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.

Ensure EMI is below 40% of monthly income

More than half of my salary goes towards paying my monthly EMIs. This is something we hear quite often. Young professionals are finding it tough to handle the pressure of EMIs and credit card payments with high interest rates.

Raghavendra V (28) pays Rs 22,250 towards his housing loan and Rs 8,000 towards his personal loan every month. He works with a cruise liner and earns about Rs 65,000-Rs 70,000 a month.

“My dream was to own a house at an early age. In 2007, I had sufficient funds from my investments in the share market to buy a house. The house was for Rs 32 lakh and I was fortunate to get a home loan of Rs 20 lakh and separately opted for Rs 4 lakh as personal loan. The remaining was from my investment and savings,” he says.

But now, with the economic meltdown, Raghavendra is finding it difficult to manage the loan amount. “I plan to clear the personal loan first and then completely concentrate on the housing loan, since the interest rate on the personal loan is too high,” he says.

When it comes to monthly expenses, the basic rule should be to live within one’s means. “The total of all expenses and loan repayments must not exceed the income,” says Mahadevan, CEO of Wealth Advisors India.

“The amount of loans should be such that the total repayment amount (EMI) is no more than 35%- 40% of the monthly income after tax,” he says.

Anything in excess of this could mean that one may need to borrow funds for normal, everyday expenses, which must be avoided. “Create a reserve fund of liquid investments amounting to about 6 EMIs. This could provide the necessary protection in cases of loss of job or sudden mishaps,” Mahadevan says. Shreyas (26), a PR professional, has taken a car loan of Rs 4.48 lakh for 5 years from HDFC Bank. In the current scenario it has become difficult for her to handle her EMI and other monthly expenses. “I pay a monthly EMI of Rs 10,000 for the car loan. My husband uses his credit card more often than me. On an average, the credit card bill comes to Rs 5,000 a month. At the moment it is tough, as we had to use all our savings for the down payment of the car but is not an extreme situation yet as both of us are working,” says Shreyas, whose yearly package is Rs 4.6 lakh.

Each month the couple keeps a chunk of their salaries aside for clearing loans and other payments. “We are aware of the monthly petrol bills and other expenses like groceries and ensure that we only buy what is required. It helps in cutting down on unnecessary expenditure,” Shreyas says.

Maintain a budget sheet every month and break up your expenses into different categories like committed expenses, personal expenses, luxury spending and savings. “You will know exactly where your money is going and how much money you need if you have a budget. Accordingly, calculate the EMI you can afford. When it comes to credit card spending, it should not go beyond your one-month salary,” says a wealth manager.

If you have already gone overboard and are in a debt trap, it would be most important to find ways and means of getting out of it. Spending will have to be brought down to bare essentials, with a strong focus of repaying as much of the loans as possible. You could search for alternative cheaper sources of finance to pay off more expensive loans. “Sale of some assets may also need to be considered if the situation warrants it. It would be the attitude, the mindset and the willpower that will be severely tested at such times,” says Mahadevan acharya.