Psychological impact of hypnosis for pregnancy and childbirth: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The use of hypnosis as a complementary therapy in the perinatal field is expanding, however, there is little research for its impact on perinatal mental health. Here, we review studies that evaluate the effect of hypnosis on women's mental health and subjective experiences. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA protocol for articles with experimental designs of hypnosis that measured their impact on several psychological variables, such as the presence of symptoms of anxiety, depression or fear of childbirth. Studies were evaluated according to the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Checklists (CASP), and analyzed for their designs and intervention themes. RESULTS: Seven studies were included and six themes emerged: preparation for birth and unexpected events; change in the perception and experience of pain; pregnant body as a natural process; connection with the baby during pregnancy; development of inner resources; and progressive relaxation and guided imagery. Although results were partly mitigated, most studies found positive effects of hypnosis in alleviating anxiety, depression, and fear towards birth, empowering women with a higher sense of confidence and improving the overall emotional experience. Two studies also indicate encouraging outcomes in postnatal wellbeing. CONCLUSION: While it is still argued as to what extent hypnosis has positive effects on physical aspects of labor, the empowerment and the increase in confidence associated with hypnosis seem to bring a significant contribution to a more positive subjective experience of pregnancy and childbirth, and on women's overall wellbeing in the perinatal period.

Hypnosis-based interventions during pregnancy and childbirth and their impact on women's childbirth experience: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Hypnosis has been increasingly used in recent years in healthcare, with several applications during pregnancy, labor and birth. Yet, few studies have assessed the impact of hypnosis on women's childbirth experience. AIM: This systematic review examines the use and effects of hypnosis-based interventions during pregnancy and childbirth on women's childbirth experience. METHODS: A literature search was performed on several databases (Science Direct, PsychINFO and PubMed). Published articles reporting on hypnosis-based interventions carried out during pregnancy and/or childbirth that evaluated childbirth experience were included in the review. The articles were assessed with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). KEY FINDINGS: Nine articles met the inclusion criteria. The methodological value of the articles was limited for half of the studies (four studies scored 60% or less on the MMAT). Despite this methodological limitation, the results suggest a positive impact of hypnosis-based interventions on childbirth experience, in alleviating fear and pain and enhancing sense of control during labor. The hypnosis-based interventions improved women's emotional experiences and outlook towards birth, with less anxiety, increased satisfaction, fewer birth interventions, more postnatal well-being and better childbirth experience overall. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings of this review suggest that hypnosis-based interventions improve childbirth experience. Further studies should be undertaken in order to better determine and develop hypnosis-based interventions aiming at improving this experience. Such interventions could enhance several aspects of the childbirth experience by taking into account women's partners, medical and surgical history, narratives of childbirth and specific aspects of complicated pregnancies that women can go through.