Kate Middleton to try hypnobirthing

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is reportedly planning to try hypnobirthing for her first child, a technique which focuses meditation and visualization techiques to reduce not only the length of labor but the pain levels as well. "Kate has researched various birthing methods. She wants it to be natural, so hypnobirthing is one option that appealed and she had been reading up on it and listening to CDs to get into the right frame of mind," a source told the UK's Grazia Magazine. Livescience reports that advocates of hypnobirthing claim the technique reduces pain (but doesn't eliminate it of course), while reducing the need for epidurals and other pain medications. The philosphy of the hypnobirthing is that women are intended to give birth relatively easily, but fear of labor intensifies pain and difficulty. "Hypnobirthing teaches women to better understand the muscles involved in childbirth, and encourages women to use deep breathing and other relaxation techniques to reduce the anxiety and fear that can accompany childbirth," the report said. The technique aims to help women achieve a calmer state, so that naturally soothing endorphins, oxytocin, and labor hormones called prostaglandins combine to replace stress hormones that can constrict muscles and incite pain. The process involves a combination of meditation, relaxation exercises, and visualizations, both practiced before and during childbirth. One pre-labor technique involves envisioning a calm labor where the baby comes out easily. But does it work? A 2006 review of five existing studies showed that women who used hypnobirthing techniques were about half as likely to use painkiller medications, and about one-third as likely to use an epidural, WebMD reports. The source told Grazia Magazine that some of the Middleton's friends "have used this method and swear by it," adding, "Kate wants to do it her way and be relaxed."