SAN DIEGO -- A group of San Diego mothers recently revealed how they really felt about childbirth.
"I would say on a scale of 1 to 10 -- (the pain) was definitely a 20."
"I got through it with prayer."
"All of a sudden I had an enemy within."
They all agreed it was painful, but worth it in the end.
However, had they known about a natural pain killer called hypno-birthing, they may have felt differently.
Hypno-birthing is a method of using self-hypnosis during childbirth.
It teaches an understanding of how the birthing muscles work when the body is sufficiently relaxed.
Sheri Menilli is a hypno-therapist who teaches the hypno-birthing method.
"It doesn't have any side effects. The only side effects are deep relaxation," Menilli said.
Menilli said focused concentration can eliminate fear and pain.
"That fear is causing your body not to work the way it was meant to. I'm not saying it's going to be pain-free, although some of the moms do experience pain-free births," she said.
Tami Delman experienced a pain-free childbirth.
Delman was pregnant with her second child and wanted natural childbirth, but without the pain she experienced with her first child.
"It wasn't comfortable," Delman said.
With the help of her husband Scott, Delman learned to get into a relaxed, hypnotic state.
"During it, you feel kind of a release. And after, it's more like a big breath kind of feeling," Delman said.
In the throes of deep labor, Delman looked like she was sleeping peacefully. She relied on deep breathing techniques and support from her husband and a birth helper.
"Now, I'm going to drop your arm and now you will go into an ultimate depth of relaxation -- deeper than you've ever been," the birth helper told Delman during labor.
Delman's contractions became more frequent and intense, but her discomfort was minimal.
Two pushes later, out came daughter, Alani Hanayo, pain-free and drug-free.
"I didn't even need a Motrin, not even after the baby was born," Delman said.
Hypno-birthing classes cost around $250 for a series of classes.
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