Can virtual reality help women cope with childbirth?

Erin Martucci is believed to be the first to use a virtual reality headset to manage her pain during labor, and doctors hope more women will follow

Erin Martucci had been enjoying the beach vista and gazing at a flock of birds overhead when something shook her view. The voice of Ralph Anderson, her gynecologist, broke through the sound of the waterfall next to her.

"We're ready to push!" he said, gently taking Martucci's virtual reality headset off and bringing her back to a hospital room at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, New York. Martucci, 40, looked around at her husband and mother, their voices swirling excitedly around her: "She's crowning! She's ready!"