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the news" at River City Hypnosis.com or simply close this window.The wife of a hypnotherapist who has a practice in Galway and who gave birth to her third child on Christmas Day attributes her almost pain-free labour and rapid recovery to hypnotherapy.
Catherine Fox (36) who lives in Navan and whose husband, Patrick, has been holding monthly clinics in Galway for the past 13 years, is urging hospitals to consider using this natural method of pain control which has wide ranging benefits for the mother, baby and maternity staff.
Ms Fox, who runs the business with her husband, says she benefited from hypnotherapy during the births of their other children, Pierre (9) and Patrese (8) also.
She first used hypnotherapy in 1993 to help her stop smoking. Later, she used it to cope with pre-driving test nerves and for painless childbirth when she was expecting their children. She says all of her labours were virtually pain-free and that she was up and about and feeling great within minutes of the births.
She says many women fear childbirth because of the negative images associated with it.
"When I visited the hospital during my first pregnancy the talk among the women there was about how painful their last birth was and whether they were having epidurals. It was pretty frightening and all very negative."
When she told her doctor she was going to use hypnotherapy or hypnobirthing her doctor thought it was a great idea. He said should she need medical intervention at any stage, it would be available.
"Four months into the pregnancy I started having hypnosis. The sessions were designed to help me relax and have a positive expectation about the pregnancy and birth. They also focused on getting me to have a healthy eating pattern. Pregnant women can give in to cravings and end up overweight. Patrick also recorded a CD for me."
She played it every few nights as she was falling asleep. She says it kept her focused and healthy. Her pregnancies and births were positive and almost pain-free.
The birth of their third child Chanel on December 25 was no different. From the fourth month of her pregnancy she had hypnotherapy sessions. She also listened to a CD her husband created for her.
She went into labour on Christmas Day after waking up with contractions. "I had the morning with the children to enjoy Santa's coming. By 3pm the contractions were getting stronger. On the way to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda Patrick did some hypnosis with me. I went into hospital at 4.30pm and Chanel was born at 7.25pm. Thanks to the hypnosis when the contractions happened I was able to relax. I was completely in control.
"The hospital staff were amazed at how well we dealt with it. The midwife, Christina Burke didn't even have to offer me any form of pain relief. I had a mild form of pain, I felt the pressure, the normal things you feel while you are in labour. But I had no excruciating pain, it was nothing I couldn't deal with. I was a very pleasant birth. Patrick was with me right through, coaching me. When the contractions came he heightened the level of hypnosis."
Within 20 minutes of Chanel, who weighed 8lbs 11 ozs, being born, Catherine had tea and toast and was up and showered.
"I felt perfect. I had no stitches. I did feel tired but that's all. I'm back at work since January 3."
She recommends hypnotherapy to other people, saying it has far reaching benefits, expecially for those who feel nervous or anxious about things.
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