Mindful Hypnobirthing

Hypnosis and Mindfulness Techniques for a Calm and Confident Birth

By: Sophie Fletcher

Narrated by: Sophie Fletcher

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Random House presents the audio edition of Mindful Hypnobirthing: Hypnosis and Mindfulness Techniques for a Calm and Confident Birth by Sophie Fletcher, read by the author. 

Hypnotherapist and experienced doula Sophie Fletcher shares with you the secrets to having a safe, natural and positive birth. Using a powerful combination of mindfulness, hypnosis and relaxation techniques, Sophie will ensure you feel genuinely excited and completely prepared for birth.

With stories from women who have successfully used the tools in this audiobook, and downloadable hypnosis and relaxation tracks, discover how to:

• Use your mind and body together to stay focused and in control
• Draw on visualisation and breathing techniques to help birth progress
• Feel positive and empowered, before, during and after you give birth

Reassuring, practical and based entirely on what works, Mindful Hypnobirthing is your essential guide to giving birth the way you want to.

Part 1: Preparation and Pregnancy

Chapter 1. What Is Mindful Hypnobirthing? 

Chapter 2. The Benefits of a Mindful Hypnobirth 

Chapter 3. Getting Ready for a Mindful Hypnobirth 

Chapter 4. Getting to Know your Birthing Zone 

Chapter 5. Letting Go of Fear and Anxiety 

Chapter 6. Creating Positive Birth Beliefs 

Chapter 7. The Power of Visualisation for Birth 

Chapter 8. Your Birth Belongs to You 

Chapter 9. Birth Preferences 

Chapter 10. Birth Space, Relaxing Space

Chapter 11. Turning a Birth Partner into a Hypnobirth Partner 

Chapter 12. When Will I Go into Labour? 

Part 2: Birth

Chapter 13. This Is It! Signs That Labour Has Started 

Chapter 14. My Baby’s Nearly Here! 

Chapter 15. When Things Take a Different Path 

Part 3: Welcoming your Baby to the Family

Chapter 16.Welcome Home

©2017 Sophie Fletcher (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Good guide

I started this book at 35 weeks. Did the meditations and affirmations daily and listened through the book twice. I had a beautiful birth. It was not pain free but I had a different perspective on the pain (this is my fifth baby) and felt more in control.

Excellent for taking charge of your birth

I used this for the birth of my third child, after two hospital births. The second was the classic example of how interventions cascade into something that isn't good for the baby. I had always WANTED a natural birth, but never understood just how much work and preparation needs to happen in the mind and body of the pregnant mother BEFORE the birth. All everyone said about birth was, don't worry about it until you get there. The doctor will take care of it. NO. NO. NO!

If you want the birthing process to be a wonderful experience, YOU need to actively make that happen throughout your pregnancy. Educate yourself on as much as possible, and practice practice PRACTICE! Sophie Fletcher's book was great for learning how to instantly relax, and how to manage the sensations of the birthing process in that relaxed state.

With her guidance in this book, I was able to make it to transition with little/no discomfort and things progressed quickly. The BEST part about this book is that you can use these principles no matter where or how you birth. It's about training your mind and body to relax, which is essential for birth regardless of the place. It also helps you learn to stay calm when changes to birth plans may need to happen. I just can't say enough good things about this book.

Great in theory, but not practical

I decided to have natural childbirth with the birth of my first born and I heard that hypnobirthing would be great practice leading up to the big day. I will start by saying the narrator has a great voice and is very soothing. So soothing that I found myself falling asleep at times. On the day my son was born, I used the techniques when I first started to experience contractions. I feel like the practice of staying calm and focusing on my breathing was very helpful in early labor. HOWEVER, fast forward to 9 cm dilation, 100% effaced, no epidural, and I could feel my son’s head in my pelvis, I was cursing this book between contractions! I’m sorry, but there’s no way you can stay calm and in a peaceful trance when you’re body is about to split in half. You’re basically at the mercy of Mother Nature and you’re trying everything you can to contain what human dignity you have left before it all comes out in a mess of bodily fluids and intense agony. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did at maintaining a state of meditation from start to finish, but just warning you that this book makes it sound like a peace of cake compared to what it actually feels like.

helpful, well rounded

I love how she used both hypnobirthing and mindfulness. I knew I wanted to do something with hypnobirthing but some of the stuff out there, you can't share bad birthing stories and you van say certain words like contraction, really threw me off. This is a wonderful and well explained book that includes both mindful practice AND hypnobirthing. n.v

Helpful in preparing for birth

This book was very helpful to me even though I intended to have an epidural. It allowed me to get through seven or so hours of early and active labor prior to arriving at the hospital. It made a big difference. She has tracks on her website that are MP3s that you can download and then practice in the months leading up to labor. Overall I would recommend to anyone looking to mix Hypno birthing into their experience.

Great Hypnobirthing Resource

I loved the positive affirmations presented in the book. I also loved the author's accent.

Great book but I wish the chapters have names.

It’s hard to go to a specific chapter when the chapters have not titles. Good book. Narrator has a nice soothing voice.

Amazing Advice and Research! BUY IT!

I absolutely loved this book. The author and narrator has such a soothing voice. I appreciated all of her recommendations in the book because they have the research to support it! I am a first time mom and I am so excited to give birth to my baby. She helped me love myself and trust my body throughout my pregnancy. Bring it on labor!

Have really enjoyed this!

I’ve been listening to this for the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and have enjoyed it in so many ways. Sometimes it’s great for birth preparation and sometimes it’s exactly what I need to get through another sleepless night. I’m very happy I found it and so grateful for the peace it’s brought me. When my third decides she’s ready to make her entrance, I know I’ll be ready.

No actual hypnosis

they talk about it, go over it, have some couple minute meditations. " actual hypnosis " is either nonexistent or unorganized throughout book. I'll be returning.

Difficult to follow

I thought an audiobook would be best for this type of practice however in this format I'm finding it difficult to follow. There is no accompanying document to set out which chapter contain which exercises, and no introduction title to the additional material. I've not yet been able to find the tracks for the three main techniques that the author recommends are practiced three times a week! There are a lot of chapters but the content of these could be put more succinctly,after all the only way to 'achieve' mindfulness is by practice...which I can't do with the audiobook as I can't find the relevant tracks!

Can’t find tracks

Does anyone know how to find the 3 tracks she mentions here? It states that there’s 3 mp3s to listen to but I can’t find them anywhere easily??

Just perfect for birth preparation

A book read by the author who has the most relaxing voice.

Genuine practical information and advice which suits my no nonsense attitude. Although I do struggle with affirmations.

The author will email you the audio downloads if you contact her through FB.

All around thoroughly recommended.

thoroughly recommend, full of tracks to listen to

Sophie has a lovely voice and throughout the book there are little relaxation tracks to help guide you to the right mindset. I liked the explanations of how and why mindful hypnosis is effective for birthing and the stories from other parents were inspiring and reassuring. I listen in the bath regularly and at bedtime and am on my third or fourth repeat fo the book now waiting for baby number 2's arrival.

There are 3 free tracks to download from the website she mentions throughout - my only criticism is the address has changed from what she says, but good old Google managed to find it for me if you search her name and the book title - as well as hypnosis tracks from chapters 17 onwards in the audiobook itself for quicker access (try bookmarking and naming them so you remember what each one is about.)

very confusing and difficult to follow

I am not sure what the takeaway from the book is. So far I have listened to over 2/3rds of the book but I'm still confused about what to do when actually faced with tough situations. I tried to make notes but its not useful as there are no guidelines from author about what is imp to note. I am a first time mother and have no idea what to expect. Only thing I understood so far is how to relax and its "1,2,3 ,relax relax relax" thats it. Apart from this I don't know what else to do.
Its just like listening to a long story about what happens, surverys, other birth expereinces .. which is all already available on so many blogs/youtubes these days. I am very confused about what to do. Do I just listen? But how to remember?
Even medicial options available at the time of labor have been disussed but I think I slept through most of the info as it was again another long story format. No real structure to the audible. Writer also says to losten to this book often in later stages of pregnancy but its over 10 hrs long and seems like I'm barely going to finish it once just in time. Info is all over the place, I have no idea what actually to use from the book.

I think a better structured book would have made my life easier with specific sections on troubleshooting pains, options, plans, who to talk to, point of contacts, meditations, hypnobirthing techniques(as this is the most imp part and I have no idea when did the writer talk about this!! I have covered around 7 hours of listening now, though I have a vague idea that when she talked about imagining favorite place, thats when she was talking about hypnobirthing!)

Before getting the book I had a notion that I will be fully prepared and calm about my labour but after lsitening to it I realised that I'm even more confused. My biggest pain is that I have to guess what is imp and what is not. Very Disappointed

Too confusing to follow

The excersizes aren't in any sort of chapter format and there are too many to follow properly. I wouldn't recommend.

Lovely voice. Decent read

wish The layout was clearer. Section dedicated solely to affirmations would be nice. overall a decent read

Highly recommend!

As a first time mum with a low pain threshold I was petrified to give birth but didn’t want a medicalised birth so thought I’d try this book and I honestly couldn’t recommend it enough! I felt so much calmer and mentally prepared leading up to my due date after listening to it for a few weeks. I had the meditation tracks playing throughout my labour which was amazing as it helped me to focus on my breathing through contractions and I genuinely feel it helped to minimise my pain during a natural birth that I never thought I was capable of doing. 100% recommend this book to everyone.

Reading voice is not helping with hypnosis at all

The voice is annoying and clicking. Ruins the idea of the whole book. Didn’t feel like learning much, waiting to get to the point!

Good calming listen

One book you won’t want to speed up. Recommend this book for a positive birth mentality and general life