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Pregnant womentake the hypnotherapy class at Antai Maternity Hospital. Photo: Courtesy of Antai Maternity Hospital Chen Fenglin witha couple who opted for the hypnosis delivery. Photo: Courtesy of AntaiMaternity Hospita
　Pregnant womentake the hypnotherapy class at Antai Maternity Hospital. Photo: Courtesy ofAntai Maternity Hospital
Chen Fenglin witha couple who opted for the hypnosis delivery. Photo: Courtesy of AntaiMaternity Hospital
　　TV dramas have done nothing to ease women's fear of childbirth.
　　Now people don't just hear tales passed down by mothers of the difficulties oflabor; they often see graphic scenes of women contorted in pain and makingear-piercing screams.
　　It is no wonder then that women are opting for a C-section in order to controland hopefully lessen the pain of childbirth.
　　According to Xie Ruobo, a maternal and child health expert at the World HealthOrganization, statistics show that C-section rates in China have reached almost46 percent, making China the country that gets the most C-sections in theworld. TV dramas have done nothing to ease women's fear of childbirth.
　　Now people don't just hear tales passed down by mothers of the difficulties oflabor; they often see graphic scenes of women contorted in pain and makingear-piercing screams.
　　It is no wonder then that women are opting for a C-section in order to controland hopefully lessen the pain of childbirth.
　　According to Xie Ruobo, a maternal and child health expert at the World HealthOrganization, statistics show that C-section rates in China have reached almost46 percent, making China the country that gets the most C-sections in theworld.
　　However, some people claim that hypnotherapy is a pain-free alternative todrugs and knives. Lifestyle decided to investigate.
　　However, some people claim that hypnotherapy is a pain-free alternative todrugs and knives. Lifestyle decided to investigate.
　　In theory
　　The term hypnosis delivery might sound new, but in fact it has been practicedas early as 1942. In a book called Childbirth Without Fear, written by Englishobstetrician Grantly Dick-Read, the idea that hypnosis can be used in deliverywas introduced.
　　Today hypnotherapy for childbirth is offered at many National Health Service(NHS) hospitals in the UK, and is gaining popularity throughout the world.
　　This includes China. In Beijing, women can now try out the technique at theAntai Maternity Hospital in Fengtai district.
　　Chen Fenglin, director and owner of the private hospital, told Lifestyle thathe believes natural activities of the human body should be pain-free sincehuman beings have evolved in a way that means they tackle these issues.
　　These words are echoed in Antai Maternity Hospital's motto, which promotesnatural birth.
　　"We introduced water birth several years ago and now we are combiningwater birth and hypnosis delivery to let women suffer less," Chen said.
　　"Delivery pain is caused by three factors: contraction of the womb,expansion of the vagina and fear and anxiety of delivery," Chen explained."The last factor is the most important and can double the pain duringlabor."
　　Hypnosis delivery relieves the fear for women by shifting their concentrationonto other things.
　　By achieving this, doctors in Antai Maternity Hospital adopt a certainprotocol.
　　"First we let the woman lie in a warm water basin in a dark room withsoothing music playing," Chen explained.
　　"Then we tell her to relax, instructing her to concentrate onone body part then another until her whole body relaxes. When her body floatsit means she is hypnotized and ready."
　　The team draw on certain motifs that they know makes most people feel relaxed.For example, they tell them to imagine that they are lying on a beach or wadingthrough the calm sea.
　　"The method many hospitals adopted before demanded the woman to push andpush hard, which makes the delivery miserable and difficult. The more relaxedthe woman is, the easier the birth is," Chen noted.
　　However, not every pregnant woman is suitable for hypnosis and many are advisedto take a training course before they go into labor.
　　In the course, doctors go through a similar process to what will happen duringlabor, so women know what to expect.
　　"Each class is 45 minutes long and after attending three to five classes,they should be ready to go," Chen said.
　　In practice
　　Wang Yali, a 23-year-old woman from Hainan Province, experienced a hypnosisdelivery in April with the help of Chen. Wang is a mother of two. Her secondbaby came out much easier compared to her first child four years ago.
　　Due to the hypnosis, Wang can't remember much about what Chen said to herduring her delivery process. One thing that is clear in her mind though - thismethod really took the pain away.
　　"I had my first boy in 2009 and it was a terrible experience," Wangsaid. "It was so hard and I thought it would be nice for women to havebabies without suffering the pain."
　　Four years later when Wang was due to have her second child, she happened tomeet Chen in a maternity hospital.
　　"Chen and other experts introduced me to the idea of a water birth andhypnosis delivery. I wanted to experience it, since according to them, theprocess could be relaxing, pain-free and quite enjoyable," Wang recalled.
　　"When I lay in the water basin I felt like I was in a hot spring, but Iwas very nervous because it was my first time experiencing a water birth andhypnosis delivery."
　　Wang continued, "But Chen made me calm down and let me imagine that Icould have a baby without pain and slowly I fell asleep and all my labor painsdisappeared."
　　Wang's second boy came out healthy and for the first time, giving birth to ababy for her was enjoyable.
　　"I found that after I adopted this method, my recovery time wasshortened," Wang said.
　　"Last time I lay in bed for almost four days before I could get up andwalk, but this time I only stayed in bed for one night."
　　Other doctors were also interested in hypnosis.
　　Yu Shasha, director of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in BeijingShijitan Hospital, said that she had never heard of hypnosis delivery.
　　However, she was sure the method could help women lessen pain.
　　"Hypnosis delivery actually provides emotional comfort for women," Yusaid. "Giving birth is hard. Having someone accompany you and saysomething that makes you relax is very good."
　　However, Yu expressed it is unlikely this service will be provided in publichospitals due to the logistics of it.
　　"We have limited staff and many women come here every day. The hypnosisdelivery method involves many people, which is beyond our current means,"Yu noted.