10 Drug Free Methods of Pain Relief in Labour!
Most women know that there are a few medical options of pain relief available to them in labour.. gas and air, epidural, pethidine or diamorphine.. but because of the possible side effects of these, often women want to avoid them, either entirely or for as long as possible.
But, it’s absolutely NO good going into labour thinking ‘oh i’ll use a TENS machine and maybe a pool’ as your only alternatives. The bigger your tool kit of comfort measures, the more things you have available to you to help manage the sensations of birth.
What natural pain relief can you use in labour?
Water
Water can be used in a number of ways to help you feel comfortable. Whether that’s a birth pool in established labour, submerging your whole body, giving you a feeling of weightlessness and aiding freedom of movement; a bath in early labour where the warmth and association with relaxation helps you to feel comfortable; or even a shower in labour, where the warm water running down your back acts as a distraction and comfort at any stage of labour. Provided a specialised birth pool is used, there are no known negative side effects to using water in labour and birth.
TENS
TENS machines work by attaching 4 electrode pads to your lower back, which send mild, electrical pulses through the skin. During labour, many women find this to be soothing and distracting from the sensations of contractions. Through a device that hangs around your neck, you yourself are in charge of increasing the intensity of electrical pulses, ‘boosting them’ and turning them off. TENS can be used in conjunction with any other forms of pain relief (except water.. for obvious reasons!!), it can also be discontinued at any time, if you want to get into a pool for instance.
Breathing
Totally under-estimated- having a few breathing techniques up your sleeve can be the most helpful pain management tool at your disposal during labour. Probably the first tool most women will reach for, simply slowing your breath right down- a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose- and a long, slow, deep breath other through your mouth can provide something to focus on, encourage the production of oxytocin (needed for birth) and aid relaxation!
Relaxation
In whatever way works for you- this may be through the use of guided relaxation scripts, like we use in hypnobirthing. It may be through the use of music or simply creating a calm and peaceful environment. Being able to relax your body, means that we can release any tension that we hold in our muscles. When we hold tension in our muscles, pain levels are increased. So softening your jaw, your hands, your pelvic floor, is all going to make you feel more comfortable!
Massage
This may be a massage from your partner on areas of the body that are particularly achey, such as sacral pressure massage or squeezing of the hips. Or it may be to aid relaxation (which we know helps alleviate pain), as a neck and shoulder massage or even a hand or foot massage. If you’ve ever had a proper manicure where they really massage your hands, you’l know exactly how much tension you hold there without even realising it!
Essential Oils
Rose, Lavender and Citrus oils have all been shown to reduce pain levels in labour. You can diffuse them into the air with a steam diffuser or simply pop a drop or two onto a muslin or flannel to inhale as needed. If you begin to use the oils in pregnancy too- in the bath or as part of a massage oil blend, you can start to create associations between the scent and the feeling of relation too, doubling the benefit of the smells in labour!
Hot Water Bottle
The signature tip of my friend, doula- Natalie Meddings (you can listen to my podcast with her here). ‘One for the back and one for the inner thighs!’. Particularly helpful in early labour if you need a rest- think how useful these can be if you have period pain, and you’ll why you need them in your tool box of comfort mesaures without question!
Movement
Instinctive movement can be an incredibly helpful way to make yourself feel more comfortable in labour. The key here though, is simply responding to what your body is asking you to do. Moving into positions that feel comfortable in the moment; resting when you feel tired; circling the hips, bouncing on a ball, pacing the corridor, stamping your feet, dancing, rocking, swaying, kneeling, standing, laying.. whatever your body is asking; do that!
Hypnobirthing
The practicing of hypnobirthing begins in pregnancy, and whilst the hypnobirthing tools for labour encompass everything on this list, a big focus during pregnancy is to alleviate any fear around birth. Something known as the fear, tension, pain cycle shows us that when we feel afraid, tension builds in our body and when we hold tension, we feel more pain. So taking steps during pregnancy to enter labour and birth feeling confident and at ease in itself, is going to reduce pain levels!
Physical Touch
A Kiss? A cuddle? Stroking you back, your neck, your face.. Holding your hand. Resting your foreheads together. Physical contact from someone you know and love massively boosts your oxytocin production. Oxytocin made by our bodies in labour crosses the blood brain barrier and literally makes us FEEL BETTER. So choose a birth partner that is going to make you feel good, and keep them close!
Wanting to avoid or delay the use of medical forms of pain relief doesn’t mean you’re naive or optimistic or having wishful thinking. It likely means you’ve done your research and are making some really sensible choices about your birth. Of COURSE there are situations where medical pain relief can be a fantastic tool, but if its something you’re keen to avoid, you’re absolutely going to need some alternatives! If you’d like to know more about stacking the odds in your favour for the kind of birth you want and deserve, whilst feeling confident and informed about everything else that might be thrown at you, the birth-ed courses are what you need! Why not join us in person or our online course is just £40!