Alison and Eli Levy with ten-week old baby Maayan born under self-hypnosis
Guardian and Gazette Newspapers, 30 July, 199
Jane Dignum
This is the philosophy behind a technique for a quicker, easier birth taught at a South Woodford clinic and practised at Whipps Cross Hospital.
Although giving birth is one of the most natural processes in the world many expectant mothers see it as a prospect of hours in pain."Self-hypnosis for an enjoyable labour" is a programme by Dr Gowri Motha of the Jeyrani Health Centre, Glebelands Avenue, South Woodford.In the five years since the clinic was opened more than 300 mothers have practised the technique often in connection with a water birth.
One of the latest success stories is Alison Levy, from Chigwell, who gave birth to her first child, daughter Maayan, after just three hours in labour.She explained: "You are in a state of very deep relaxation and although you do feel the pain it is not something you allow to register."My message to all would-be mothers is that giving birth really can be an enjoyable and beautiful experience with the minimum of pain and discomfort."Alison is so impressed with the technique she has decided to learn it to teach to expectant mothers when she goes to live in Israel.She heard about the hypnosis through a friend, Martine Groman-Marks, from Woodford Green, who used it during the birth of both her children, Basya (2) and 12-week-old Ariella.
Martine's second daughter was delivered just 10 minutes after her arrival at hospital.
She also heard about the process through a friend, Helena Rosenberg, from Chigwell, who has two children David (three and a half) and Liana (18 months).Her husband read about it in a newspaper article.She told the Guardian/Gazette: "Before I met Dr Motha I wanted my husband to have the baby."Dr Motha who also pioneered water births at Whipps Cross said she felt something needed to be done to improve facilities for giving birth.She began practising conventional medicine but she explained: "All the time I felt unhappy."
The relaxation techniques she teaches have been picked up from around the world and have been getting better and better over the years. Her aim is to get the self-hypnosis programme available on the National Health Service.“We want to change the public view that labour has to be endured. It is something that can be enjoyed,” she added.