Jessica Alba Explains HypnoBirthing To The Masses -- And Ellen

When expectant mama Jessica Alba said that she recommends hypnobirthing classes for other moms-to-be, most people - including Ellen Degeneres - had no idea what she was talking about; thinking she was involved in some kind of far-fetched practice. But as Alba explained to the talk show host on Friday's show (May 20), hypnobirthing is not nearly as obscure as the name may suggest.

"It's not like the clock in front of your face and you go out and you wake up and you got a baby," Jessica joked. "Basically, my husband takes me through sort of a meditation. He'll say, 'You're relaxed, and you're floating on clouds,' while you're going through labor and your contractions," she went on to explain.

"I'm just concentrating on breathing and staying relaxed because it's when you get tense that makes the whole labor worse and more painful," says the actress. "That's all it is. It's not like a weird thing."

For Jessica, it was her experience with daughter Honor, 2, that led her to look into different methods of relaxation during the birthing process.

"I was freaked out going into it my first time going into labor," said Alba. "Like what if I panic? What if I just freak out and I don't know what to do?"

This time, she and hubby Cash Warren plan to be well prepared. "You know normally I want to strangle him but at that moment [concentrating on his voice] is sort of calming and wonderful."