Labour Pain Relief Approaches Women Have Used Throughout History

avhell / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Over the time that humans have been on this Earth, different methods of labour pain relief have come and gone. Only in the last hundred years or so has it been taken as a given that each new mother will use chemical, medical means in order to reduce pain during birthing.

Looking back at the whole course of history, it is actually very surprising to see how quickly and how firmly the concept of a medically supervised birth came on. Going back a little more than a hundred years, one would see a very different picture at practically all births.

For most of time as we know it, birthing was facilitated for a new mother by women that she knew and trusted. This would usually include a midwife, who was experienced in all matters related to the physical birthing process and who would take the lead on the delivery.

Midwives were highly respected figures who were trusted and consulted not only during pregnancy and birth, but in many cases, long afterwards. They would provide advice and guidance that would help the new mother acclimate to her role.

Nowadays, birth is often facilitated by medical professionals that a new mother might not know well or at all. Most methods of labour pain relief rely on medical drugs, but there are other ways mothers can reduce pain themselves.

Let’s look at a few:

1. Aromatherapy

Any sensory stimulation that provokes a sense of peace and tranquility can be useful when trying to soothe the pain related to birthing. Aromatherapy is a scientifically proven, yet ancient healing modality that allows the body to react in a calm and positive way fast.

2. Music

Many different types of music, such as classical music, are known for their relaxing properties. If a birthing environment is kept relaxing and calming, this can help the mother keep her own body from becoming tense and potentially prolonging the birthing process.

3. Visualization

The power of the mind to reduce pain has been documented well. It is not necessary to be a trained monk or other expert in order to redirect the mind away from pain, however. Simply learning to concentrate the mind on specific, peaceful images can help.

4. Breathing Techniques

Breathing fully and deeply is important for a wide variety of activities. Reduced breathing is associated with all experiences of pain and anxiety. Learning to control breathing while under stress can greatly enhance the birth experience.

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Labour

Preparing Your Body For Labour

You wouldn’t go for a five kilometer run without some advance training and a specialised diet. Neither should you anticipate labour without spending adequate time preparing. Few people spend much time thinking about physical resistance exercises and stretching, but this is exactly what you should do to help your body prepare. In addition, the right diet can help give you muscular support so that your body is in peak shape when “race day” arrives.

Diet

Protein and fibre are both crucial and lacking in most pregnant women’s diets. After all, it is easy to get calcium. This is present in milk and many vegetable milks and fruit juices are fortified with it, as well. Carbohydrate are also in abundant supply. They are located in many healthy foods, including potatoes, bananas, and obviously well supplied in breads and grains, let alone the sugar in your coffee and soda. Fats require very little effort to get enough of, as well.

Many packaged products contain a great deal of fat to make them taste good. Fiber, though present to some degree in many foods, is especially important for bowel health. For pregnant women especially, it is of utmost importance to get enough fiber to reduce the likelihood of hemorrhoids. Although these are typically annoying regardless of pregnancy status, they can develop bleeding fissures and actually become so painful that they make the delivery of the baby extremely painful during crowning. These fissures can increase the risk of a large tear and can even cause so much pain during examinations that they prevent the doctor from checking the condition of the cervix. Protein is important to support muscles that are being stretched and will be putting forth a lot of effort to bring a baby into the world.

Exercises

Walking is wonderful exercise for pregnant as it does not put a lot of stress on the joints but still gets the blood flowing. However, there are other options for exercise and stretches that can reduce discomfort at delivery. Tailor sitting, or squatting down with the feet flat on the floor and leaned far enough forward that the buttocks do not touch the floor, is a great way to stretch the muscles that will have to stretch for the delivery of the baby. Many women find that this exercise reduces discomfort as the baby moves down during labour, as well.

Do not be afraid to use the internet and search up some other valuable exercises. There are many sample pregnancy diets available as well, and you can print them off to get your physician’s okay. Be sure to have your physician evaluate all diets and exercises that you want to do before you start in on a regimen.

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Labor Pain Symptoms

Labor Pain Symptoms - How Painful is Labor?

 

Just as every pregnancy is different, every labor is different, too. In addition, each person has a different and subjective view of how pain is interpreted. For some people, labor might be no more painful than a typical monthly period whereas for others, it would rank somewhere above dental surgery with no anesthesia. There are many factors that contribute to how painful a labor is considered to be and whether or not labor pain symptoms are tolerable without anesthesia of some kind.

Relative Restfulness Of The Mother

Almost any task is easier if you are well rested to begin with and bringing a child into the world is no exception. Almost no woman goes into labor perfectly well rested due to the increasing frequency of Braxton Hicks contractions and getting up to go to the bathroom at least once in the night. However, going into labor mid-morning after a decent night’s rest is usually considered to be much easier than going into labor at midnight after a shopping marathon or exhausting family holiday celebration.

Pain Tolerance

For some people, pain tolerance is just part of their make-up. If you are someone who runs to the medicine cabinet at the first hint of a headache, then you probably have a low pain tolerance. However, that is not to say that an unmedicated labor is impossible for someone with a low pain tolerance. There are many other factors that go into the perception of how painful labor is.

What Are You Scared Of?

Fear brings tension with it, and tension is the enemy of an effective labor. For the body to prepare to deliver the baby, the cervix has to relax. If you are scared stiff, you will be continually working against your own bodily processes. Learning as much as you can about the labor process can help you take the fear out of the experience. In addition, it can be worthwhile for you to spend time learning relaxation techniques. When you feel your jaw begin to clench up during the laboring process, you can employ the learned techniques to help you relax throughout contractions. Any experienced mother will tell you that relaxation is the key to an unmedicated labor.

The size of the baby relative to the birth canal and a few other physical factors, including the position of the baby, can affect how painful your particular labor is as well as your labor pain symptoms. Much of the perception of pain is affected by how painful the mother expects the experience to be and how tense or relaxed she is during the process.

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How To Reduce Labor Pains

The idea of giving birth can be daunting and scary, especially for new mothers. The fear of going through pain can be overwhelming and make pregnancy much less enjoyable. Even though pain medications can dramatically reduce labor pains, you more than likely will still feel a good amount no matter how much medication you are put under. For all expecting mothers, it is important to confront any fears, share them with people you trust, and enact a plan to help you manage the pain you’ll feel while giving birth. Below are some simple strategies of how to reduce laborpains and overcome the mental aspects of childbirth that can make the pain even worse if not addressed.

First, what kinds of pain and sensations should you expect? Labor is a painful process for multiple reasons, as many areas of the body will experience more pressure, stretching and aching than you’ve likely ever felt before. The cervix, which is particularly sensitive to pressure and stretching, is the source of some of the greatest pain, as the vagina will feel like it is being stretched beyond its limits. You will also likely feel intense pressure against your bladder and your rectum as the baby makes its way out of the body. This can be eased by emptying your bladder frequently during labor. Contractions will feel like intense cramping, and women typically experience pain in different areas during these, including the back, hips and abdomen. For women who give birth without the use of an epidural, changing positions during labor can help reduce pain felt from contractions. Other effective tips on how to reduce labor pains are listed below.

Make Noises

During labor, you’re going to want to breathe deeply to help relax and ease the strain on your lower body. One way to do this is to make noises in a low voice, engaging the diaphragm and helping you breathe more effectively. If you can manage it, stay away from high-pitched noises and screams that will only inhibit the flow of oxygen throughout your body. On top of helping you breathe more freely, many women find that making sounds helps take their mind off of the pain and gives them something else to focus on. If you’d like, you can even memorize a text, poem or monologue before going into labor, the reciting of which will help you engage your brain and voice during childbirth, taking focus away from the pain and placing it somewhere else.

Use Heat To Soothe Pain

Applying warm compresses to areas that are under stress can help soothe pain and create a greater sense of comfort during labor. In the first stages of labor, relaxing in a warm bath or shower (if available) can relax the body and mind for the difficult process that lies ahead. Likewise, continuing to apply heat during the more painful stages can result in increased comfort and tranquility. Some women enjoy a heated compress at the back of the neck, near the abdomen, or against the lower back and it can be a very effective way to dull some of the pain.

Have A Support Team

For couples, there is often a lot that can be done during pregnancy to prepare for the big delivery. That includes taking birthing classes and reading up on how a partner can act as a support coach during labor. Research has shown that women who are motivated by someone who they trust and who is prepared to guide them through the birthing process are more likely to have efficient and less painful births. Many women also opt to hire a “doula” or trained birthing assistant whose main goal is to provide you with emotional (and sometimes physical) support while you give birth. Typically, doulas interact with expecting mothers during pregnancy so that a level of trust is established going into the actual birth. Many have found the support and guidance of a doula to be an invaluable resource in helping them effectively manage labor pain.

Visualization

Many women also rely on visualization techniques to employ a “mind over matter” approach to childbirth. There are several distinct advantages to this type of strategy, one of which is that pregnant women can improve and work at visualizing well before they are giving birth. Like meditation, this method can be a great way to take your mind elsewhere during moments of pain and relax your muscles and breath. By keeping a strong mind, childbirth becomes a less intimidating and overwhelming experience. Many women are able to include their child in these visualizations, transforming their labor into a journey, instead of a struggle. While this technique may not be right for everyone, it is certainly worth it to practice mental exercises that can calm your mind and relax your body before going into labor.

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Photo credit: avhell / Foter.com / CC BY-SA