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Pregnant women turn to hypnosis for pain-free, drug-free labour

By MICHELLE MACAFEE -- The Canadian Press        Monday, January 31, 2000

MONTREAL -- Michele Steeves gave birth to daughter Paula earlier this year free of pain -- and drugs. Noticeably absent were the screaming, sweating and the general kind of agony often synonymous with childbirth.

 Her secret? She became sleepy ... very, very sleepy. [Actually Hypnosis is NOT sleep]

Under hypnosis, Steeves had the kind of painless, relaxed delivery that eluded her when son Justin was born two years ago.

 "I was very skeptical at first," says Steeves, 24.

 "I always pictured hypnosis to be like those Fox TV specials where there's all this fanfare and they make people do embarrassing things.

 "But it's really about logic. If you're informed and relaxed, your body will just do what it has to do."

 Contrary to the stereotypes, there is actually no sleep involved in hypnosis, says Jean-Claude Zekri, one of 12 hypnotherapists in Canada qualified to practise HypnoBirthing®. (www.hypnoaide.com)

 He describes it as a state of relaxed concentration that allows suggestions to be communicated to the subconscious mind.

 During childbirth, the feeling of being under hypnosis is similar to daydreaming, or the kind of mental drifting that occurs while staring at a fire, or driving.

 Hours pass in what feels like minutes.

 Mothers are able to follow conversations and be fully aware of everything happening to their bodies.

 But where there would be pain, there is only pressure, Steeves insists.

 "The contractions felt the same as if you contracted your jaw muscles or your bicep."

 Hypnosis is usually associated with helping people quit smoking , lose weight or overcome phobias.

 But HypnoBirthing® is on the rise.  The number of practitioners in North America has jumped to 220 from 45 in three years. (UPDATE IN 2004:  Worldwide Certified HypnoBirthing® Educators' numbers are in the thousands!)

 "Most courses say that labour is hard and painful but that they'll teach you to get through it," says Zekri.

 "We say the opposite -- that it's not supposed to be painful and we can teach you not to feel anything."

 Zekri uses a combination of visualization and breathing techniques to teach mothers-to-be and their birthing partners self-hypnosis.

 For example, a hand can be turned into a "glove of anesthesia", which when rubbed on the lower stomach can render it numb.

 Kathleen Cawthorn says she was drawn to hypnosis after her first Lamaze class failed to meet her expectations.

 "I just rolled my eyes and thought (Lamaze) was completely ridiculous," says Cawthorn, a Montreal lawyer.

 "You're breathing like a doggie, I thought I was going to hyperventilate."

 She also didn't want drugs, fearing she would feel more like a spectator at her child's birth.

 Some medical professionals, however, have greeted the promise of pain-free, drug-free labour with a dose of skepticism.

 "Labour is painful, that's the bottom line," says Dr. Judy Littleford, director of obstetric anesthesia at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.

 "I think it's wrong to tell patients that labour can be pain-free."

 But, she adds, the degree of pain can vary from situation to situation.

 While things such as the birthing environment and relaxation techniques can often play a role in reducing pain, other factors such as the size of the baby and whether coaches can get there in time are less predictable. [Note: Do the doctors always  “get there in time?” The Birthing Companion has every bit the same chances of being there – maybe even better, unless he is traveling, than the doctor.]

 Some midwives have begun incorporating hypnosis into their practices, which include other pain-reduction techniques such as massage and water.

 But the Association of Ontario Midwives says it is "eagerly awaiting" more research into its effectiveness before taking an official position on the practice.

 People drawn to hypnosis often want a natural childbirth, have had a bad experience with their first child or have a fear of hospitals, drugs, needles or blood, says Ronnie Singer, a hypnotist who works with Zekri.

 "HypnoBirthing® today is where Lamaze was 30 years ago," says Singer.

 And perception is everything in the battle between mind and body.

  Words like 'contraction', 'pain' and 'labour', are replaced with 'surge', 'pressure' and 'birthing'.

 Supporters also list numerous physical benefits to hypnosis, such as little fatigue and the ability to walk with ease almost immediately after delivery.

 Zekri is the first to admit there are failures, largely because couples don't follow through with the daily practice needed throughout the five weeks of classes.

  "Everyone is hypnotizable as long as they're willing to be hypnotized," says Zekri. "If they resist, nothing will happen."

 Despite initial skepticism, Cawthorn is convinced choosing hypnosis was the right move as she anxiously awaited the arrival of her baby.

 "Maybe with willpower I would be able to give birth without hypnosis, or (without) an epidural, but I would be a martyr," says Cawthorn.

 "I don't want to be Joan of Arc."

 

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