More than 800 expectant mothers shall take part in an 18 month NHS trial study on the effectiveness of hypnosis childbirth. The women will be taught to hypnotize themselves before childbirth. The expectant mothers will learn to put themselves in a trance-like state during labor which will hopefully negate the need for them to use expensive drug treatments such as epidurals, laughing gas or morphine.
In some hospitals, about 60% of mothers have epidurals, anesthetics injected into their spine – while many others are given injections of diamorphine, a form of morphine, pethidine or inhale laughing gas. Research shows that epidurals increase the length of childbirth, creating higher chances of needing a cesarean.
The sessions can cost till £800, and they also teach women massage techniques which enable them to stimulate the release of endorphins, to help with childbirth.