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I'd just found out I was pregnant for the first time when I saw a leaflet in a café about hypno-birthing. It said you could have a pain-free birth if you did a few classes and learnt some breathing techniques.

I was a bit sceptical and some of my friends laughed out loud when I told them about it. But my boyfriend Rob and I decided we had nothing to lose.

I called the number on the leaflet and found out it would cost £300 for the classes and CDs. Some National Childbirth Trust classes cost a couple of hundred quid so it didn't seem too bad really.

We went along for three classes and the hypnotherapist taught us relaxation techniques. It basically involved her talking me through a script describing a cheesy scene in a peaceful forest. Amazingly, it actually worked and I'd end up feeling really sleepy but still aware of what was going on.

By the end of the three sessions, Rob had learnt how to 'hypnotise' me. I'd also learnt breathing techniques for the labour and birth. For the rest of my pregnancy I listened to the relaxation CDs whenever I felt stressed or uncomfortable.

When my waters finally broke, I still didn't know whether it would all work. But I was so chilled out during the whole labour I didn't even need gas or air. Rob reckons he said the relaxation script but I was too relaxed to even remember! Our daughter Ava was born after just three hours of labour and I can honestly say I wasn't in that much pain.

When I tell people about it they say I must have a really high pain threshold, but I don't think it's any coincidence that I did hypno-birthing and had a really easy birth. I'd definitely do it again.
Ceri Roberts, 33, a mum of one from South London

More help and advice

- How hypnotherapy can ease pain - an expert's view
- An insider's guide to labour, birth and recovery
- Pain relief options during birth
- Planning the best birth for you
- Men's role in the birth
- For more information, visit the

By Ceri Roberts

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