Work is challenging enough when you’re pregnant, but thoughts of labor and childbirth pain can send any mom-to-be into a sweat-inducing panic. One solution: hypnosis. Long used therapeutically in medicine and dentistry, hypnotherapy—actually self-hypnosis guided by a hypnotherapist—can be effective in helping delivering moms to be more relaxed and feel less pain, says hypnotherapist and childbirth educator Kerry Tuschoff, founder of Hypnobabies (hypnobabies.com). “Some childbirth classes teach the mom that it’s going to hurt and she has to be comfortable with the pain,” explains Tuschoff. But Hypnobabies offers a six-week course that uses self-hypnosis to reduce stress, fear and pain during delivery, with the goal of using fewer or no drugs in childbirth. During this hypnosis, a woman can walk, talk, eat or go to the bathroom without disrupting focus and concentration. In childbirth she’s completely awake and aware of contractions and the baby’s positions. To date, some 10,000 women have used the Hypnobabies program, and 2,000 are taking classes in 26 states ($250 to $300) or using a home-study course with scripts, workbooks and CDs ($140). Less pain in childbirth—sounds like a relief to us.