How to have less pain in labor

To lesson the pain created by labour
By:Nikiah Seeds

Having an understanding of how you personally deal with pain can be a key component to working with it during labour.
The next time you accidently huryt yourslef, like stub your toe, notice what you do to help it feel better—do you move around? Hold your breath? Curse? Cry a little?
Chances are you will use things that have worked for you in the past during labour over any new technique you may have learned!
So next time you have the chance observe your personal way of moving through something that really hurts—remember your body and mind are both amazingly resourceful and pretty darn clever!
And only you know what works best for you more then anyone else!

Below are some tried and true tips for lessening the pain of labour, these are great for your partner to have in hand as suggestions to use while you are working through contractions!
But remember—if you try it and it does not feel right—your body knows best,so just move on and try something else!

Movement and positioning
change your position often, this can help to make the sensations lessen, as well as to work with your baby who is moving slowly down the birth canal.

Walk, Walk, Walk—did we mention walking?

Try using counter pressure-if you having a lot of low back pain, have someone press firmly where it hurts.

Reflexology and Accupressure: using reflexology during labour can be deeply relaxing and can help to speed contractions. Pressing the acupressure point 4 finger widths above your ankle bone or between your thumb and index finger can lower pain as well as help your contractions get stronger.

Massage: is a great way to distract from the pain. Using either hands or tools such as wooden massagers or battery operated, pool noodles or even a tennis ball. There are several techniques that can be used.

Water: Hydrotherapy is an excellent form of relaxation. Sitting in a waterbirth pool shower or bathtub is deeply relaxing and can help you to deal with strong contractions. Having a water birth can also help during pushing by lessoning the pain of stretching. A hot shower is also wonderful especially if your waters have broken and you would still like to use water. The hot water spraying on your lower sacrum really helps with back labour. Or, how about filling up a hot water bottle. Using either hot packs or cold packs can be extremely useful.

Distract yourself:
Bring some birth art to focus on or a photo of a baby or loved one.
Try chanting using words like "open", or "out", or "low".
Making noises such as sighing or groning and moaning are helpful ways to deal with pain and to make your body more relaxed.
Move, move, and move! Sway your hips rhythmically, dance or rocking back and forth are all good ways to move.
Breathing and focusing your attention on your breath- try slow breathing, deep, patterned whatever feels right.
Try Non focused Awareness: What this means is using all of your senses instead of just focusing on the one that is giving you all of the pain which is our sense of feeling. Try listening to everything that is going on around you, really listen. Or your sense if smell, sight etc..

The terrain of pain is mainly in the brain!
Tips to help with pain and fear:
Be aware of what is happening in your body during labour.
Lesson your stress by making sure that you feel comfortable with your surroundings.
Stay home during early labour and if you are choosing a hospital birth you can take comforting things with you to the hospital such as your own nightgown and pillows.
Surround yourself with caregivers that you trust.
Have a doula present.

Help your body to relax:
Relax every part of your body one by one.
Imagine your contractions as waves. You could either ride the wave as it peaks or dive under and let it wash over you.
Imagine your cervix as a flower opening.
Listen to soothing familiar music.
Have your partner or doula massage your muscles to help with relaxation.
Try hypnosis or deep meditation. Let the contraction happen, fighting against it will only make it last longer and seem to hurt more.
Quiet, not being asked questions during contractions and keeping chatter down so you can focus.

Read, read, Read:
Reading books on this subject can also help you to get an idea of what you might like to use and what works for you.
Some suggested books are:
Birthing From Within by: Pam England
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by: Ina May Gaskin
The Thinking Womans guide to Childbirth By: Henci Goer
Mind over Labour by: Carl Jones
The Birth partner by: Penny Simkin
Easing Labour pain by Adrianne Liebman