Childbirth is not supposed to be a terrible, painful experience, so why is it such a traumatic event for so many women? And why do more than 40% of births now end in caesarian section, the highest percentage in history?

The answer is simple: because our culture teaches women to fear birth, it is a painful and unsettling experience. Fear causes three physical reactions in the body--tightening of the muscles, reduced blood flow, and the release of certain hormones--which increase the pain and discomfort of childbirth. This is not hocus-pocus this is science.

Hypnobirthing drastically reduces the pain of labor and childbirth. It almost always eliminates the need for drugs. It reduces the need for caesarian or other doctor-controlled birth interventions. And it speeds recovery time, allowing for better and earlier bonding with the baby, which has been proven to be vital to the mother-child bond.

Although The Hypnobirthing Institute was founded in 1989, this is not a new technique. It is based on the work of doctors in the 1920s and 1930s-the same work that spawned the worldwide phenomenon of Lamaze in the 1950s and the Bradley Method in the 1970s. What's new is the momentum Hypnobirthing is gaining--more than 25,000 books sold last year through the author's website (www.hypnobirthing.com)--and it's only getting stronger.

Key Features Happy Hypnobirthing graduates are spreading the word, causing the number of informed mothers-to-be to grow exponentially each year. This is a word-of-mouth phenomenon. A complete introduction to Hypnobirthing, giving the science and history behind the movement, how it should be practiced, and practical instruction for pregnancy, labor, and the birthitself. Does not have to be used as an exclusive natural birthing option. The relaxation techniques can be used along with drugs during labor or even just as quiet time for the pregnant mother every night. Hypnobirthing is trademarked to our author, so no one else can ever publish a book on this technique.

"Move over, Lamaze. HypnoBirthers say their form of deep relaxation takes the panting and pain out of labor."

-Time Magazine

HypnoBirthing®: A Celebration of Life - with Birth Exercise CD Included!

Childbirth is not something to be feared; it is a natural expression of life. With HypnoBirthing, your pregnancy and childbirth will become the gentle, life-affirming process it was meant to be.

In this easy-to-understand guide, HypnoBirthing founder Marie Mongan explodes the myth of pain as a natural accompaniment to birth. She proves through sound medical information that it is not our bodies but our culture that has made childbirth a moment of anguish, and that when we release the fear of birth, a fear that is keeping our bodies tense and closed, we will also release the pain.

HypnoBirthing is nature, not manipulation. It relaxes the mind in order to let the body work as it is designed. The HypnoBirthing exercises—positive thinking, relaxation, visualization, breathing and physical preparation—will lead to a happy and comfortable pregnancy, even if you are currently unsure of an intervention-free birth. Your confidence, trust and happy anticipation will in turn lead to the peaceful, fulfilling and bonding birth that is your right as a mother.

More than 10,000 happy couples have had their lives changed for the better by HypnoBirthing. More than 500 news organizations—including Good Morning America, The Today Show, Dateline, The Richard & Judy Show, Time, Newsweek, Parentingand Better Homes & Gardens—have joined the movement for better birthing.

Why is HypnoBirthing changing the way the world gives birth? That's simple. Because it works.

Marie Mongan, M.Ed., M.Hy., is a life-long educator, former college dean, clinical hypnotherapist, and Director of the Hypnobirthing Institute. She is the recipient of the 1995 National Guild of Hypnotists President's Award and received the coveted Charles Tebbetts Award in 2000 for the recognition she has brought to hypnotherapy. Ms. Mongan lives in New Hampshire, but spends much of her time on the road training new instructors in the techniques of hypnobirthing. She is the mother of four adult children, all born using the techniques upon which hypnobirthing is based.