New York Times Examines Drug-Free Childbirth Technique Hypnobirth

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 02 May 2006 - 6:00 PDT

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The New York Times on Thursday examined hypnobirth, a childbirth technique that does not use drugs to control pain but instead uses a combination of relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques to control pain, according to Linette Landa, a hypnobirth teacher. According to the Times, "hypnobirthing" is meant to relax women through contractions so "that there is no screaming to tire the mother or alarm the baby, and labor is shorter." The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists allows physicians to decide whether they will permit hypnobirth, and, although many hospitals permit the technique, some physicians have concerns about the process, the Times reports (Olson, New York Times, 4/27).

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