Natural pain relief options for labour

Many women choose to use natural pain relief techniques in labour and find that they can easily labour without the need for medicalised pain relief. This post is to help you understand what is available to you, so that you can choose what to use on the day, based on what feels right.

During your labour, feel-good hormones, such as endorphins, will be released to provide you with with some naturally induced pain relief. Many women are becoming aware just how powerful these natural techniques can be in assisting women throughout their labour. Let's explore what they are:

Staying Active
Being active in labor has been shown to help women cope with pain and reduce the length of labour.  Although you may have been led to believe that labouring women should be resting in bed, this is possibly the worst place to be. This can actually increase pain and hamper the progress of labour. Women are encouraged to move around and change positions regularly during labour.

TENS Machine
A TENS machine is a small hand-held electrical devices that sends signals to the brain. it is thought to work two-fold. It reduces the pain signals sent to the brain, as well as stimulates the brain to produce endorphins - your natural pain relief mechanism.

Water
Many women find being in warm water during labour very soothing. It helps to take the pressure off your pelvis and relaxes the muscles, in turn easing tension and stress. Many maternity units now have birth pools for women to use. Whether or not you can give birth to your baby in water will depend on your situations, your place of birth and the skill set of your midwife.

Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis, visualisations and breathing techniques that create a sense of deep relaxation is often referred to as hypnobirthing. This is based on the 'fear-tension-pain syndrome' as discussed in Grantly Dick-Read's books.. His observations concluded that women who could release fear around labour, we able to birth comfortably and naturally. Today there are many hypnobirthing practitioners teaching couples how to use these techniques and understand the birthing process more deeply. Couples usually attend classes between 25-35 weeks of pregnancy.

Massage
Many women find massage during labour helpful to induce relaxation. Massaging the shoulders, back and pelvic area can offer a great sense of comfort and relief. You can practice this in pregnancy, so that this is not new to both you and your birth partner on the big day.

Aromatherapy
Essential oils used in aromatherapy are derived from plants and are used for their therapeutic properties. In childbirth the oils you choose could stimulate, refresh or relax you. Lavender is known to help induce relaxation, which can help you throughout the contractions. Speak to a qualified aromatherapist to find out what is best for child birth.

As you can see there are a number of natural techniques to help you relax during labour. If you would like to find out about medicalised pain relief read our blog about Drugs for Pain Relief.​