Delivery Day Pain Management Tools & Strategies

There is a wide variety of options for dealing with pain during your pregnancy and delivery. I’ll give you a brief snapshot of some different techniques but if something peaks your interest I encourage you to reach out and set up a complimentary consultation to see if we're a good fit. In our sessions we can explore pain management in more more depth, talk about your individual circumstances and see what options feel right to you!

Hypnobirthing- An educational process that includes special breathing, relaxation, visualization, meditative practice, attention to nutrition and positive body toning.

Rebozo- A rebozo is a long woven scarf used as a traditional pain alleviation and labour support method. It is held by a support person, a partner, doula, midwife, etc, and is used to gently sift the pregnant person’s stomach and pelvic area. The goal is to relax tight uterine ligaments and abdominal muscles, it can also help a baby rotate in pregnancy or labour more easily and it can help the person birthing to relax into labour.

Counter Pressure- A partner or support person can put pressure on your lower back to help reduce the pressure a labouring person can feel in that region. This can also be done by the birther using a tennis ball- they could put the tennis ball between their back and the wall or the floor and lean back onto it.

Massage- Can be a really effective tool to encourage relaxation and, if done by a partner or loved one, can enhance oxytocin and feelings of love and intimacy. Both of these will help lessen feelings of pain.

Water- Being in water can help a lot with the pain, getting in a nice relaxing bath or taking frequent showers may help ease the discomfort.

Heat/Cold- Heat packs or cold compresses can both be used and can be helpful in dealing with localized pain.

Music- Can help the laboring person find a rhythm for their body throughout the labour and can also be a good way to relax or to motivate. A good song can change your mood which can change your whole perception.

Prenatal Preparation- Preparing your body before the big day can make a big difference in the length of a labour and the pain felt throughout. Seeing a chiropractor for prenatal specific adjustments can help ensure your body’s alignment is optimal for giving birth which can help reduce pain. Prenatal yoga can help prepare your body for the physical intensity of labour and the stretching that occurs throughout pregnancy and the delivery process. Proper nutrition and exercise habits throughout your pregnancy can affect your pain levels as well as improving strength and stamina which can be extremely useful on the big day.

Medical Options- There are also many medicinal options. Epidurals are maybe the most well-known. Epidurals are inserted via a needle into your spine and essentially paralyze you from the waist down until they are removed. They can be a very effective pain relieving tool but they also have potential side effects including an increased chance of additional medical interventions including cesareans. There are also other, less well known, medical options. Nitrous oxide (also known as laughing gas) is administered as a gas and doesn’t have as dramatic effect as an epidural. It takes the edge off the pain for as long as the laboring person is breathing it in (during contractions) but doesn’t linger in the birther or the baby once they stop breathing from the mask. This too though comes with potential side effects including nausea and vomiting. Pethidine is a pain relief pharmaceutical related to morphine which can last from two to four hours. Because nausea is a common side effect it is often given, intravenously with some anti-nausea medication. Again, as with any of these methods there are pros and cons.

Of course none of these pain relief options guarantee pain relief but as you can see there are a lot of options for us to explore. I can give you more information on any of the above and we could try out different techniques and find the ones you feel are best for you and we’ll keep them in our tool belts. Fear can also be a big driver for pain so hopefully as you get more comfortable with different pain management strategies your fear of the pain will diminish and that fear reduction may help reduce the pain you feel significantly. I hope to hear from you soon!

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