NEARLY a quarter of women who give birth at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust took a course in hypno-birthing beforehand.

The trust offers the classes to all prospective parents.

The organisation has trained 26 midwives in the special course.

Hypno-birthing teaches patients self-hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques to help them through labour. In 2011, the trust became only the second NHS hospital trust in the country to offer hypno-birthing.

It now runs ten hypnobirthing courses a month and predicts between 720 and 960 women will be instructed in the technique this year.

Scientific evidence is inconclusive about the impact hypno-birthing has on pain.

However, in an audit carried out last year, 58 per cent of the 67 first-time mums at the trust had no medication during birth.

Teri Gavin-Jones, a midwife and hypno-birth trainer at the trust, said: “Women are spending a long part of their labour at home, as they are more comfortable.

“Many of them have really great births and go home quickly, which really helps with recovery.”