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When I signed up to hypnobirthing classes, I was dubious and my husband was downright cynical. Surely you can't have a pain-free birth without taking a large amount of drugs, we thought. But it turns out we were wrong.

Our teacher explained that hypnobirthing is about relaxing into a state of mind where you're not aware of anything around you, apart from what's happening to your body. It's a bit like when you drive to work on the same route every day. Sometimes you arrive and you don't remember the journey, because your mind was focusing on something else.

We were taught that lying on your back strapped to a hospital bed is really painful during contractions, and I can vouch for this. Gravity was my best friend in labour, and I spent the whole time walking around.

Controlling your breathing is key and it takes a lot of practise to learn how to properly relax, using self-hypnosis techniques. We were told that women only give birth when they feel secure, like animals who always find a small, dark space to labour in.

Stress and adrenaline can make everything slow down which is why some women struggle when they get to hospital, because they are out of their comfort zone. This was certainly true for me. I got locked out of my house in the early stages while walking my dog and my contractions suddenly stopped. They only started again when my husband came home from work and I felt safe and happy.

During the evening we listened to calm music and my husband used massage techniques to help me through the contractions. We were taught to welcome each one as a sign of being one step closer to meeting our baby.

The only time I found it really painful was when I was lying down so the midwife could find out how dilated I was on arrival at the hospital at 2am. I was already 6cm, so more than halfway.

At 06:00 my waters broke and I instinctively went down on all fours. I was so in the zone that I didn't made a noise, and the midwife didn't realise the head was out, because I was covered by a towel.Two pushes later our baby daughter Annie arrived. She's now a healthy and very cheeky 16-month-old.

I don't think hypnobirthing can work for everyone, and I was very lucky that my birth went to plan, but it took away my anxieities and made me feel really confident before and during labour. I learnt to trust and listen to my body and I still use the techniques today, especially for trips to the dentist!