Natural Pain Relief Options During Labor And Birth

The epidural is without a doubt the most popular and powerful pain relief option during labor and birth, and many women, in active labor and otherwise, would eagerly sings its many praises. Are you hoping to go natural for your labor and birth, whether out of concern for side effects for you and your baby, or simply because you want to experience the entire journey? You'll still have access to many pain relief options that will make your labor and delivery more pleasant.

Why choose a natural birth, without an epidural?

There are many reasons to choose a natural labor and birth, and every woman who would like to give birth without an epidural or other conventional forms of pain relief during labor will have her own motivations. Some of the more common reasons to choose to go through labor and birth without pain medication include:

• Seeing natural, unmedicated childbirth as the default, and not wanting to interfere with nature. 

• Not seeing pain as a big deal, or having a high tolerance for pain. 

• Wanting to experience childbirth without medical interventions, as much as possible. 

• Concerns over the possible side effects of medical forms of pain relief, including epidural analgesia. 

• Worries that an epidural would trigger the augmentation of labor with Pitocin, and eventually a c-section. Natural birth advocates call this the "cascade of interventions". 

• Having a short labor, perhaps with a second or subsequent child, so there is no time for medical pain relief. 

• Having giving birth naturally before and not seeing this experience as excessively painful. 

• Giving birth in a setting where medical pain relief is not available — such as at home or at a birth center. 

Labor contractions, pushing, and giving birth to the baby and placenta are all likely to be at least slightly painful experiences. Many women say that giving birth was the most painful thing they have ever done in their life, though most of those same women will immediately add that they basically forgot about the pain as soon as the baby was born. 

If you are hoping to go natural during your own labor and birth, you could be one of those women who doesn't feel the need to seek out alternative forms of pain relief at all. You may just go with the flow, and experience labor and birth as they come. Or you may want to seek out other means to reduce the pain of contractions and childbirth. Here, we will discuss four powerful ways to reduce pain: immersion in water, hypnobirthing, remaining mobile, and distracting yourself with other things. 

Water As Pain Relief And Hypnobirthing

Water As Pain Relief During Labor and Birth

Water birth is, basically, exactly what it sounds like. Increasing numbers of women are choosing to give birth while they are immersed in water in a dedicated birth tub, or at least to make their way through their labors in the water. These tubs are available in many hospitals and birth centers now, and they can also be bought for personal use at a homebirth.

Sometimes, a homebirth midwife will supply a birth tub to women who are interested in giving birth or laboring in the water.

Water birth advocates list many benefits of the practice. Pain relief for the laboring mother is one of the primary benefits of water birth. Others include more freedom of movement due to the water's buoyancy, support to the perineum and thus a lower chance of tearing, and a gentle entrance into the world for the baby.

It is important to point out that most of the reasons water birth advocates say this practice is amazing have no basis in science (yet?). Still, comfortably warm water certainly does provide a significant level of pain relief. You don't need to go through lots of documents on Google Scholar to find evidence of this; any woman who has ever taken a warm shower to combat menstrual cramps can attest to this fact. Any laboring woman simply needs to try what the pain is like while immersed in her own bathtub or a birth tub, and compare that to the sensations she has while she labors on dry land. I have tried it, and water most certainly did the trick for me. 

Some doctors and mothers-to-be are concerned about the risk of infection associated with a water birth. It is not currently clear what how big that risk is, but there is good reason to believe that potential risk does exist. Birth tubs used in hospitals, birth centers, or by midwives for multiple mothers are dreadfully risky if they are not cleaned and disinfected properly. The laboring mother herself may contaminate the tub during labor too (I'm sure you know what I am referring to, so I don't have to spell it out!).

You can still have the benefits of pain relief from water if you don't fell comfortable with a full water birth. In that case, get out of the tub as soon as your bag of waters ruptures. Those women who do not have access to a birth pool can still labor in their bathtub at home or in hospital (if provided), or take a warm shower during labor.

Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is another relatively popular natural pain relief option among women who want an unmedicated birth. Though hard to explain simply, hypnobirthing programs involve relaxation techniques, positive affirmations, and self-hypnosis. There are various hypnobirthing programs on the market, but Hypnobabies is the most well known of them.

Hypnobabies can be studied at home with audio CDs, or in a group led by a Hypnobabies instructor. Participants practice the techniques associated with hyponbirthing throughout their pregnancy, both to gain instant peace and relaxation and in preparation for the labor and birth.

Positive affirmations and visualizations are a large part of Hypnobabies — pregnant women spend time imaging their ideal birth in great detail. They may listen to sentences like “my cervix will open smoothly”. Terminology that is perceived as negative is avoided. “Contractions” become “surges”, for instance.

Does hypnobirthing work? If you are a natural skeptic, that is very hard to believe. Having watched numerous videos of women employing hypnobirthing techniques, often in a homebirth setting where water birth is also chosen, it was quite amazing to notice that these mothers are exceptionally calm and appear to be having a painless birth.

One mother who used Hypnobabies during her pregnancy and then her hospital birth told me that Hypnobirthing did not, in fact, take all of the pain of labor away. It did, she said, shut out all of the outside influences going on around her, enabling her to have a much more peaceful birth. This, too, can matter. Think of hypnobirthing as a form of meditation. If it doesn't take the pain away, it can at least help you cope. If you let the vibes in.

Changing Positions And Distraction

Changing positions and walking around during labor hardly sound like pain relief techniques. Yet, the power of these seemingly simple things should not be underestimated. In many maternity care settings, lying down in a bed either flat on the back or in a semi-reclined position the whole time is the default.

Not every woman finds this position comfortable, and it actually makes the pushing stage less effective as it narrows the birth canal. Being able to move freely and change positions at will can definitely make labor feel a lot less painful.

Walking around during labor can speed up contractions and gives you a helping hand — gravity. Changing positions whenever and however she wants to makes a laboring woman feel like she is in charge of the situation, which she should be.

Are you a pregnant women who is hoping to retain autonomy over your body during labor and birth? Routine interventions such as electronic fetal monitoring and measuring your blood pressure may get in the way. Ask your healthcare team about this in advance, because they may be able to accommodate you. Some hospitals, and many birth centers and homebirth midwives, also have tools that specifically enable you to be as mobile as you want. Birth stools, yoga balls, and hammocks are some examples.

Distraction

What if you don't believe in self-hypnosis and are too skeptical to buy into the whole concept of water birth? Distraction is a simple tool, but one that is highly effective during early labor. Rather than focusing on your contractions (which may be appealing, because labor is new and exciting!), pretend you are not feeling them. Do other stuff instead, until you can no longer ignore labor.

If you are laboring at home, you can bake a cake, do your taxes, clean your house, or invite some friends over, or browse the internet. In hospital, you can read a book, talk to your partner, walk around the ward, possibly watch television, and perhaps knit a baby hat. Whatever other activity you can think of that will take your mind off those contractions will really help.

Other things that some people would list as separate pain relief techniques also fall into this category. Massage, listening to calming music, or praying are all activities that can distract you from labor. Having a birth doula present will keep you distracted as well, and even aromatherapy could fall into this category.