consider taking the classes for my next child.

I have trained in clinical hypnosis at my medical school and seen first hand what amazing things can be accomplished. For anyone not sold on the Mongan method of Hypnobirthing my recommendation is to get a consultation with a Hypnobirthing provider before writing it off.

The efficacy of hypnosis in medicine has been established for over 50 yrs. The hypnotic language in the book is perfect and well communicated. However, I can see how those who haven't witnessed the effects of hypnosis might find it unbelievable. I originally took the course in hypnosis just because I didn't believe it was real or possible. I was dumbfounded by what I witnessed and became a "believer".

Hypnosis utilizes a strong mind-body connection that we cannot scientifically understand right now. However, there is a significant amount of reputable, NIH-funded research supporting pain perception being regulated by emotional context and expectations. We might not be able to say exactly how thinking certain thoughts inhibit or stimulate the release of certain neurotransmitters, but we know for sure its happening and it explains a lot of what happens when hypnobirthing mothers have surges (hypnobirthing language for contraction) and yet feel comfortable.

Hypnobirthing is a tool to achieve a positive outcome. For those mothers and fathers who are willing to invest the time to prepare for a Hypnobirthing birth by practicing Mongan's method, they will be well rewarded. This isn't something where you have to believe it for it to work. Unlike placebo, all you have to do is follow her method and practice diligently. Your body will remember when the time comes.

The medical community used to doubt the efficacy of doulas (a person who provides emotional, psychological, and physical support during labor). Now there is scientifically sound evidence documenting that the presence of a doula shortens labor significantly. It is only a matter of time before the use of the mind-body connection in birth is better recognized by the mainstream medical community. In the meantime, you can still use it to improve your birthing experience. If you want to learn the skills to use that mind-body connection, the Mongan method of Hypnobirthing is an excellent option and I highly recommend it.

I was originally very skeptical of natural childbirth, but after doing a lot of research during pregnancy, and seeing the real statistics of less interventions = better outcomes for mom and baby, I became interested in Hypnobirthing. I recommend also reading "Childbirth Without Fear" by Grantley Dick-Reade, upon which all forms of hypnosis for childbirth are based.

I did not take the HB class, only a general childbirth education class provided by my hospital which covered the biology/mechanics, as well as touching on various methods of managing labor, medication options, natural options, etc. I highly recommend that any mom-to-be avail herself of such a class, no matter what approach/philosophy you choose, so that you will learn about the specific procedures and attitudes at YOUR hospital or birthing center. No single book can prepare you properly.

I did listen to the CD exercises almost daily from about 6.5 months on. I found Ms. Mongan's writing/speaking to be much more grounded, practical, and open for my own feelings and interpretations than other HB materials I tried. Other hypnosis audios were very specific about exactly what imagery I should visualize, which often gave me a negative reaction. (For example, "you are outside in a garden, lying on the ground" - this is not where I want to be giving birth!) Ms. Mongan works more by suggesting the desired feeling, such as peace, warmth, safety, "surrounded by beautiful colors" etc - so my own mind could supply the specific place/image.

My birth experience was not some ideal fantasy, but it was much, much better than it might have been, and far easier than average in my circumstances - I was 5 days past due and had low amniotic fluid. I spent all night and the next day until 5:30 pm pretty much trapped on a hospital bed, because frequent fetal monitoring was necessary. So I was not able to walk/move, etc as much as I would have liked. Most of the time I just had to be still and concentrate, which made me SOOO grateful for the Hypnobirthing techniques!

In the end, the "traditional" labor and delivery doctors and nurses could not believe my labor went so quickly (about 7 hour from receiving the Pitocin) or was so calm, focused and quiet. My midwife and birth-center nurse were very supportive and respected my need for quiet and focus in the room. I did request a shot of Demerol about 2.5 hours before the birth, and a shot of local Novocain during pushing, because the artificial contractions don't allow your body to adjust and stretch naturally. However, my midwife recommended these as an alternative to the epidural, because I was mentally tired and asked for something to take the "edge" off. They were completely worn off by the time I got to the postpartum room, and I was sitting up in bed, breastfeeding and eating a big greasy hamburger an hour and a half after delivery! Compared to the poor woman in the next bed catheterized, moaning and throwing up for the next 24 hours, I was so relieved I'd had such an easy time and was able to avoid the epidural. I completely credit Hypnobirthing with making me relaxed enough to let the birth progress so quickly and easily.

In the early stages of labor, before I had the Pitocin (up to about 4 cm), I had NO PAIN. NO PAIN AT ALL. I felt the contractions as warmth and pressure, as described in the Mongan book. The nurse monitoring my contractons was incredulous when she asked "how's your pain" and I told her I had none. She looked at the monitor, which I assume was spiking because I felt a "surge". "You didn't FEEL that??????" she gasped. "yes, but it didn't hurt." The Pitocin did hurt - a lot - but I believe if the Pitocin had not been necessary, I would likely have had a pretty painless birth. As it was, the pain was just something to deal with, breathe through and remain in the "now" (again, I credit the HB training).

One caveat prompted by reading some of the negative reviews from people who had difficult and disappointing birth experiences - if you are going to choose natural childbirth, you must be flexible and relaxed in your ATTITUDE, as well as in your body. You must choose a dr/midwife/healthcare provider that you TRUST and will LISTEN to. Why would you let someone deliver your baby if you don't trust them? I knew my midwife was 100% supportive of my wishes, is a firm and longtime believer in natural childbirth, and most importantly put my baby's best interest first. So when she said, "if it weren't for the fluid problem, I'd let you progress naturally, but we are on a deadline and need to use Pitocin," I trusted her judgment.

If you are rigid in your MIND, you cannot be relaxed in your BODY. You cannot control the experience of labor and birth - no one can. You must be willing to relinquish control and let the birth go as it will - if you cling to a script of how things are "supposed" to happen, you are just creating tension. Having confidence in your ability to give birth naturally does NOT mean forcing yourself to believe that all "good" births must be completely painless, or that if you feel pain you are doing something wrong. It means being confident that you have made good choices, that your body knows what to do, and that however it goes you can handle it and ultimately everything will work out for the best.

This book gave me that confidence and the techniques I needed to see it through. I'm currently shopping for a second copy now that I'm expecting my second child, because my original copy has been passed on to so many friends of friends I can't get it back.

My book came in a timely manner and was in Great Condition like they said. I really recommend this book to pregnant women. It will help a lot.

I think the flaw with this method is the idea that something "natural" (ie childbirth) can't be painful. Childbirth sure seems painful...I've delivered a handful of babies myself. While I am looking forward to my first baby this Christmas, I am not anticipating a pain-free experience. I think the Mongan method has some valuable things to say regarding meditation and focus. However, it did not sell me on the efficacy of it's method.

This is a great tool for relaxing during pregnancy and labor. I highly recommend it.

This book is problematic in one major aspect - it peddles false hope by insisting that the reader place her faith entirely in this method. During months of preparing, breathing, and learning the hypnobirthing methods, the mother-to-be has no idea of the kind of horrendous, inhuman pain awaiting her. The book makes it sound like it is possible to identify the pain as a sensation and simply let it wash over the body without feeling it as pain. NO. It is not. I spent months doing the exercises religiously and seriously thought I was ready because in the normal state of my body - I was. But hypnobirthing really only got me through early labor before the pain became blindingly horrific. Frankly, any kind of breathing exercises would do the job during early labor.
This book plays on the desires of women to have a beautiful and natural birth experience. But it does not deliver the goods. Feel free to buy it, but take it with a grain.. no, a pound of salt and keep your mind open about other options.

This book is amazing. Childbirth without fear and pain. I have had two short,easy,amazing births using this method. Every women should be able to look forward to her babys birthday and look back on her labor experience with one of awe and accomplishment. Don't miss out on having your own great birth story.

The CD was really relaxing. I used it through the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy to help me sleep better and really relax. My actual labor and delivery was very fast so I never felt like I had time to use any hypnosis, but I think this really helped me relax between contractions. My birth was all natural with no tearing and a very quick recovery. The CD has some good imagery that helped me through it all. Although I did have pain, I was able to deal with it all very well!

My husband and I agreed that we both wanted a natural childbirth before getting pregnant with our daughter. When the time came to actually start thinking about our plans, I did a lot of research. I searched message boards that I was part of, I searched Google, Amazon, asked friends and family members before purchasing this and several other books. This was the book we used almost extensively though. I did attend the classes (approximately $300 for six 2 1/2 hour classes which includes a copy of the book, the CD included with the book and another supplemental CD also available to purchase from the HypnoBirthing website).

Yes, the classes really helped a lot, but the book and CD that came with the book helped a lot, too. I read the book several times and practiced the relaxation techniques often. I listened to the CD almost daily during my lunch break.

The night before I gave birth, I listened to my CD, sat on my birthing ball and just relaxed for about an hour - which I think greatly helped my labor. When the day of labor and delivery came, I progressed extremely quickly - from 3 cm to 10 cm in about 1 1/2 hours. I never could figure out the birthing breath even with my instructor's help, so I did "push" my daughter out. But overall, I had the most amazing birth experience I could have ever asked for. I honestly don't remember the pain of delivery. I remember the pain of my contractions, but that was mainly because the pain was almost completely in my hips and felt like very bad arthritis pain (which I already have in my hips).

I let my cousin borrow this book as well. They weren't able to take the classes, but she had a natural childbirth as well and said that the book was a huge help to her.

I'm already pregnant again and we no doubt will be using Ms. Mongan's method with this birth, too. If you are planning on a natural childbirth experience, I highly recommend this book.

I read an earlier version of this book (checked out of the library) and decided to get the newest version, complete with CD. My husband and I have both read it and have begun practicing the techniques (12 weeks before due date). I would highly recommend this reading for its calm, natural approach to birthing even for people who aren't planning on going through the Hypnobirthing approach completely.

Great book that teaches you how to breath & calm & work with your body & your baby for delivery.

My husband and I are reading this book, as well as taking a Hypnobirthing class. The book is fabulous! It is very real, very informative. I am extremely pleased with the book and would highly recommend it. I would also recommend getting Gentle Birth Choices too.

Awesome book! Although I only made it to an 8 using this I am taking classes and WILL have a Hypnobirth next time. This method saved me from the extremely painful contractions that started at 32w6d and continued through bedrest and up until my son was born at 39w1d. After learning the tecniques the pain was magically gone and so was the fear!

It's about time we started hearing more about a balanced view of the labour process. The medical world doesn't have all the answers and too often creates problems with no consequence to themselves. There is no reason why woman have to accept the hysteria and myths the medical world has created around giving birth - we've been doing it for millions of years so our bodies are clearly capable. It's up to us to educate ourselves so that we can make well informed decisions about what's best for us and our babies.

I have been very fearful about giving birth my whole life, until I read this book and a handful of others, claiming accurately that birth is NATURAL. Mongan makes birth seem so precious and such a privilege, and I was able to change my perspective.

I had a very complicated pregnancy, and until about 33 weeks, was under the impression I would have to have a c-section. A friend loaned this book to me, and I didn't crack it until my perinatologist said I would be able to give birth vaginally. I hired a hypnobirthing instructor in my area for what turned out to be private lessons at a very reasonable cost ($100 for 3 sessions), and we "crammed" during the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy.

I hired a doula to help (who is also a midwife). At the perinatologist's recommendation, I was induced. My total labor, once I finally went into active labor, was 3 hours. It was not pain-free, but it was not traumatic at all. I requested drugs about 2.5 hours in, and they had no effect, so after the doctor informed me I was at 5 cm and broke my water, I screamed for the epidural. When they checked my dilation, I was at 10 cm and baby's head was coming out! No epidural, and baby was not affected by the previous drugs, but I was a bit loopy for a while after giving birth. I pushed about three times and she was out.

I did not have success with "breathing the baby down," and just held my breath and pushed when my body needed to push. There is honestly NOTHING like the beautiful urge to push, and I am so thankful I was able to feel it and give birth as "naturally" as I could, with pitocin and a couple of other mild painkillers. I attribute this to the confidence I gained about birth through Mongan's book (and Ina May's Guide to Childbirth). Thanks to these two books, I do not have an unneccesary c-section scar.

Let it be said, that I did not get the anti-establishment tone from the book that other reviewers have mentioned. From this book and my hypnotherapist, I went into my labor very willing to follow the OB's advice, if he decided to recommend emergency c-section. My greatest concern was for my baby's safe delivery. The hypnobirthing method taught me to relax and be calm and dignified no matter what the circumstances, and it's helped a LOT while raising my very active, energetic daughter.

I'll be buying my own copy of this book/CD in preparation for the birth of my son in 4 months.

My husband tried to help with this before labor, but he was absolutely no help during labor. I think you can do this technique alone if you need to.

I have had friends who have tried this method with great success. Two had 2-hour labors and one had 5 hours (all three had had previously 20-hour-plus labors).

This book originally was only available when you signed up for the classes. Hence, why you see class referenced a lot. It is a great start, but will not replace going to the classes, which are not only invaluable for practicing relaxation, but in life as well. All good books always reference seeking additional information "from a professional", including all the baby books that you have been reading. My recommendation: buy the book; read it; if it makes sense to you, then sign up for the classes. You will be a part of a changing movement in Western birthing practices!

I recommend this book to every mom-to-be I meet. It is sad that some reviewers did not give it the full credit it deserves...especially since at least one of them never even gave birth before, and suggested reading 3+ books rather than this one very informative one! I gave birth to my daughter at home a year and a half ago using the techniques given in this book. I never took a class, but was very disciplined at practicing the meditations on my own every night. Birthing is no simple task, but this book will give you the tools and confidence you need to get through it.

This is a good start towards learning hypnosis birthing but it isn't enough. As other posters have stated there are many parts in the book that say you will receive certain information in your class. However, I did not take the class and therefore I feel like I was missing out on very important information. If you are just thinking about hypnosis and want a basic overview of what it is all about then this is a great beginning. It will let you know if this is really the path you want to go down. However, if you really do feel hypnosis for birthing is right for you I would strongly recommend getting the hypnobabies home course. You will learn so much more and actually feel confident about your hypnosis abilities.

I am in my first pregnancy and bought this book to see if it was something for us.Also to help me decide if I wanted to go further and take the class. The book is incredible,easy to read, very informative and really helps you understand how the birth process should procede! If you are considering natural birth, I highly recommend reading this book.We have since signed up for the class and can't wait to start!!!

Excellent book. Well written. Gives you the confidence to birth. Lots of helpful hints about bonding with your baby befroe it arrives.

I bought this book with my first pregnancy and loved it. I was totally mentally prepared for a natural childbirth. Unfortunately, I went against my instincts (and the book's advice) and chose the wrong caregiver (an obstetrician). I felt pressure to be induced and ended up with a cesarean section, giving birth to a lovely daughter that was not overdue at all! (don't trust ultrasounds for dating methods or baby size!!)

When pregnancy number two came along, I again turn to hypnotherapy. I also hired a midwife who supported natural childbirth. Baby number two arrived after a FAST, (so fast, in fact, we had her at home instead of traveling to the hospital) and basically pain free labour. People say I was "lucky" because of my pain free birth. I know it was because I was mentally and physically prepared and surrounded my self with people who supported me.

I ache to give birth again - what a wonderful experience. When I see women who are pregnant, I long to change places with them and birth their babies. That's how well this method works. Natural childbirth is amazingly empowering! Women owe it to themselves and their babies to give it a try.

This book is a must for any expecting mother. Is doesn't matter if you want to have a drug free birth or if you want all the meds in the world for the pain. If you follow the method explained it this book, you will be able to ease the discomfort yourself. I believe this book helped me to have my baby without any pain meds. HypnoBirthing WORKS!!

First of all I delivered a 9 pounder in under 12 hours, with no interventions or pain meds.

I had terrible childbirth fears prior to taking the class and reading the book. I had an extraordinary teacher and this book was a great companion to the class. I gained so much confidence from this method that at 30weeks pregnant I switched from my OB and hospital to a midwife at a water birthing center.

I loved the daily practices, it helped my husband connect to the pregnancy, feel involved and bond with the baby.

When my contractions started we did one of the relaxation scripts and all during labor we played the birth affirmation CD that you get when you take the class.

My little one arrived gently in the water. I felt no pain until I was 9cm dilated. Seriously none! I wasn't even sure I was in labor. I did feel pain after that, but I stayed on top of it.

This method taught me to trust my body and to do what I needed to do.

Those who thinks this book made their labor harder because they didn't get their epi fast enough or whatever, missed the main point of this book... which is to trust yourself. If you felt you needed an epi, then ask for it. The book didn't stop you. Nor was the book overly critical of epiderals or other medical interventions... it stated the risks (which there are a lot) and took the approach that the people reading this book wanted a med-free/intervention-free birth, so it teaches methods to achieving that. Those methods don't work for everyone. And there is a time and place for all the interventions... if you feel you need them then get them.

First of all I delivered a 9 pounder in under 12 hours, with no interventions or pain meds.

I had terrible childbirth fears prior to taking the class and reading the book. I had an extraordinary teacher and this book was a great companion to the class. I gained so much confidence from this method that at 30weeks pregnant I switched from my OB and hospital to a midwife at a water birthing center.

I loved the daily practices, it helped my husband connect to the pregnancy, feel involved and bond with the baby.

When my contractions started we did one of the relaxation scripts and all during labor we played the birth affirmation CD that you get when you take the class.

My little one arrived gently in the water. I felt no pain until I was 9cm dilated. Seriously none! I wasn't even sure I was in labor. I did feel pain after that, but I stayed on top of it.

This method taught me to trust my body and to do what I needed to do.

Those who thinks this book made their labor harder because they didn't get their epi fast enough or whatever, missed the main point of this book... which is to trust yourself. If you felt you needed an epi, then ask for it. The book didn't stop you. Nor was the book overly critical of epiderals or other medical interventions... it stated the risks (which there are a lot) and took the approach that the people reading this book wanted a med-free/intervention-free birth, so it teaches methods to achieving that. Those methods don't work for everyone. And there is a time and place for all the interventions... if you feel you need them then get them.

Since I was a small girl and all the way through my early 20's I had a phobia about giving birth. I would have nightmares and wake up upset that I would never have children. Flash forward to a couple of years ago. My hubby and I planned a pregnancy and I decided I would just go for it and hope for the best. I decided to take a class in Hypnobirthing and it changed everything for me. This is a book that empowers and comforts the pregnant mom. You'll learn that your body is designed to birth and if you get out of your own way and let it do it's work, you'll have a positive birth expereice. I went from being terrified of birth, to delivering my little girl in a joyful, calm, and drug free way. I simply didn't need any pain medication. In my birth video I look like I'm asleep between the pushes, I'm so relaxed! I still can't believe it! Read the book, take a class if you can, listen to the CD, and trust your body. Self doubt is the only thing that stands in your way. Even if complications arise in your baby's birth, the techniques you'll learn will keep you calm, relaxed, and confident. Happy Birthing!

P.S. - This course is not about choosing to go "Anti-Epidural". You can learn these incredible techniques and still make any pain management decisions you wish. Don't worry. Just study the techniques and see how it helps you. I didn't need an epidural because my relaxation was so deep, I didn't have a painful experience (LOTS of pressure but not pain), but you can do what you wish while still having the techniques to keep you relaxed and positive no matter what you choose. It's not one way or the other. - I do have to say that it's important that you have a doctor and partner who is supportive of your ability to birth with no intervention. The doubt of your medical professional, partner, mother, or anyone else in the room can really sabatoge your positive attitude. If you were running a marathon, would you want someone driving along beside you saying, "You'll never do this on your own. It's going to be terrible and painful!" You MUST have people around you who believe in your ability to birth.

I have read this and over a dozen other books as part of my labor doula training. Now, as an expectant mother, I've discussed this curriculum with several doulas, midwives, and midwife assistants. I also audited the class last year.

Bottom line: If you want to learn about childbirth preparation, there are better books (Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Kitzinger). If you want to learn about overly interventionist hospital policies and practices, there are better books (Missed Conceptions, Wolfe; Ina May Gaskin, etc.). If you want an emotionally and spiritually connected approach to birthing, Birthing from Within is great. If you want to develop relaxation techniques that work specifically for you, paying a few bucks for the book won't hurt, but the class is over $400, for that money you could meet one-on-one with a licensed hypnotherapist who could tailor techniques just for you.

Mongan's basic principle, that a relaxed woman will labor more effectively, is something I believe whole-heartedly. I'm even planning a homebirth. But the idea that it *shouldn't* hurt if I'm doing the exercises right is overstated and, frankly, I think abusive to women. As if barfing during transition is a sign of a character flaw. The section on pushing the baby out is particularly misleading and wildly unrealistic.

I like that they're encouraging people to demand more compassionate care in labor and delivery. But this movement seems more invested in making a brand for itself than in thoughtful, well-reasoned, well-researched approaches to improving maternity care.

This is a book that every pregnant woman and all those working with birthing should study well! Birthing is actually the most natural thing a woman can experience without fear, pain or discomfort. With hypnobirthing birthing becames a beautiful experience! I warmly recommend this to open-minded people who are ready to experience the wonder of truly natural birth. Your money won't go to waste!

I have a VERY high level anxiety when I have to get blood drawn so I had NO CLUE how I was going to go through labor. I was in complete panic as the months went by. I bought this book in my 8th monthe and read in in 2 days. I listed to the cd every night. I ended up having a c-section and the whole time I was in a beautiful, happy place! I had hypotised myself into that place and therefore have a beautiful story of my birthing experience. GREAT BUY!!!

If you're pregnant, you MUST read this book! It will get you mentally, physically and emotionally ready to enjoy your labor... rather than fear it. The mind is a VERY powerful tool and the more we understand the natural physiological process of childbirth, the better we can work WITH our bodies and make the whole process easy and as painless as possible (literally!). I was skeptical when I picked up this book, but it really works! When you remove the element of fear (and the hormones that are produced by fear & stress) and replace them with endorphins, pain is literally, physically lessened! Because of having read this book, my labor was an amazing, totally natural, drug-free experience. I focused on staying completely relaxed and letting my body do what it needed to do, and I had a 6-hour labor with very minimal pain. It was amazing. Thank you Marie Mongan for giving me a wonderful childbirth!

Marie Mongan's book is essential for those considering natural childbirth. Inspired by the work of Grantly Dick-Read, M.D., co-author of Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth, HypnoBirthing provides a comprehensive investigation of the history of childbirth, the psychology of a natural birth, hypnosis techniques, as well as a variety of tools that can be used to create a calm and gentle birth.

As a HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator, I'm often asked, "Does hypnosis really help with childbirth?" To answer, I frequently refer to the results of a large study published in 1993 by M.W. Jenkins and M.H. Pritchard in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology which found that women who used hypnosis during childbirth had shorter labor and used less pain medication.

Here are some of the results from the study:

1. First-time moms: average first stage of labor with hypnosis 6.4 hours compared to 9.3 hours without hypnosis

2. Moms who had given birth before: average first stage of labor with hypnosis 5.3 hours compared to 6.2 hours without hypnosis

3. Pain medication: both groups of hypnosis moms used significantly less pain medication than the non-hypnosis moms

Hypnosis can have a significant positive impact on birthing. That being said, I have always thought that the name, HypnoBirthing, tends to sell this book short. While hypnosis certainly plays a central role in the program, mothers and their birth companions also learn visualization, massage, breathing and other techniques to assist them in having a calm and gentle birth.

I do not recommend this book. I purchased this book AND took the class. I practiced all the exercises and was confident for my birthing. The only thing this book provided me was confidence in birthing. However, it made me suspicious of my doctor's advice, which is/was bad.

My birthing went well, but could have been less painful and finished faster had I listened to my doctor. Hypnobirthing says that when your water breaks, to not go to the hospital until your contractions are felt. In my case, I didn't feel contractions for 24 hours. I did go in after 12 hours when my doctor said that I should be induced. I resisted. 12 hours after, they induced me. Hypnobirthing says that if you get the epidural, it will be more difficult for you give birth because you do not know how hard to push so you'll be pushing for a long time and then the baby gets stuck and then you'll end up getting a c-section.

So, I did not get an epidural. BUT there is no possible way to endure drug-induced contractions naturally. It is/was the MOST painful thing EVER. At one point, I was ready to get a C-section just to stop the pain. Finally, I got the epidural. And I must say that it was the best thing that happened. I didn't feel a thing and was laughing and telling jokes. Hypnobirthing also says that you should not push, but you should "BREATHE" the baby out. Well, I PUSHED the baby out and 20 minutes later, I had my sweet baby.

Because I was trying to have my birthing the hypnobirthing way, I had unnecessarily lengthened the labor time and endured massive pain. In the future, I will only use this book during pregnancy to help me relax, which is why I am giving it 2 stars. But I will not practice any of the book's philosophies. I will not create a birth plan, I will get induced and ask for the epidural.

My advice is to read this book only for the relaxation techniques and to help understand the birthing "process" but don't bother with the birth breathing AND Listen to your doctor.

I am still reading this book but so far its awsome, I really needed mental reasurance that I could deliver without an epidural. This book is just what I needed. It gives you a lot of facts about what your body is going through and how you can help control the pain to have a great laybor.

I feel so much better about birthing after reading this book! The author is very calming and matter-of-fact. Even the first chapters of the book, which discuss the history of birthing and the emergence of this method, are relaxing to read. I have been able to use the breathing exercises to calm myself during stressful, non-pregnancy related times. I feel so much more confident now about my upcoming childbirth experience. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in trying a drug-free birth experience.

I felt the book itself gave me much more confidence in approaching my child birth experience, and I practiced the techniques and breathing from about my 4th month. However, my experience was that of a turned baby (facing back instead of forward) and yes the techniques helped me cope through 8 hours of relentless back labor... but in the end, it was an epidural and an experienced midwife who turned the baby. I got the natural delivery I wanted, but definitely not without immense pain - even though I was controlling my breathing until the end. My husband and I put off the intervention for longer than necessary - mostly due to my belief in this technique. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone (mine has been thrown out).

After reading this book (and several others about childbirth methods), this was the one I chose to focus on, and attend classes on. I haven't given birth yet, so I don't know for sure how effective it'll be! But it's a good read, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a childbirth method. Focuses on relaxation, and connecting with your baby and your own body both during pregnancy and during childbirth. I found that "hypnosis" as presented in this book is much different than I had imagined!

I listened to the CD as soon as I received this book in the mail and I was disapointed to find that it assumes a male partner. I found it very distracting during the meditation and haven't listened since. I would not recommend this book to single women or lesbian couples.

This book was somewhat useful and had some good tools and the cd was useful. However, it is quite upsetting when it starts to get into a subject, exercise, etc. and merely states "you will learn more of this in your class". Apparently you are supposed to use this book while taking a class. If only the authors and publishers let you know that before you order it.

This book was very helpful to me tho I feel it could have been titled differently. What I found most useful in it was how it assured me my body was made for childbirth and I had to stick up for myself when I did not want to do things the doctors and nurses wanted me to do for no other reason than it made things convenient to THEM. If you have even thought of buying it, go through with the purchase it's worth every penny!

I had given birth twice & was expecting my third when I got this book. It really is a low price considering it includes the cd & book! I will be honest & say I never read the whole book & didn't have much time to listen to the cd but I listened a handful of times while pregnant.

My husband didn't take part in the cd or the exercises in the book. So it can be done without them following along.

The first time I gave birth naturally it was a very traumatic & painful experience. It was something I never again wanted to feel. The second time went much smoother. It was another natural birth as my epidural couldn't be given in time. My labors are normally long (14 1/2 & 20 1/2 hours long) I normally need pitocin because I stop dialating naturally around 5 cm.

My water broke & I started practicing my breathing in the car. I could tell it was working because I went from feeling no pain to a good amount of pain & was afraid we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time so I stopped practicing. We got to the hospital at 2:15A I was expecting to need pitocin which I did not want! Around 3 I was 6 cm. Then at 4:03A I was 10 I couldn't even believe I had done it on my own. My son all 9 lbs & 21 inches was born by 4:17A with no medication at all.

I won't lie & say it was pain free but it was a lot less painful than my other med free births.

She has a very judgmental attitude that put me off and discouraged me from finishing the book. I.e., you're told over and over that if you do the method right, you'll feel absolutely no pain... But of course, the flip side of that argument is that if you DO feel pain, it's somehow your fault. I prefer The Birth Book by the Sears, as it's much more "different things work for different people; we help you find what works best for you."

I read the book and took the classes for both of my babies. I had two beautiful, natural births and my babies were both 10 pounds! The book alone isn't meant to cover everything. The classes were so wonderful and gave me great information too. I read other reviews and I can tell that many women who don't like the book aren't really understanding of natural birth in the first place. This method was great because of the fear release that is so important for a calm birth. You have to believe in yourself - not just the method! I loved it and I tell all I know about it!

I ordered this book to educate myself on hypnobirthing prior to attending the birth of my sister's fourth child (her second "hypnobirth"). I've never given birth, and I wanted something that would teach me how hypnobirthing worked so that I could be helpful in the delivery room.

The light-touch massage was absolutely the best thing I did to help my sister, so I am definitely glad Mongan suggests it. The information about trying to relax and not be afraid so that your body and your baby can birth naturally was helpful, although I thought her relaxation techniques were on the goofy side. My sister seemed to like them, though, especially the "blue ribbon" visualization in which you imagine your uterine muscles as soft, blue ribbons opening and floating (or something like that) to make room for your baby. Other than this and a couple of equally silly (in my inexperienced opinion) visualizations, there wasn't much practical information.

Instead, there was plenty of marketing information for her classes, enough anti-medical-establishment propaganda to seriously grate on one's nerves, and a lengthy history of the medicalization of childbirth (which would have been interesting in four pages or less). One of my biggest clues that Mongan was not my style was her list of no-no "medical" terms such as "birth canal" that she wants replaced with euphemism-words like "birth passage."

There were at least thirty pages or so with helpful information, and for that, I am glad I read the book, since I knew nothing about hypnobirthing. I would love to see a more scientific book on hypnobirthing, but if you dislike science, then you may not find this book lacking.

I bought this book in the hope to learn some new guided imagery that I could use to relax me during labor, and during pregnancy. The book is one of those books that is just ok, not life-changing. When you read it you don't really have any "aha" moments. The CD that comes with it was ok, but not that special. I have found Belleruth Naparstek's CDs to be by far the most transformative. Her CDs make me SO relaxed! Even the heartburn and swelling seem to calm down after I've relaxed to her CD for about 45 minutes. Also, I find that during the weeks that I do her CD I have a more positive outlook and I can cope with things better. The pregnancy hormones seem much more dark and difficult to deal with when I get busy and don't do the CD. I like her "Pregnancy and Childbirth" CD, as well as her "Relaxation and Wellness" one. If you had a traumatic birth experience or pregnancy in the past, her PTSD CD is really powerful. Hope this helps someone!

I was so excited about the idea of Hypnobirthing for my first child. My husband and I attended our local course, and read this book. We practiced each week and followed each rule and guideline. I had all my 'relaxation tracks' on my iPod and felt ready to have a beautiful birth. Unfortunately, due to low fluid, I had to be induced unexpectedly. Perhaps it was due to the introduction of Pitocin and induction techniques, but I endured 4 hours of my 13-hour labor trying to use only hypnobirthing before I broke and asked for an epidural (something I had been dead set against before I went in). I tried using the system again during my 2 1/2 hours of pushing but unfortunately endured a lot of pain and exhaustion. Hypnobirthing just did not work for me. Maybe it would work better in a non-induced birth, but after my experience I won't be trying it again... I'm skipping straight to the epidural next time. It's unfortunate since I had truly wanted a natural, non-invasive birth. But with no feeling of control or pain management, I was forced into something I didn't want just to get through the ordeal.