Many wouldn’t dare to think of labor without pain as a wish that could ever come true. Let us tell you something: It could!
Even so, we are sure tons of questions are currently torturing your mind about the procedure of giving birth. Is labor painful? Can labor be painless?
Worrying no more since this post will go into great detail about what can make new mothers’ successful delivery as pain-free as possible.
Labor Without Pain: Typical Medical Pain Relief Methods
An epidural is the first to relieve the pain. Other medical treatments are also available for pain relief during birth, like nitrous oxide, spinal block, and local anesthetic injections.
Epidural
Can giving birth be painless? The answer is yes. As mentioned above, many of you have certainly heard of an epidural as a spinal injection to relieve pain in a specific body area.
This medicine works by a doctor injecting a regional anesthetic through a catheter into the lower back.
With such a method, even if you no longer have continual labor pain throughout your body, some pressure still proceeds from the contractions.
Several patients who have undergone this approach reported that getting an epidural improved their birthing experiences, making difficult circumstances more tolerable and joyful.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is known as an anesthetic gas that can ease labor discomfort.
Despite not being flammable, nitrous oxide will nonetheless facilitate combustion to the identical degree as oxygen.
It produces a mood of exhilaration, therefore the moniker “laughing gas,” which can aid as the least inhalational anesthetic.
Spinal Block
When it comes to how to deal with labor pain without epidural, another typical method of pain management is the spinal block, the so-called spinal anesthesia.
While under this medicine, you’ll receive sedatives to ease your discomfort and put you to sleep briefly.
A spinal block is frequently employed for assisted deliveries (such as cesarean sections or forceps deliveries).
It might also be utilized when your natural birth procedure occurs rather quickly.
Local Anesthetic Injections
If a cutting or stitching is required, local anesthetic injections are commonly used to dull the vaginal area immediately.
When the medication is placed on your skin, you can experience a tiny unpleasant sensation. However, this should go away for minutes as your treated operation becomes numb.
You might also have some skin redness, which could be triggered by an allergy to the pain medication’s ingredients.
Labor Without Pain: Non-medication Methods
If you don’t want to take medicine, breathing, position changes, hydrotherapy, massage, relaxation, acupuncture and acupressure, or aromatherapy can also help ease the labor pain.
Breathing Techniques
You may have watched this scene several times in movies where the pregnant actress breathes to regain her calmness and energy during the vaginal delivery.
That actually does reflect the true importance of breathing in giving birth.
Not only can deep breathing assist the mother in staying well-oxygenated, but it also distracts her from the agony of childbirth.
As such, the action will lessen the anxiety and the impression of pain in childbirth by lowering the patient’s heart rate.
Additionally, breathing exercises during childbirth may mitigate motion sickness.
By supplying the uterus with oxygen, your systematic rate of breathing might render contractions more effective.
Movement And Position Changes
Little did you know a woman can labor in a variety of positions with the aim of decreasing the suffering and speeding up the labor process.
These positions conclude walking, moving, or movement in general. Such mild-level activities will generate endorphins, also known as hormones that trigger good feelings.
Thanks to this, the uterus contracts faster than usual, reducing the mother’s ability to feel pain while in active labor.
Other useful movements that you can employ are wandering around, switching positions frequently, swinging back and forth, or making hip circles while seated on a ball.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is referred to as any technique involving water to address different bodily problems.
It can be utilized at any stage of labor, encompassing the early, active, and terminal or pushing phases to comfort and offer pain relief and relaxation to the new mom.
It doesn’t matter where you want to proceed with the method. Hydrotherapy can happen at home, in a hospital, or in any birthing facility.
During the birth process, you are also not alone but surrounded by plenty of assistance from a nurse-midwife, a midwife, and an obstetrician.
Some hospitals and birthing facilities in the United States accommodate water births for your personal wants.
Massage and Counter Pressure
The pain of labor can be reduced with massage and heated packs.
Massage can be one of the first things you should employ to block out the pain regarding what to do when labor pains start.
Your body may release endorphins, which are natural painkillers, with the use of heat packs.
Saying so doesn’t mean getting a massage amid labor is always a good idea. You might feel wonderful or aggravating, depending on the situation.
Relaxation and Visualization
Using multiple methods of relaxation, like listening to music or meditating, can also reduce your pain and lessen the discomfort while in labor to a certain extent.
It’s also helpful to describe what’s happening in your physique and use those images to help you relax.
Showing a woman a visual of the operation of her cervix opening and explaining that this is the sensation she is feeling could assist her in relaxing and handling labor.
Supportive Birth Team
Having a second support person by your side throughout labor is crucial, even if a registered nurse will be attending to you.
This might be your spouse, a close companion, a member of your family, or a hired support provider like a doula.
Still, bear in mind that it is best to keep the number of people in the room to a minimum since the more they are, the more chaotic your delivery can become.
Acupuncture and Acupressure
Acupressure uses one’s thumbs or fingers to exert tension on particular areas of the body, whereas acupuncture inserts small needles into the body at specified locations.
Both have been made use of to aid in softening and dilating the cervix once labor contractions started.
There is one thing to rest assured that these two forms have no known negative effects on you or your unborn child.
Yet, keep in mind that only a skilled individual should engage in acupuncture.
You may need to talk about finding your own acupuncture practitioner because not all hospitals have one on their health care team.
Aromatherapy
The most well-liked way to receive aromatherapy is through a massage.
If it’s up to the mother’s wants, her birthing companions or a registered nurse could do this while she is in labor.
The mother can even select whether you want your neck, shoulders, hands, feet, or entire back rubbed.
FAQs
Should I Change Position During Labor To Ease Pain?
Yes, remaining active will assist you in dealing with the progression of your labor.
There is strong evidence that standing up or moving about may aid you in cutting your labor time by more than one hour.
How Does Massage Help With Labour Pain?
Massage will increase the temperature of your skin and encourage your body to let go of its own pain-relieving substances.
Having your back massaged, in particular, will do the whole trick.
Ask a certified aromatherapist if any essential oils that you plan to utilize while pregnant are harmless to apply.
Can Having A Supportive Birth Partner Help Me Cope With Pain?
Yes, it can. You’re probably going to deliver a child more swiftly and effortlessly if you have someone encouraging to soothe you and stick with you during labor.
In addition, you probably need fewer painkillers than someone who doesn’t receive ongoing assistance. Most are also more inclined to have a positive general birthing experience.
Conclusion
Now you know what to do and what not to gain a successful yet painless delivery.
The overall trick for labor without pain is to get your physique not too passive and have reliable company on your side while doing so.
So, kick off the preparation now, and enlist your partner or other support people in the process.
You’ll feel equipped to manage the discomfort on your due date and deliver your precious child more successfully!
