Pain Coping Techniques During Labor

Child birth can be a long and painful experience. If you do not plan properly for the pain and how to deal with it, it can become an overwhelming and scary experience as well. If you are pregnant and growing close to your due date, then you will want to discuss your various pain management options with your doctor or midwife. This information on a wide range of pain coping techniques during labor can help you determine what options your feel would be a good fit for your birth plan.

What Kind of Pain Can You Expect?

Initial pain during labor is not that intense. In fact, you will likely experience menstrual like cramps during the first stage of labor and pain management is not generally needed or administered during this time. As your contractions strengthen, you will experience more intense pain in your abdomen, back and groin area as the baby descends and your muscles continue to contract.

When you get ready to push, the vaginal wall and muscles will also begin to stretch, which will cause pain. Intense pressure on the bladder or bowels could also cause ongoing pain in the abdomen or back as well. Some women are better equipped to deal with the pain and may need little to no pain intervention, while others will have a more prolonged and difficult birth experience that may require the use of several pain relieving methods.

Natural Childbirth Pain Coping Techniques

Some women opt to go through the process of childbirth naturally. Just because you choose natural labor, does not mean that there are not pain relief methods available to you. While these techniques will not get rid of your pain, the will help you deal with it and push through it. Most of these exercises are centered on helping you stay calm and work through the pain to give birth to your baby. Some common natural pain management options include:

• Deep Breathing - Even if you end up choosing other medical pain relief options later on in your laboring process, deep breathing exercises can help you block and manage your pain. By focuses on your breathing, you are redirecting your mind's attention from the pain.


• Specific Birthing Techniques - There are specific techniques such as the Lamaze and The Bradley Method that are taught in birthing classes to help women deal with the pain of labor. Lamaze is the most commonly taught practice and focuses on items such as relaxation strategies, distraction, massage and breathing to help women block and push through the pain.

These types of well rounded methods are the most popular natural childbirth pain coping techniques.

• Walking - During early stages of labor, a woman may find walking soothing and a welcomed distraction from the pain. Since you must focus on your steps and staying upright while walking, it keeps your body from focusing only on the feelings of pain.


• Utilizing Different Positions - From squatting to sitting on a birthing ball or even staying on your hands and knees, there are many different positions that you can use while in labor to take the pressure off of certain parts of your body and help relieve pain. Finding a position that is right for you could take some trial and error, but if your pain is difficult to get through, trying a new position may help.


• Analgesics - Analgesics or pain medications like morphine are used in a variety of situations during labor. Sometimes, a woman will enter childbirth thinking that she will do it naturally. If a roadblock is met or a complication arises that makes the labor progress more slowly, morphine may be given when an epidural is not an option.

In other cases, a woman have a physical condition that makes the use of a block or other childbirth pain coping techniques unsafe and analgesics are used as an alternative. While not a widely used measure anymore, because of the drugs possible effect on the baby, these medications are still administered as pain relief measures in some cases.

Epidurals and Blocks

By far, epidurals and other forms of nerve blocks have become the most popular form of childbirth pain coping techniques in recent years. More and more women are opting to receive the epidurals in order to numb the pain and go through labor in a relatively painless state. Nerve blocks are also used in the majority of c-sections as well.

A thin catheter is placed into the back and sends a continuous flow of medication into the spinal column in order to block sensation in women from the belly button down. Usually not given before a woman reaches 4cm and is in active labor, epidurals must also have ample time to be prepared. If your labor has progressed quickly and you are past a certain point when you arrive at the hospital this pain management method may not be an option for you.

General Anesthesia

When it comes to childbirth pain coping techniques, this is the one that is used least often. General anesthesia is only used during labor in rare, emergency situations. If you are progressing through labor and a complication arises, such as a baby presenting breach or bottom down instead of head down, an emergency c-section could be ordered. The same is true for when babies or mothers suddenly go into distress due to a variety of other complications.

General anesthesia will put the woman to sleep, but it will often also affect the baby and knock them out as well. That is why it is reserved only for those situations that qualify as an emergency.

If you are facing labor and delivery soon, then it is best to be prepared and determine what childbirth pain coping techniques you would like to utilize. Making yourself aware of the options available to you will help you be prepared for the birth of your child and will make you less apprehensive. The information above can help you sift through the various options and choose a technique that will work best for your needs.