Hypnobirths

Giving birth is the most incredible thing I have ever done in my life. It’s also the most painful.

Women should be made aware of alternative methods so they can consider them. But equally, I hope that this new move of ‘natural’ births will not put pressure on women to go without pain relief to follow a trend.

I was nervous about the birth from the day I discovered I was pregnant. So nervous, in fact, that my anxiety eclipsed my entire pregnancy. All I could think about was the finish line, the moment when I would go into labour, the moment I had to give birth.

The same thought rattled around in my head, ‘How the bloody hell is that going to get out of there?’ Rather like the ship in a bottle conundrum, it didn’t make any logical sense.

My fears were nourished by horror stories from work colleagues, friends and even family members. They were all graphic in their portrayal of events - every gory detail described with great enthusiasm.

I didn’t have an organised, written birth plan either. Perhaps I was in denial. I did have a plan though and it was simple. I want every drug available. I remember repeating this mantra in my head as I was being driven to the maternity ward, huffing and puffing like an unfit jogger.

Last week I read that researchers from the University of Central Lancashire will be working with expectant mums in a two-year pioneering study. The pilot scheme will see 800 mothers-to-be taught self–hypnosis to measure whether it can reduce the pain of childbirth. The hypnosis techniques will be taught to women who are 30 to 35 weeks pregnant alongside the usual prenatal care.

Hypnobirths have become an increasingly popular means to achieving a ‘natural’ birth with Hollywood A-listers like Jessica Alba giving the method the manicured thumbs up.

"I didn't scream," Alba told OK! in an interview. "It was really Zen."- whatever that means.

Hypnobirthing or Hypnobirth as it has become known, is a birth programme that teaches simple, specific self-hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques. These methods are said to encourage a ‘fear and tension free birth, enabling birthing muscles to function as nature intended them to’ according to the UK Hypnobirthing website. The result, we are told, is a pain free birth. But is this just offering us women false hope?

The belief that pain is the consequence of anxiety and can be reduced through relaxation techniques was first announced by Dr Grantly Dick-Read back in the 1930s (an obstetrician and founder of the natural childbirth movement). An American called Marie Mongan then developed ‘Hypnobirthing’ - now used in more than 26 countries.

I think the move by the NHS to reduce the use of epidurals and other painkillers during childbirth is a positive one. Not only are drugs such as epidurals costly (around 60 per cent of women now use these forms of pain relief) there are also professionals who blame pain relief for postnatal depression and other difficulties after birth.

Women should be made aware of alternative methods so they can consider them. But equally, I hope that this new move of ‘natural’ births will not put pressure on women to go without pain relief to follow a trend. And, if they do end up having an epidural or other method of pain relief, will this make them feel like they have let themselves down?

Of course, it goes without saying that the mission of every maternity ward is to have a healthy mother and baby. I ended up giving birth using gas and air because that was simply the way it worked out for me. I am still amazed that three years on I, the one who passes out at the sight of blood and cries with a minor leg cramp, managed to do it at all.

Any new pain relief practices when having a baby should be welcomed but let’s hope that women are still given a choice and aren’t made to feel inadequate just because they admit giving birth hurts.