There is no one best method for dealing with the pain of giving birth. A combination approach will give the most relief.
Before Labor Starts
Good nutrition throughout your pregnancy is essential to having an effective body response to labor. Making progress makes pain more bearable.
Exercise such as walking and swimming encourages babies to be in the best position by the time they are ready to be born. Don't spend any more time in bucket seats (recliners, cars) than you have to. Modern women have many more front-facing (occiput posterior is the medical term) because of their postural habits. That makes for longer harder labors.
Breathing
Okay, you've walked, eaten well, and educated yourself. You are confidently awaiting contractions when they come on...but you were not prepared for the pain! What can you do?
In early labor the best thing to do is move around. Go about your normal activities until the pain interrupts you. Then--pay attention! Stop what you are doing. Close your eyes or pick a focal point to stare at. Feel your breath going in and out of your body. Use long, slow deep breaths if you can.
As you inhale, the pressure of the contraction (it feels like a bear hug under your ribs) increases. As you exhale, the pressure under your ribs is eased and the lower segment of your uterus squeezes the baby down toward the birth canal. As you breathe your contraction performs a series of hugs and squeezes. It might be easier to think of it as if your baby is hugging you and you are hugging your baby back.
While you focus on these sensations you are in the eye of the storm, where it is perfectly still, peaceful, and pain free. That's the goal--don't be discouraged if you aren't able to reach it perfectly. Just do the best you can with each and every contraction. The results may surprise you!
Another useful way to breathe is to slowly inhale then exhale even slower through your bottom. Use your imagination to feel the breath going out through your rectum. Just to feel it flowing in that direction is enough.
Good Vibrations
A recording of ocean sounds has a very positive effect. Ride those waves, and feel the contraction going away as gulls cry in the distance. Many women enjoy relaxing music--usually slow tempoed long notes or soft thrumming beats, but anything with meaning for the individual woman will work.
Besides listening to sounds, making noise also helps women integrate pain. If they open their mouths and let the powerful force of contractions flow through them, their cervix opens too. Long loud notes or moans work best. Even yelling can be used effectively (think football game) but high pitched screaming is counterproductive. Your coach can remind you to lower your tone.
Ask others in the room to be quiet when you are having a contraction, unless they are speaking soothingly and encouragingly to you. People chatting with each other is distracting during contractions.
When the contraction ends, let it go. Some women spend all their time tensed up, anticipating the next one. This is unfocused energy and will not get your baby born.
Remember that contractions in active labor usually last for sixty seconds, so break it down and take labor 15 seconds at a time. The second hand of a watch or clock makes a great focal point. The first 15 seconds the contraction is building. At 30 seconds you are experiencing peak intensity. At 45 seconds the intensity wanes, and you know you only have to handle the pain for 15 more seconds. When you look at it that way it sounds easy.
Other Ways to Increase Comfort
- An aromatherapy formula to try for pain is a mixture of Ylang Ylang and Lavender.
- Warm water, in a tub or shower, is magic. The relaxation it provides will allow the mother to make more progress faster with less pain. Just like narcotics, however, it can slow labor down when used too early. You might climb in a bath (keep the temperature between 99 and 101) and get a nice break from hard contractions. When they return, get out, move around. After a few contractions climb back in the warm tub for maximum relief.
- Some women are having success using a TENS unit, which interrupts nerve pathways with mild electrical stimulation. They are useful for surgical and back pain.
- Having your hair braided tightly or receiving a massage releases more endorphins, or natural pain killers, in your body.
Endorphins flood the body naturally toward the end of labor. Nature provides the perfect dose. Laboring women will start to nod out and doze between contractions when their endorphins have kicked in.
Transition and Pushing Stages
Women will find a comfortable position if they are given the freedom to do so. This is instinctive and also benefits the baby. When no position feels better, women should feel free to rotate positions--go from the bed to the toilet to the shower to the chair to the ball to the tub and start all over again. Have a few contractions in each place. You may settle into one or keep moving.
When it comes time to push, strong effort may be necessary for a first timer to bring the baby down, but as the head crowns and begins to emerge a burning sensation accompanies the stretching of skin. It serves a purpose by making the mother slow down her pushing efforts, allowing both her skin and the baby's head to adjust gradually. Little tiny pushes, or exhale pushes, bring a baby out best at that point. Oil massage is beneficial but may not feel good to all women. Counter pressure and support from your own or other people's hands will help. Warm compresses or warm water helps.
And once the baby is out, well, the pain is quickly forgotten!
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