Birth Bliss

Word is slowly spreading. Mongan has trained more than 1,700 people in 15 years. At the start, most were hypnotherapists and midwives. Now, about half are doctors and nurses. "This is not fringe or alternative," she says. "The more doctors and nurses see this, the more they realize it's no fluke."

Sadly, I didn't get to prove that point to my doctor--our son was a breech baby and delivered by caesarean section. But the hypnobirthing lessons were not in vain: they helped me cope when two anesthesiologists made six attempts at inserting my spinal block for surgery, and I was able to relax through the postsurgical pain with a minimum of medication. Four months later, when our son finally falls asleep each night, I know just how to relax and swiftly follow suit.