title: Improved obstetric outcomes using hypnotic analgesia and skill mastery combined with childbirth education.
abstract: The benefits of hypnotic analgesia as an adjunct to childbirth education were studied in 60 nulliparous women. Subjects were divided into high and low hypnotic susceptibility groups before receiving 6 sessions of childbirth education and skill mastery using an ischemic pain task. Half of the Ss in each group received a hypnotic induction at the beginning of each session; the remaining control Ss received relaxation and breathing exercises typically used in childbirth education. Both hypnotic Ss and highly susceptible Ss reported reduced pain. Hypnotically prepared births had shorter Stage 1 labors, less medication, higher Apgar scores, and more frequent spontaneous deliveries than control Ss' births. Highly susceptible, hypnotically treated women had lower depression scores after birth than women in the other 3 groups. We propose that repeated skill mastery facilitated the effectiveness of hypnosis in our study.
authors: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
authors: T M
authors: TM
authors: Harmon
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Hynan
authors: T E
authors: TE
authors: Tyre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006991:Hypnosis, Anesthetic; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008950:MMPI; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy