It’s labour minus pain as hypnobirthing comes to India

Saloni Zutshi was terrified of labour just like any mother-to-be. But on November 4, she surprised herself when she gave birth to her first baby in a pain-free delivery. She is so thrilled that she wants to “do it all over again”. While this Delhi mother is extraordinary in wanting to repeat labour, she is also the first in the country to use hypnobirthing, a new technique that makes childbirth easier.

‘Hypnobirthing’ may conjure up an image of a hypnotist standing in front of a hapless woman with a swinging pendulum. But it is actually a combination of relaxation, breathing and visualisation methods.

Already popular in the West — celebrities such as Hollywood actress Jessica Alba have opted for it — the technique has just come to India. It is fast gaining ground. “Two of my patients are taking hypnobirthing classes,’’ says Dr Ameet Dhurandhar, a Mumbai-based gynaecologist. Both are expected to deliver at this month’s end at Bandra’s Chrysalis Hospital.

“Hypnobirthing is the use of selfhypnosis to achieve maximum relaxation, comfort and relief during childbirth,” explains Divya Deswal, gynaecologist and hypno-therapist who handled Saloni’s delivery.

But didn’t Saloni and her husband have any reservations about using a method untried in India? Yes, at first, but their desire for a natural birth made them choose hypnobirthing. “Caesareans have become very common now but we wanted Saloni to have a natural birth. So, we attended a hypnobirthing workshop in Mumbai, and learnt about this new technique. But it was only after we were confident that we said yes,” says Vasant Goel, Saloni’s husband and birthing partner.
Deswal, who’s been certified by the Hypnobirthing Institute in New Hampshire, USA, admits that it took some time to convince the couple. “I assured them that there would be a gynaecologist on standby, in case of any emergency.”

When the time came, Saloni stayed calm. “We had dimmed the lights and played soothing music as Vasant whispered the hypno prompts to her. After three hours of labour, she gave birth,” says Deswal.

Success hinges on preparation so that when the time comes, a woman is actually looking forward to giving birth rather than dreading the pain. This is what happened with 28-year-old Saloni, who works as a researcher with the UNDP on HIV/AIDS. “The technique is based on the power of suggestion,” Marie Mongan, founder-director of the Hypno-Birthing Institute, told TOI by e-mail. It is based on English obstetrician Grantly Dick-Read’s 1944 manual ‘Childbirth Without Fear’. Dick-Read said that hypnosis during labour helps women break what he described as the “fear-tensionpain syndrome”. Once contractions start, fear kicks in as a reflex, causing blood to flow away from the uterus to muscles in the legs. The reduced blood flow causes the uterus to cramp, resulting in pain. So, if women could only relax, they would have less pain, more effective contractions and shorter labour. That’s where hypnosis helps. “It allows a woman to enter a state of deep relaxation. The feeling is similar to daydreaming or when one is lost in a book or movie,” explains Mongan. A review of patients who had used hypnobirthing was published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia in 2004. The review suggested that there was evidence of a reduced need for pharmacological analgesia. A controlled trial is currently under way in Australia, which is seeking conclusively to prove that hypnosis can a make a significant difference to women in pregnancy and labour.

“The method has been gaining acceptance in the US, where there is a growing trend of moving towards natural birthing. Of the 1,059 cases that came to us between October 2005 and January 2008, as many as 80% were from the US,” says Kathie Dolce, who works at the Hypnobirthing Institute.

Dr Urvashi Sehgal, whose hospital was used for the hypnobirth, says she had no reservations at all about the procedure. “Doctors should understand that hypnobirthing is not a parallel medical procedure, it simply eases the labour. It also eliminates the use of drugs to hasten labour. If used in combination with water birthing, it gives wonderful results.”

Gynaecologists who use conventional delivery methods don’t disagree. Dr Asha Sharma, senior gynaecological consultant at Delhi’s Rockland Hospital, says, “Such positive techniques can help check the rise in C-sections which more women are choosing over natural births as they get stressed about labour and obstetricians don’t have the time to address those fears.” Hypnobirthing helped Vasant and Saloni tackle those fears and bring baby Anaadyanta into the world without pain. Could it herald the birth of a whole new order for Indian women?

OTHER OPTIONS

Lamaze method:
Lamaze is the oldest and most popular method of childbirth preparation in the US. It originated in the 1960s but gained popularity only in the 1970s. Lamaze involves rhythmic breathing techniques which help women take their mind away from the pain of contractions.

Bradley Method:
Also known as “husband-coached childbirth”, it is the brainchild of Dr Robert A Bradley. Teachers of the Bradley Method believe that — with adequate preparation, education and help from a supportive coach — most women can give birth naturally, without drugs or surgery.