Research

Professor Soo Downe's NHS Study into HypnoBirthing:
The NHS are currently conducting an 18-month study into the effectiveness of hypnobirthing, led by Professor Soo Downe, a specialist in midwifery at Central Lancashire University.
The reasons for the study were many-fold; including an attempt to reduce the financial strain on NHS budgets caused by costly drug treatments such as epidurals, and also to help make births easier and safer for women and their babies.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/8333728/Forget-gas-and-air-give-me-a-hypnobirth.html

Birth in Water:
http://www.waterbirth.org/assets/documents/Waterbirth%20Basics.pdf

http://www.waterbirth.org/assets/documents/FD_T_Waterbirth-AComparitiveStudy.pdf

Use of medication in birth:
In a British study, 55% of 45 patients (first and second time mothers) required no medication for pain relief. In the other non-hypnosis groups, only 22% of 90 women required no medication. Two research pieces reported on 1,000 consecutive births: 850 women used hypnotic analgesia resulting in 58 percent rate of no medication. Five other research pieces reported an incidence of 60 to
79 percent non-medicated births.

Testimonials

"The birth was amazing and exactly what we wanted. After 2 nights of stop-start surges where I used the hypnobirthing tracks, my birth ball and different positions to stay calm, my waters broke at 2am in the morning. We went into hospital at 6am and as I was already 6cm dilated got straight into the birthing pool for the labour and birth. We used the hypnobirthing relaxation and breathing techniques we had learnt and practised in pregnancy which was really effective for us and meant i didn't need any type of pain relief. It was such an enjoyable experience I can't wait to do it again!"

"Using the breathing and relaxation techniques we were taught, I was able to  get through twelve hours of contractions with absolutely no pain at all.  All I could feel was pressure.
The final part, where I was pushing Mia out, stung a little bit but that was  all, and I didn't need any pain relief - not even gas and air.
What's more, my sister saw me soon afterwards and said I looked as if I'd  just come back from a health farm, not just given birth!"

"I casually wandered into hospital with my husband, not even sure I was in labour, only to discover that I was already 6cm dilated, and progressing fast! The midwives were astonished at how calm I was, especially for a first time mum!"

Real Experiences