The Hypnobirthing Book: An Inspirational Guide for a Calm, Confident, Natural Birth Paperback – 25 Jan. 2012

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.

I found this book and some of the advice given within it a little outdated. Some parts were useful but others were quite unnecessary. For example, the section on useful questions to ask during birth borders on aggressive (eg asking professionals for their registration numbers) which doesn’t feel helpful or useful. It made me feel like I’d have to fight tooth and nail for the birth that I wanted when the reality is that it’s just not the case. All of the professionals I have encountered have been helpful, non-judgemental and have simply wanted what’s best for me and my baby. This book pitches all professionals as demons wanting to intervene unnecessarily, which is a shame. If you can see past that scaremongering then the book does include some useful hypnobirthing techniques.

I was excited to learn all about hypnobirthing for my first delivery, although my husband was skeptical to say the least! I was expecting to learn techniques to stay calm and in control during labour, and I do still believe hypnobirthing can truly achieve this. However, I was rather disappointed by the amount of unscientific content in this particular book, which I felt undermined its credibility. I finally gave up when I got to the section on nutrition, which touts the benefits of 'alkalising' vs 'acidifying' foods! I do not agree with spreading this kind of pseudo-scientific misinformation and I'm afraid I just couldn't take the rest of the content seriously after that. I may purchase a different hypnobirthing book in the future, but this one was not for me.

I like this book so far, but I am so disappointed with the CD that accompanies it. Katherine Graves voice is calm and gentle but it is not particularly pleasing to the ear, in my personal opinion (although I like that she is British). The main problem however is that it does not include the same relaxation excercise as the one written in the book. I much prefer visualising all the different coloured fish as described in the book but when I listen to the CD, it uses butterflies. Which I think would have been fine, had I not been practicing using the book first. I have used Marie Mongan books and CDs in the past and I think that I prefer these to Katherine Graves - although they are very similar. Hypnobirthing is an excellent choice for all mothers, first time or 5th time....I highly recommend. It is just such a shame about the CD.

I liked the introduction this book has to hypnobirthing, I will be going back to chapters to practice the different breathing techniques. I only got the kindle version of this book and would probably have benefited more from having the mp3 audios included in the package instead of needing to buy them separately.

i wish they'd change the name from 'hypnobirthing' because it implies some sort of mystical hippy practises. It's essentially relaxation techniques and it's absolutely brilliant.Katherine Graves's method is a simplified and more 'English' version of hypnobirthing founder Marie Mongan's book, and it's well suited to those who are perhaps having baby number 2 and used the Mongan method previously. It's less wishy-washy and 'spiritual'.

Read this book during my second pregnancy and I feel it helped me a lot, not only during labour, but also in the weeks leading up to the birth. Katherine Graves speaks a lot of sense when it comes to pregnancy and labour and it's great to learn different techniques to help you mentally and physically prepare for the babies arrival. I'm now pregnant with baby number 3 and have started to reread the book and listen to the audio downloads. It's also a good idea if your partner reads the book too to give them a greater understanding.

Amazingly I read this book on the day I went into labour with my third baby. I was able to utilise the breathing and visualisation techniques In my labour and I credit it with helping me have such a quick, calm vaginal delivery with no intervention. I would Highly recommend it as I think it has loads of great advice. I wish i’d tried hypnobirthing 1st and 2nd time around.