The representation of pain in childbirth in fiction or documentaries (and even in the accounts of many mothers) often shows the idea of immense pain. Therefore, every woman who wants to be a mother expects great pain during childbirth, and this can even elevate her anxiety levels during pregnancy. According to the Journal of the Brazilian Medical Association, this pain may even be a necessity for a woman to feel like a mother.

In Catholic conception, the pain of childbirth is linked to the book of Genesis, where the pain is said to be a punishment that the woman must feel because of Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; with pain, you will give birth to children…” (Genesis 3:16).

Thus, the experience of childbirth can be negative depending on how the woman is dealing with the entire process of pain. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve a pain-free childbirth or, depending on the woman’s sensitivity, a childbirth with reduced pain. Check out some ways we highlight below and an interview we conducted with an obstetrician on the subject!

What is childbirth pain?

According to British obstetrician Grantly Dick-Read (1933), childbirth pain is caused by the “Fear – Tension – Pain” triad. Due to the influences a woman may suffer from superstitions, culture, or civilization, this can contribute to generating fear and anguish in the woman related to childbirth.

Fear causes a protective tension reaction, which is not only mental but also muscular tension. When the pregnant woman goes into labor and she is tense, the cervix has difficulty dilating for the natural exit of the child, causing pain. Additionally, when a woman is in situations of pain, along with fear and tension, she interprets it as a dangerous situation, which can intensify her fear and tension, creating a vicious cycle.

An example of this is a pregnant woman who may have received worrying information from family members about childbirth issues, and she begins to fear even before this moment arrives. This fear makes her tense at the time of delivery, and this hinders her muscles so that the child can be born. Her body becomes resistant to natural movements, which ends up causing more pain and affecting her mental health, intensifying fear and consequently tension and pain.

Ways to have a pain-free childbirth

The knowledge and interest in developing a pain-free childbirth have existed since 1888. According to the Digital Encyclopedia of European History, there were already studies in the USSR on how to exert psychological influences to reduce childbirth pain, which were later imported to France.

Past methodologies

In 1902, Nicolaiev in Russia conducted the first specific and published work using hypnosis to reduce pain during childbirth. It was common at the time as it was an efficient measure without additional costs of anesthetic drugs, which were expensive.

Thus, advances continued in studies in psychology and obstetrics, and new natural forms of pain inhibition began to emerge, focusing on various techniques and strategic follow-ups.

In 1947, the Bradley method was created, and soon after in 1951, the Lamaze Technique. Both focused on relaxation techniques, nutrition, and offered different types of support for women to reduce their tension and fear.

Hypno Pregnancy Methodology

Today, there is a method created from the best scientifically proven practices developed so far, the HypnoPregnancy® by SBH, which includes methodologies that can be applied by any health professional or companions. 

Through this methodology, at the time of delivery, hypnosis acts as a way to help women go through a normal, calm, and comfortable childbirth, often without pain, as they will be conditioned to enter a state of deep relaxation, inhibiting fears and tensions, which are factors that can influence the woman’s pain. These effects can occur during and before childbirth if a well-prepared companion or health professional is able to correctly apply the techniques. 

Specifically about hypnosis, it is already gaining media attention. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), with small considerations from the Brazilian Society of Hypnosis (SBH), hypnosis can be defined as a state of consciousness [intentionally induced] that involves focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, characterized by an increased capacity for response to suggestion. 

In this state, the subject is led to experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior [goal-oriented].

According to a publication by USP, preparation for hypnosis is directly related to the environment, the words of encouragement induced for the pregnant woman, and the position for the realization of childbirth. Using hypnosis before childbirth is useful for establishing a calmer and more comfortable scenario, controlling possible unexpected anxiety crises, and generally helping in preparing the pregnant woman for the moment of delivery. 

Scientific evidence

Certainly, the field with the most evidence in favor of using hypnosis is pain control. In 2019¹, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted involving 85 randomized controlled trials aimed at observing the effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief.

The findings from all these 85 articles suggest that hypnotic intervention can provide significant pain relief for most people and, therefore, can be an effective and safe alternative to pharmaceutical intervention.

There are also some studies that scientifically demonstrate the efficiency of hypnosis for pregnancy-related problems.

According to the National Library of Medicine, there is a study known as “The Effectiveness of Hypnosis Intervention in Alleviating Postpartum Psychological Symptoms”, which shows that women who received hypnosis treatments were less likely to develop postpartum depression.

If we look at a case published by the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, hypnosis as a clinical means for postpartum depression treatment worked for a 27-year-old woman suffering from the disease. After her resistance to antidepressant medications, she allowed the use of hypnosis as treatment and from the first session, she began to have satisfactory results until the disease was cured. 

Interview with Obstetrician Cristiano Salazar

We took the opportunity to interview one of the students of the HypnoPregnancy Course to show you the opinion of a healthcare professional on the relationship between hypnosis and childbirth pain.

What is the potential of hypnosis for your area?

The idea of using hypnosis to reduce childbirth pain is always very attractive. We always have success stories of using the technique and the satisfaction of the parturients who are open to this approach.

However, scientific research as a whole has not yet been able to definitively establish the benefit of hypnosis compared to other pharmacological and non-pharmacological techniques – except for a reduction in the need for analgesia.

In my perception, the main potential of hypnosis during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period is to help women have the best possible experience. There are countless insecurities (with the baby’s health, with the pain of birth, with their own ability to exercise motherhood), transformations, demands, and mobilizations of feelings that can prevent a woman from experiencing this moment of life with happiness – precisely such a special, full, transformative, empowering moment.

If used properly, hypnosis is certainly a tool that can help women reduce anxiety, align expectations to reduce frustrations, anchor themselves to feelings of well-being, security, and courage, project a happy outcome and an appropriate bond with the baby.

The goal is for the pregnancy to result in a healthy mother, a healthy baby, and a good memory. It is precisely by providing tools for this good memory to exist that the hypnologist always has something to contribute during pregnancy.

When the pregnant woman is in a high-risk pregnancy, is the use of hypnotherapy recommended?

It’s hard to talk about recommendations, as there is very little scientific research on hypnosis in high-risk pregnancies. For example, the effect of hypnosis on reducing pressure in hypertensive pregnant women has been studied – but the results have not been conclusive. Additionally, there are a number of different pathologies that make a pregnancy high risk, making it difficult to establish general guidelines.

However, hypnosis – when applied by an experienced and careful professional – does not present significant adverse effects, being a tool with great potential for relaxation, anxiety reduction, and preparation of the pregnant woman for the challenges ahead. And high-risk pregnant women face many challenges.

I insist on the issue of care and experience, as we are always dealing with a very delicate binomial, which requires great responsibility from the professional. Although several hypnosis techniques can be employed throughout pregnancy and childbirth, most agree that it is not exactly the best time to do hypnotherapy and address deeper issues.

The professional needs to be sure that the time of pregnancy and the mother’s health condition allow for crying, emotion, possible contractions, vasodilation, modifications in breathing and pressure that can occur during the application of the techniques.

What are the factors that influence childbirth pain? How can they be neutralized?

The sensation of pain is always the result of the interaction between the physical stimulus and sensory perception. The physical stimulus is eminently biological, related to the strength of contractions, positioning, anatomy, physiology, and everything that the healthcare professional attending the delivery can interfere with physiology (with medications, anesthesia, physiotherapy, etc.). But the sensory perception of the parturient is totally influenced by fear and tension, where the hypnologist has a lot of room to act.

We can reduce fear through psychoeducation, providing the pregnant woman with correct information on how the entire process can happen, in addition to working on anxieties and expectations beforehand – all prior preparation increases success.

And the tensions (neuromuscular, neurovegetative, and neuropsychic/emotional) that, according to Osmar Colás, are elements that feed and potentiate each other, can be reduced with relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, and contemplative techniques. The hypnologist must know and employ their tools to reduce suffering, which is the true goal of any non-pharmacological method for pain relief.

Therefore, as there have been methodologies for pain-free childbirth for a few years now, it is necessary for the pregnant woman to seek advice from her doctor about what would be the most ideal form for her case.

If you are looking for a therapist specializing in clinical hypnosis, ask about their qualifications, and if they are part of an institution that provides ethical guidance, such as the Brazilian Society of Hypnosis. 

To learn more about hypnosis during pregnancy, you need to download our free e-book on HypnoPregnancy & ChildBirth.

1. Thompson T, Terhune DB, Oram C, Sharangparni J, Rouf R, Solmi M, Veronese N, Stubbs B. The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019 Apr;99:298-310. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.013. Epub 2019 Feb 18. PMID: 30790634.

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