HypnoBirthing puts mind over pain
Austin 8 Health Beat       4/7/2004       By: Emily Schmitz

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A relatively new technique for childbirth, taught here in Austin, claims to take the pain out of labor.

Women are learning a form of self-hypnosis for pain relief during childbirth called HypnoBirthing.

Heather Hilton and Jan Bennett-Collier hold workshops in a North Austin apartment for HypnoBirthing of Central Texas.

HypnoBirthing was developed in 1989 and, since then, more than 1,700 people have been trained as certified instructors. HypnoBirthing of Central Texas offers group or private classes lasting about five weeks

"The hypnosis we do in the classes is to reprogram the deep seeded beliefs that moms have -- to take the idea of labor that labor equals pain and turn it into labor equals comfort," Hilton said.

Sound too good to be true, right? But hypnobirthers have high success rates.

More than 90 percent of women who take classes stick with the technique when the big event arrives and they don't resort to any pain medication.

Experts say it's simply mind over matter.

"There certainly seems to be no question to that the more relaxed and at ease the patient is with her labor, the more likely that her labor will proceed well, in terms of her dilation," said Dr. Robert Soring, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Liz Vazquez and her newborn daughter Feliciana are living proof HypnoBirthing can work.

"I was at the point where I was recognizing everything that was happening, it was like textbook labor. But the pain was just not there. I would come out of contractions smiling," Vazquez said.

Traditional clinical terms like contractions aren't used. Instead -- they're called surges. Experts say that puts expectant moms in a more peaceful mindset.

"So, when mom is feeling her surges, she just goes completely limp and relaxed, she feels what her body is doing. She's not unconscious, she is ultra aware of what's happening. She's not numb to what's happening, but it just doesn't have to be painful," Hilton said.

Vazquez had such a positive experience with HypnoBirthing that she's ready for her third child.

"I am definitely doing HypnoBirthing next time around. I definitely want a baby and that's definitely how I'll be getting ready," she said.