Ready for hypnosis in surgery after pain-free birth

The hypnosis Jenni Abdelnoor had for the birth of her daughter Sage used a technique resembling yogic breathing. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Jenni Abdelnoor was so happy with the hypnosis she used for the birth of her second child that she would happily have it for surgery.

Her son Stanley, now 2, was born by emergency caesarean. When she was pregnant with her daughter Sage, now 10 months, she went on a "hypno-birthing" course. Sage's delivery was straightforward.

"In terms of pain relief, there was never once I even thought about gas or having an epidural," said Mrs Abdelnoor, 35, of Muriwai.

She said Sage's birth, with the help of an independent midwife at Waitakere Hospital in West Auckland, was pain-free and very gentle.

The hypnotic technique centres on breathing - "similar to yogic breathing, just taking your body into deep relaxation, and a lot of visualisation".

"People spend so long thinking, 'I don't want a caesarean, I don't want medical intervention.' If you are focusing on what you do want, that's what you will end up with. It's teaching you to focus on what you do want."

She wrote her "birth story" - her own description of how she wanted it to unfold - four months in advance of her due date and read it every night.

Asked if she would consider hypnosis for gallbladder removal or other abdominal surgery should she need it, Mrs Abdelnoor said, "Yes, 100 per cent."

She thought hypnosis was preferable by far because of the potential complications of general anaesthesia.