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How to help contraction pain


Dealing With Pain During Childbirth (for Parents)

Learning all you can about labor and delivery is one of the best ways to help you manage the pain of childbirth when the time comes.

Pain During Labor and Delivery

Pain during labor is caused by contractions of the muscles of the uterus and by pressure on the cervix. This pain can be felt as strong cramping in the abdomen, groin, and back, as well as an achy feeling. Some women experience pain in their sides or thighs as well.

Other causes of pain during labor include pressure on the bladder and bowels by the baby's head and the stretching of the birth canal and vagina.

Pain during labor is different for every woman. It varies widely from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy.

It's often not the pain of each contraction on its own that women find the hardest, but the fact that the contractions keep coming — and that as labor progresses, there is less and less time between contractions to relax.

Preparing Yourself

To help with pain during labor, here are some things you can start doing before or during your pregnancy:

Regular and reasonable exercise (that your doctor says is OK) can help strengthen your muscles and prepare your body for the stress of labor. Exercise also can increase your endurance, which will come in handy if you have a long labor. The important thing to remember with any exercise is not to overdo it — and this is especially true if you're pregnant. Talk to your doctor about what he or she considers to be a safe exercise plan for you.

If you and your partner attend childbirth classes, you'll learn different techniques for handling pain, from visualization to stretches designed to strengthen the muscles that support your uterus. The two most common childbirth philosophies in the United States are the Lamaze technique and the Bradley method.

The Lamaze technique is the most widely used method in the United States. The Lamaze philosophy teaches that birth is a normal, natural, and healthy process and that women should be empowered to approach it with confidence. Lamaze classes educate women about the ways they can decrease their perception of pain, such as through relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, distraction, or massage by a supportive coach. Lamaze takes a neutral position toward pain medicine, encouraging women to make an informed decision about whether it's right for them.

The Bradley method (also called Husband-Coached Birth) emphasizes a natural approach to birth and the active participation of the baby's father as birth coach. A major goal of this method is the avoidance of medicines unless absolutely necessary. The Bradley method also focuses on good nutrition and exercise during pregnancy and relaxation and deep-breathing techniques as a method of coping with labor. Although the Bradley method advocates a medicine-free birth experience, the classes do discuss unexpected complications or situations, like emergency cesarean sections.

Medicine-free ways to handle pain during labor include:

  • hypnosis
  • yoga
  • meditation
  • walking
  • massage or counterpressure
  • changing position
  • taking a bath or shower
  • listening to music
  • distracting yourself by counting or performing an activity that keeps your mind otherwise occupied

Pain Medicines

A variety of pain medicines can be used during labor and delivery, depending on the situation. Many women rely on such medicines, and it can be a huge relief when pain is quickly eased and energy can be focused on getting through the contractions. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of each type of medicine.

Analgesics. Analgesics ease pain, but don't numb it completely. They don’t affect sensation or muscle movement. They can be given many ways. If they are given intravenously (through an IV into a vein) or through a shot into a muscle, they can affect the whole body. These medicines can cause side effects in the mother, including drowsiness and nausea. They also can have effects on the baby.

Regional anesthesia. This is what most women think of when they consider pain medicine during labor. By blocking the feeling from specific regions of the body, these methods can be used for pain relief in both vaginal and cesarean section deliveries.

Epidurals, a form of local anesthesia, relieve most of the pain from the entire body below the belly button, including the vaginal walls, during labor and delivery. An epidural involves medicine given by an anesthesiologist through a thin, tube-like catheter that's inserted in the woman's lower back. The amount of medicine can be increased or decreased according to a woman's needs. Very little medicine reaches the baby, so usually there are no effects on the baby from this method of pain relief.

Epidurals do have some drawbacks — they can cause a woman's blood pressure to drop and can make it difficult to pee. They can also cause itching, nausea, and headaches in the mother. The risks to the baby are minimal, but include problems caused by low blood pressure in the mother.

Tranquilizers. These drugs don't relieve pain, but they may help to calm and relax women who are very anxious. Sometimes they are used along with analgesics. These drugs can have effects on both the mother and baby, and are not often used. They also can make it difficult for women to remember the details of the birth. Discuss the risks of tranquilizers with your doctor.

Natural Childbirth

Some women choose to give birth using no medicine at all, relying instead on relaxation techniques and controlled breathing for pain. If you'd like to experience childbirth without pain medicine, discuss this with your health care provider.

Things to Consider

Here are some things to think about when considering pain control during labor:

  • Medicines can relieve much of your pain, but probably won't relieve all of it.
  • Labor may hurt more than you expected. Some women who had said they want no pain medicine whatsoever end up changing their minds when they're actually in labor.
  • Some medicines can affect your baby, making the baby drowsy or causing changes in the heart rate.

Talking to Your Health Care Provider

You'll want to review your pain control options with the person who'll be delivering your baby. Find out what's available, how effective they're likely to be, and when it's best not to use some medicines.

If you want to use pain-control methods other than medicine, make sure your health care provider and the hospital staff know. You might want to also consider writing a birth plan that makes your preferences clear.

Remember, many women make decisions about pain relief that they abandon — often for very good reason — at the last minute. Your ability to endure the pain of childbirth has nothing to do with your worth as a mother. By preparing and educating yourself, you can be ready to decide what pain management works best for you.

Ouch! Managing Labor Pains

​We’ve all seen those movie scenes when a woman in a wheelchair is being rushed through the hospital doors after her water breaks. Cut to the mother-to-be screaming at the top of her lungs while pushing the baby out. Then, the money shot of the new parents staring adoringly at their newborn. But in real life, childbirth can take a lot longer than a few minutes of edited screen time, and there are a variety of ways to manage the pain that comes with bringing a baby into the world.

Erica Vu, certified nurse midwife at UC San Diego Health, talks about the stages of labor, the pain associated with the process and the interventions — both medicated and non-medicated — that are available.

How does a pregnant woman know when she is in labor?

Labor is very mysterious and one can never exactly know when it will start. Most women start to have various labor signs a few hours or weeks even before labor officially begins. These may include:

  • Increased vaginal discharge — brown, pink or increased mucous discharge in general is a good sign the cervix is starting to ripen and the mucous plug, the sealed entrance to the uterus, is released.
  • Many women notice more pelvis pressure as the baby’s head descends in her pelvis. Some call this “lightening” and it can happen weeks before or just as labor is starting.
  • Some women start to have more nausea and loose stools or even diarrhea as the body is preparing for labor.
  • The most common sign of labor is the increase in cramping associated with abdomen tightening or Braxton hicks. These early contractions usually start in the lower abdomen/pubic area and radiate towards the lower back. The frequency and duration of these start to increase and become more regular and rhythmic. At times, these contractions can start and increase rapidly, but for most, this can take several hours or even several days. We time the contractions from the start of one to the start of the next contraction. When they are still irregular and more than five minutes apart, most women are still in the cervical ripening/very early labor stage. These irregular contractions may even slow down or stop to give the mom’s a break. When the frequency starts to increase and contractions are five minutes apart or less for an hour or more, there tends to be cervical dilation and changes that mark the start of early labor progression.

What are the stages of labor and the pain associated with each stage?

The first stage of labor is cervical dilation, or the opening of the cervix, from 0 to 10 centimeters. Early labor is when the cervix starts to dilate from closed to five centimeters with regular contractions. Early labor contractions tend to be a bit shorter in duration (60 seconds or less) and more menstrual like-cramping in the lower abdomen and back. Early labor can take several hours or even a day or more.

When the contractions intensify, include the upper abdomen and are around two to three minutes apart, active labor is most likely starting, which is the stage from 6 to 10 centimeters. Active labor contractions are a lot stronger, longer (one to two minutes in duration) and almost always necessitate more focus, breathing and position changes/labor support. Women usually also have more regular cervical dilation at intervals of one or more centimeters per hour on average. Of course, every labor can be different for each woman so this can be a variable continuum. 

Once women get to 10 centimeters, the second stage of labor starts and pushing begins until the baby is delivered. This can take minutes to hours depending on the baby’s position, maternal effort and anesthesia interventions.

The third stage of labor is when the baby is out and the placenta is delivered.

What type of non-medicated interventions does UC San Diego Health provide for labor pain?

Still of Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen from Universal Picture's Knocked Up.

Multiple position changes: Walking, lunges, squats, birthing balls, birthing stools and using Rebozos (a fabric shawl originally from Mexico that when placed appropriately can help to lift lower abdomen weight off the pubic bone, squeeze hips with back labor or help during the pushing stage by pulling on the fabric in different positions both sitting, squatting or standing). All of these positions help to move the baby in position to descend down the birth canal while helping the women cope with the contractions. Women can often times focus on the movement instead of the contraction.

Doulas: Women can hire private doulas or ask for one of our volunteer Hearts & Hands Program. Doulas are beneficial in so many ways, but specifically they give continuous non-medical labor support, including help with breathing techniques, counter pressure, position changes and massage and can be an advocate for your preference of labor process and birth.

Hydrotherapy (Labor tubs): Buoyancy can help with freedom of movement during contractions. Warm water helps to relax between contractions, eases body aches, including back aces, improves circulation and is a safe and effective form of pain relief.

Showers: Warm water helps with relaxation and decreases maternal tension during the peak of the contractions. Partners are invited to join to help with support.

Waterproof Wireless Monitors: These allow laboring women to be in the shower for pain relief while still allowing the benefits of hydrotherapy and close monitoring of the baby. The wireless monitors also allow women to change positions easily and walk freely about in their rooms or down the hallways if they so desire.

What type of medicated interventions does UC San Diego Health provide for labor pain?

Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous is a gas women breathe in through a mask during contractions. Women are still aware of the contractions, but the nitrous helps to decrease anxiety during them. Some women may experience nausea or dizziness initially but that usually resolves in a few minutes. This intervention allows freedom of movement, such as standing or sitting on a birthing ball, to help the baby descend down the birthing canal. Women can use nitrous as the only form of pain relief or it can also be used as a bridge to other forms of pain relief as labor progresses. It is safe and effective for both mom and baby. It is not as strong as the gas you receive at your dental office visit and you will not be laughing through labor. It can be used at any time during labor, pushing stage, or even during the repair of lacerations if a mother is unmedicated.

Intravenous Pain Relief: Narcotics or opioids help to relax the mind and body during the peak of the contractions. These help to decrease the sensations of pain, and depending on the stage of labor, may even allow the woman to rest and sleep a bit. It does cross over to the baby through the placenta but in time, just like the mother, it wears off and has little side effects. Some women feel initial dizziness and nausea as well but that often resolves with time. We often combine the narcotic with an anti-emetic (anti-nausea) medication to help but also to prolong the duration of the pain relief. There are different types of narcotics used for different stages of labor to decrease side effects in the newborn in case of a quick delivery.

Regional Anesthesia (Epidurals): This is a pain relief method that decreases pain sensations from the abdomen and below by placing a small tube into in an area surrounding the spinal cord in the lower back and is connected to a pump. The medicine is continuously infusing during the course of labor while women remain awake and alert. Most women do not feel the majority of the pain sensations of contractions, but some will feel the pressure of the baby descending in the pelvis, which helps women to push when ready. Women are not allowed to walk with epidurals but are able to change positions in bed.

Learn more about labor pain management options at UC San Diego Health.

About UC San Diego Health Midwives

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Labor Pain: You can handle it!

For many expectant mothers, the pain that may be in childbirth is a real "sore topic". Wander from mouth to mouth "horror stories" of grandmothers and girlfriends. Meanwhile, these sensations are fundamentally different from pain during injuries, diseases and other unpleasant incidents. It is not enough to say that childbirth is a pleasant event, it is a holiday, it is a sacrament. And contractions and attempts are the way to the holiday. Just to make the holiday a success - you have to work hard. "Work", "work" is the period of contractions in English and French. Thinking of them as a difficult path to the joy of meeting a baby is the first step to not hurting. And the joyful acceptance of contractions is almost one hundred percent painkiller. But this is already a feat of maternal love.

Childbirth is not painful or scary,

because there are many simple and natural pain relief methods. In our age, many means have been invented to facilitate any work, in any way. And in such a primordial human business as obstetrics, there are dozens of such methods, both ancient and modern.

Remember that there will be no task beyond your strength! There will be a job that suits you.

All people are different - and from everything that will be described here, you will definitely choose something of your own. You should think, try and take with you on the road what is useful for you. We will only make a reservation that only natural childbirth can be effectively anesthetized by natural methods, that is, those that are not "caused" artificially and go without medical interventions. Then, believe me, looking back immediately after giving birth, you will say: it was wonderful! But when will I give birth next time ...

Relaxation

The more relaxed you are during the contraction, the easier it will be for you to “work through” it, the better the cervix will open, releasing the baby. And this is the meaning of your work. Actually, your body will do the work, you just need to help yourself and your baby in the right way ... Everyone has their own way to relax: focusing on a visual or auditory image, breathing, posture, sound.

Concentration

From practice it is known that focusing on something helps to relax during a fight. You must choose for yourself individually what will be close to you. Some prefer to focus on what is happening inside: they imagine how the cervix opens, how the baby's head moves forward.

Visual images are closer to others: they imagine themselves in some beautiful and pleasant place (on the seashore, in the mountains) or imagine a fight in the form of an obstacle that must be overcome (for example, in the form of a big wave). Sometimes it is convenient for a woman to focus her eyes on a certain object or follow a line with her eyes in the course of a fight.

There are people who find it easier to focus on a sound, whether produced by themselves or heard from outside. It can be music, the voice of a husband or a midwife, the sound of the sea or rain. Sometimes it's easier to focus on the tactile sensation: massages, firm pressure, and even hugs can help distract and relax. You can focus on a short prayer, verse, phrase, as well as on a certain rhythmic movement - which is closer to whom.

Breathing and sound

Instinctively holding one's breath and straining is a natural human response to a disturbing stimulus. We will do the opposite - breathe evenly and calmly. And surprisingly, the irritant will bother us less!

  • Long exhalation. A deep, calm breath in through the nose and a long, calm (not forced!) exhalation through the mouth. To make the exhalation longer, you can fold your “lips into a tube”, as if blowing on a flame.
  • Intermittent exhalation. A deep, calm breath in and a long, interrupted exhalation that sounds like "poo-poo-poo-poo ...".
  • "Engine". You shortly inhale and exhale, while the sounds are similar to how a steam locomotive puffs.
  • "Dog breath". Frequent short breathing: this is how a dog breathes in the heat. This breathing helps to prevent pushing too early or to hold it back (preventing ruptures).

Sounds. It is much easier for many to “sound” in a fight than to remain silent. This is by no means a cry, but lingering sounds of different heights on the exhalation. From the outside it looks like a primitive song. You need to choose the height of the sound for yourself individually.

Movement and various postures

Movement. Usually, immobility and the supine position are the least comfortable during contractions. Hence the main advice: find your posture and move! In addition to anesthesia, the movement contributes to the correct insertion of the baby's head at the exit from the small pelvis. Between contractions, you can walk around, and if the contractions are weak and rare, then you need to walk quite quickly - this gives mild stimulation. Movements resembling the rotation of a hoop around the waist or an oriental dance work wonderfully.

The following positions are good during contractions:

  • Standing posture, leaning forward. This position is very convenient if you walk during contractions. You stop where the fight caught you and, leaning on a table or wall, "work through" the fight.
  • "Pose of a cat" or position on all fours. Remember how old Hank carried the Chief of the Redskins on his back when they played Indians. The pose is convenient in the active phase of contractions, when it is no longer possible to walk.
  • "Child's Pose" is similar to the previous one, the difference is that the arms are bent at the elbows and the head is low. Your baby is in the same position in the womb. Pillows can be placed on the sides for comfort. In this position, it is good to both “work through” contractions and rest between them.
  • Side lying position. Also good for contractions and relaxation. For convenience, the upper leg, bent at the knee, can be placed on a large pillow.
  • Hanging position. Sometimes, during contractions, it is comfortable for mommy to hang: on the sports complex or in a squatting position, leaning on her husband supporting her from behind. The meaning of the hanging position is to relax the lower body, which softens the sensations. In addition, the force of gravity helps the child move from the inside out.

Stroking, massage, pressure

Most women enjoy being touched during contractions. The sacrum is the area where the nerves leading to the uterus come from. If you look closely at the lower back, you will see a rhombus, which is formed by the muscles of the back and buttocks. Often, stroking from top to bottom, or vigorous rubbing at points on the sides of the diamond, significantly changes the sensations. For some, just applying firm pressure to the area helps. A woman can do a massage with her own hands only at the initial stage of childbirth, in the future it sometimes has to be done by her husband or someone who helps in childbirth.

Heat and cold

  • Hot compress. Try to apply a hot compress from a towel folded several times to the sacrum area during a contraction. You can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water.
  • Heating pad. This is dry heat on the sacrum. Very convenient electric heating pad with adjustable heat. Sometimes a mother is pleased when heat is applied not to the sacrum, but to the stomach, groin or perineum.
  • Ice. All people are different: in rare cases, not heat, but ice should be applied to the sacrum (sliced ​​frozen vegetables usually act as ice - they easily take the shape of the body). However, at the same time, the mother as a whole should be warm.

Water

Water has a wonderful analgesic and relaxing effect.

  • Warm shower. Once you are comfortable and relaxed, direct the shower jet to where you feel most comfortable. The shower gives local warmth and light massage.
  • Pool. Contractions are greatly facilitated by immersion in water. It is enough just to sit comfortably in the pool or bath, relaxing well. If the contractions are very strong - some mothers dive under the water and find that it is an excellent pain reliever. If you add 5-6 drops of verbena essential oil diluted in milk or yogurt to the water, the analgesic effect will increase, and the air around the mother will be filled with a delicate and wonderful aroma (be careful if the mother is prone to allergies!).

Aromatic oils

Verbena and lavender oils have already been mentioned above, which are used for water procedures. They also work great as a relaxing and analgesic, if you rub a drop in your palms and inhale the vapors, as well as if you use an aroma lamp. Allergy sufferers should test with a very small amount of oil and observe their reaction.

Homeopathy

This is the science that says that the symptoms are the language of the human body, in which he speaks what specific remedy he needs in a given situation. Therefore, according to a vivid picture of symptoms, even a person who is superficially familiar with homeopathy can successfully prescribe a harmless and very effective medicine. Here are the "pictures" (look closely!).

  • Caulophyllum 30. Sharply painful contractions that occur in the lower abdomen. Despite this, the midwife or doctor says that the cervix does not dilate. Mom feels tired, trembling, thirsty.
  • Cimicifuga 30. Also, during contractions, sharply painful sensations in the lower part of the abdomen, they "jump" from place to place. He talks a lot and rather randomly, "jumps". Mom is full of fears and forebodings (in fact, often such women have a difficult past experience of pregnancy and childbirth, failures in married life). Her deepest feeling is "I can't!".
  • Gelsemin 30. Feeling of trembling and tiredness, eyes literally closing. Trembling in the fight. The cervix does not open. Internal tension, bad forebodings.
  • Coffea 30. Contractions seem unbearable. Sharp emotional arousal, as if drinking coffee.
  • Hamomilla 30. Contractions seem unbearable. Extremely sensitive and misbehaving. Screaming, cursing and bickering. Sensation of heat, flushed face.
  • Pulsatilla 30. The main indications for this remedy are tearfulness, self-doubt, need for comfort and support. Does not tolerate stuffiness. The contractions are sluggish and weak in this remedy. Its use will avoid harsh drug stimulation leading to painful contractions.
  • Arnika 30. Mom doesn't want to be touched: she claims that she's all right and sends everyone away. Feeling of muscle weakness and soreness. In childbirth relieves fatigue, prevents bleeding. After childbirth - accelerates recovery.

These drugs are freely sold in homeopathic pharmacies.

How to use the medicine: Take 3 grains and observe your reaction. If there are changes for the better, it is not necessary to repeat the reception while the improvement lasts. Take again if symptoms return. Choose another medicine if there is no effect. It is reasonable to visit a homeopathic doctor at the end of pregnancy, who, after talking with you individually, will select such medicines for childbirth that will be useful for you, and will also prescribe prophylactic agents to make childbirth easier.

Listen to your body

Take it on faith: you know how to give birth (this has been encoded in the genes of every cell of your body since ancient times) and you know exactly what you and your baby need to make childbirth easier and better. You just need to understand your own body language. The famous Canadian midwife Gloria Lemay finds it useful to look at childbirth as a excretory process, like other excretory processes: coughing, stool, crying. “They don’t need a mind - they require a different state. Each person is able to carry out his excretory processes without special instructions from his neighbors ...,” she writes.

But all people are different. Many give birth on their own, many need help (even in finding themselves). If you are not one of those who know with their inner instinct what to do, take courses for expectant mothers. If you are not one of those who finds the strength to give birth completely on their own, find good helpers.

Traditional midwives know many other ways to make childbirth easier. Moreover, experience allows them to see what is best for you. Find such assistants who, having all the necessary professional knowledge and experience, would have the wisdom to respect your opinion, follow the nature of your body and not interfere with natural processes unless absolutely necessary.

Veronika Maslova, family doctor, homeopath

Popular methods of pain relief during childbirth

Many pregnant women are very worried about the upcoming birth and fear the pain associated with it. Of course, you ask yourself: “Will I be able to cope with this pain and will I be able to give birth without anesthesia?” I won't lie to you, childbirth is painful. But there are a number of reliable methods to relieve pain, both natural and medicinal.

Nature has endowed women with a special analgesic hormone - endorphin, which is synthesized during childbirth and relieves pain. If you are thinking about whether to use anesthesia in childbirth or not, then you should know that it suppresses the secretion of endorphins. Yes, the anesthetic effectively relieves pain, but at the same time blocks the production of hormones. Also, remember that we are all unique and our reactions to pain are different. Some women perceive their childbirth as a unique experience, as something special. Other women reach the limit of their strength during childbirth and then try to erase this event from memory as quickly as possible.

It is very difficult to determine in advance which method is best for you, as each pregnancy is unique and the assessment of the current situation can only be made during labour. But getting as much information as possible about the methods of anesthesia of labor pain will not be superfluous.

Natural methods

Support for a loved one

Many women feel that you can help by simply holding her hand. A husband, friend or personal midwife can support you during childbirth. Sometimes just a word of encouragement or help with breathing is enough to get you through the tough times. The accompanying person should encourage you and constantly tell you about how the birth process is going. The feeling of security reduces tension and, accordingly, reduces pain. The idea of ​​calling someone close to the people is good because you know for sure that there is someone to support you, this thought alone already gives you strength.

Gradually, our maternity hospitals are getting acquainted with such a phenomenon as “dula”. A doula is an experienced woman who supports the mother emotionally and physically. She also acts as an intermediary between the woman in labor and the medical staff. Even during pregnancy, the doula learns about the needs and fears of the expectant mother. This is not a midwife suddenly hired during childbirth, but a friend, a person who is completely trusted by a woman in childbirth. A doula accompanies the mother during the entire birth process. At the same time, she does not need to work as a midwife, she just needs to undergo special training, have relevant experience and be able to establish a warm and cordial relationship with the patient. In our conditions, the function of a doula is best performed by midwives, although this is a fairly new direction in general. In European countries, doulas have been known for a long time and are considered a necessary part of the birth process. Women who are accompanied by doulas feel better after childbirth, and the process of childbirth itself is less traumatic compared to traditional childbirth.

Water

Warm water relaxes. You can both take a shower and lie down in the bath. Of course, it all depends on the equipment in your hospital. A relaxing shower should last 15-25 minutes. While showering, point the jet of water at the stomach or lower back, this will relieve pain and increase blood flow to the muscles. After that, the muscles will be easier to stretch. While taking a bath, you will feel how tension and fatigue disappear, and you will feel a strong surge of energy.

Remember! The water should be either warm or slightly warm. Never use hot water. Remember that if you are not in the mood to take a shower or bath, no one can force you.

Massage

During childbirth, massage of the lumbosacral region can provide significant relief. Lie down or sit comfortably and ask the person accompanying you to massage your lower back. Your partner should make circular movements in the painful area with the entire surface of the palm, first in one direction, then in the other. You can also apply pressure to painful points using the base of your palm or fists.

You may not want to be massaged at all, or you may prefer having a midwife massage rather than your husband. Remember that you can always talk about your feelings and what exactly you need. If you do not want the accompanying person to touch you, ask the obstetrician for help. Do not be afraid that in this way you will offend your partner. He should not be offended, thinking that he is a bad helper and that he is not needed. He must understand and respect the rights of the woman who gives birth.

Compresses

Compresses are very helpful in relieving pain. A cold or warm compress applied to the sacrum or lower abdomen will definitely give you some relief.

Breathing

Breathing is very important during childbirth. When you start to panic, your breathing becomes rapid, and this, in turn, can lead to hyperventilation. So try to focus on your breathing. This will greatly ease the pain.

Breathing in is important to your baby because your body is supplying oxygen to your baby, and breathing out is important to you because it helps you relax. Breathe deeply. Exhale the air completely, imagine that you are exhaling all the tension and pain. Synchronize the rhythm of your breathing with the rhythm of contractions.

Shout

During contractions you may scream, moan or even sing. This is quite natural. Do not suppress your emotions, otherwise you will overstrain the muscles involved in childbirth, and this will only increase the pain.

If you make any sounds as you exhale, you will not only relieve the pain, but also relax the muscles of the birth canal.

But everything is good in moderation. Remember that loud screaming can make you tired, and fatigue slows down the birth process. If you scream instead of pushing in the second stage of labor, the pushing will be ineffective and the baby will not move through the birth canal. Therefore, moaning and screaming to relieve pain is possible only at the moment of weakening of the contraction.

Acupressure

For severe sacral pain, try acupressure. This is a technique from Chinese medicine. Your partner should press hard on the base of the big toe. This method does not require much effort on either your part or your partner's, so it's worth a try.

Movement

Change positions during childbirth. Movement reduces pain. Depending on what stage of labor you are in, completely different positions can alleviate your condition. Using this or that position, you can both speed up and slow down the process of childbirth. Your body itself will tell you exactly what to do in order to relieve the pain during contractions as much as possible. Any posture is good - you can sit, walk, squat or get on all fours. Have a partner help you, or use the furniture and equipment in the antenatal room to help you.

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)

A special device produces the hormone endorphin, which is needed to relieve pain. With TENS, four electrodes are attached to the skin in the lumbar region, through which current is supplied. Electrical impulses block the transmission of pain along the nerves, and as a result, contractions are easier to bear. This method has no effect on the child, but is not recommended for women with a pacemaker.

Music

You can listen to your favorite music during childbirth. To do this, simply download your favorite playlists to your phone before heading to the hospital.

As long as you listen to your favorite tunes, you will not think about pain, and this will bring you relief in difficult moments.

Pharmacological methods

Epidural analgesia

This is probably the most popular and most effective method for pain relief during childbirth.

An anesthetic needle is inserted between two lumbar vertebrae. You will not feel pain below the belt, but you will be conscious, able to move and push. However, remember that this method has certain disadvantages. Such anesthesia weakens contractions, which leads to a significant slowdown in the birth process. In general, the anesthetic does not affect the child, but sometimes, unfortunately, the baby's heartbeat can slow down for a while, which will be seen from the CTG records. This does not happen often, but before you ask for such anesthesia, you must weigh the pros and cons. It is also necessary to know that anesthetics administered through an epidural catheter are derivatives of cocaine, although they are administered in low and authorized doses.

Dolargan / Pethidine

It is an antispasmodic drug derived from morphine. It is recommended in the presence of contraindications to epidural anesthesia. It is administered either intramuscularly or intravenously. However, this remedy is not recommended for use, because it penetrates the child's body and can cause depression of the respiratory system of the newborn. You may also feel drowsy after the injection, and you may experience nausea or vomiting.

Nitrous oxide

When using this type of anesthesia, you inhale the gas mixture through a special mouthpiece or using a face mask. This is a rather mild type of anesthesia that has a slightly relaxing and pain-reducing effect. This method is effective when you inhale gas before a contraction. In this case, the maximum level of gas in the blood is reached during the contraction itself.

Nitrous oxide is now rarely used, and maternity hospitals are phasing out this type of anesthesia.

Pudendal Anesthesia

In this type of anesthesia, an anesthetic is injected into a nerve in the perineum on both sides of the pelvis. Anesthesia of this type is also used extremely rarely.

As for me, I perceive childbirth as an exceptional and very difficult experience.

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