Having never had children of my own (unless you want to count the four-legged ones), going to the hospital with expectant moms is one of the cooler things I’ve done as a hypnotist.
There are hypno-doulas throughout the U.S. You can find a list of them at www.hypnobabies.com . Hypno-babies is a great website for expectant moms. Founder Kerry Tuschhoff has done an excellent job of bringing together a wide range of topics for moms-to-be, including information about water birth, breech babies, home birth versus hospital birth and hypnosis CDs specifically designed for pregnancy and birth issues.
If you work with a hypo-babies instructor, you will typically go through 3-6 weeks of classes. Many are done in a group session.
I am not affiliated with Hypno-babies, but I do work with expectant moms on an individual basis. Hypnosis helps keep mom relaxed which reduces discomfort and anxiety. I have moms practice holding an ice cube while putting themselves in their “happy place.” Without using self-hypnosis, moms typically can only hold the cube for 30 seconds or less. Once hypnosis is induced, they usually can hold the cube until it melts.
Once convinced that hypnosis can override or greatly diminish the pain signal, expectant mothers relax and enjoy the process.