Childbirth is a natural process, not a medical emergency as portrayed in many films and TV dramas. The role of medical staff and the hypnotherapist is to facilitate a nautral process. Hypnosis works in partnership with conventional medical care to ensure the needs of the mother and child are of over-riding importance. The way in which pregnancy and childbirth are conceptualised by the mother will have an important influence on her experience of the process. Family members and friends may share "horror stories" of their births, leaving the mother to expect to have the same experience. This, however, is not the case.

From 7 to 14% of women in western societies give birth with no experience of pain at all. Some women have carried a child to full term and delivered it successfully without having realised they were pregnant. This is due to the fact that the greater the degree of control and choice available to the mother, the greater her confidence will be and the less likely it is that mother and child will experience trauma and complications.

Studies have shown that hypnosis can significantly reduce the length of labour and can remove or significantly reduce the need for chemical pain relief. They have also shown that hypnosis can increase the likelihood of spontaneous childbirth and reduce the frequency of interventions such as caesarean sections, ventouse deliveries and forceps deliveries. Also the incidence of post natal depression can be significantly reduced by hypnosis.

During pregnancy, the mother could experience a few complaints. These complaints are responsive to hypnosis, so hypnosis can make the pregnancy more comfortable. For example, in the early stages of pregnancy, morning sickness may be experienced. Under hypnosis, symptom manipulation can be used to only allow morning sickness to be present for one hour of the day.

For the actual birthing process, rehearsal under hypnosis can help prepare the mother for the birth so it does not feel so unfamiliar when it actually happens.

I anticiapte to be there throughout the course of pregnancy for any mothers who decide to use hypnosis as a resource. I will not however expect to be present at the birth.