The Hypnobirthing Book with Antenatal Relaxation Download: An Inspirational Guide for a Calm, Confident, Natural Birth. With Antenatal Relaxation MP3 Download Paperback – 9 Jun. 2017

What I really liked about this book is that it has an English author whereas most Hypnobirthing books out there have an American perspective or are targeted at an American audience. I'm not saying this is necessarily bad, but having something written in a language and tone of voice I'm more comfortable with and using more familiar cultural references is great. It also means that the section on how the childbirth system works in the UK, and the NHS in particular is actually relevant.This book is also really informative and well written. I attended a course with Katharine before the birth of my son, and she gave us an advance copy of this book which complemented what she was teaching us. But what's good about it is that I think it also works as a standalone if you can't get to one of her courses.As well as background information on childbirth and labour, it includes practical information like relaxation exercises and positive birth statements. There's also a nicereading list at the end if you want more information. Katharine also has some relaxation CDs which may be of additional help to expectant mothers - my colleague used them and said she found them really helpful.I was always very sceptical about 'alternative' methods of childbirth and assumed that when it was my turn I'd go for the full hospital route of hot & cold running doctors, midwives and epidurals-on-demand. But one of my colleagues kept nagging me to take a look at hypnobirthing as she'd used this method and found it had really worked for her. If only to shut her up, I decided to take a look and was really surprised, as hypnobirthing, broken down into its simplest form, is about using self-hypnosis to have a relaxed childbirth. She recommended Katharine to me and I was lucky enough to have classes with her. She was really inspirational and made me feel that I really could use this method with confidence. And I did!

As a midwife myself it was very interesting reading this book to see it from both sides. And I think it is pitched perfectly.I bought this book in my second pregnancy as I was determined not to have a repeat of my first Labour and birth, which was very long, full of fear and ended with an emergency section and an extremely long, painful and difficult recovery period postnatally.This book helped me so much to stay positive, focused, determined and to let go of the fear of my previous birth being repeated.The visualizations and positive affirmations in particular were a great help to me.I'm writing this review 5 days after my normal, swift and happy birth experience. And I could not feel more different than last time. It's amazing. Thank you Katharine Graves!During Labour the 'up breathing' technique and the squatting helped me enormously. I achieved a VBAC with just some entonox, in 3hrs of being in the hospital. 7hrs from first period pain to all done! It was my dream healing birth and it means the world to me. I will be recommending this book to everyone!

This book is really useful for getting to grips with hypnobirthing and generally having a better understanding of the process of birth. The advice given is generally useful and straightforward, and I feel I have learnt a lot through reading it. The MP3 of relaxations is useful too, although it's a pity that it only actually includes 2 relaxations as there are so many more in the book - it would have been more helpful for all of these to be included in the recording. I also feel some of the things that the author rants on about are no longer really an issue - for example, about informed consent before procedures such as membrane sweeps, delayed cord clamping or vitamin K injections. Reading her comments made me feel that I was really going to have to fight to get the birth I wanted. However, the reality for me has been that the midwives I have come across agree with much of what the author says is important. Maybe I am just fortunate in my caregivers but I can't help but think that maybe this book hasn't kept up with the positive changes being made in hospitals and birth units, and therefore makes a big deal about certain issues which are no longer really issues.

Katharine Graves' Hypnobirthing book is infused with the same love, knowledge and wisdom that she pours into her increasingly popular Hypnobirthing courses. It is so easy to read, it's just as if she was in the room talking to you and it covers every angle in plain English. The content of this book will empower all parents-to-be who invest in it. It will help them to more fully understand the birthing process, their rights and how to ensure - assertively - that they get them, and how to best help themselves and their baby both before and during labour. I do wish that I had had access to this book when I had my first baby 35 years ago! It is also an inspirational, must-have resource for Hypnobirthing teachers everywhere.

This book has completely opened my eyes up to another way, I could not put it down. I am now going to run through it a bit more slowly and start working through the exercises. Tempted to go and do a course but might see how it goes just working with the book. I so strongly recommend to any mum's to be to invest in the book. This is my second child and the first was not that brilliant so vowed I would be more pro-active to see if I could get the birth I really wanted. I now feel empowered that it is really possible to have an amazing birth. Thank you Katharine Graves for your wonderful book.

A must read to everyone. If you have a cd when I would say it is not necessary as pretty much it's everything said in a cd what's in a book. Was a bit disappointed as expected more. If you not getting cd when this book is great but if you got the cd already then not necessary.