Coping with Labor Pain WITHOUT an Epidural | Hinsdale Birth Doula
We all know how uncomfortable birth can be, and for first time moms, it’s usually the pain that scares them the most. So I thought I would put together a little blog post to share 5 pain management skills that you can use without an epidural. Or maybe you’re considering getting an epidural but not until later in your labor so that you can give your body the chance to move around as much as possible. Either way, there are little tricks you can use to shave some sensation off the contractions to make them more manageable.
The brain receives and processes pain and pleasure sensations through nerve gates, but the brain can process only one emotion at a time (either pain or pleasure) so what we want to do is try and trick the brain into feeling pleasure instead of pain. We do that by flooding the brain with pleasurable sensations, and there are several ways to do that:
Breathing - specially when combined with smelling pleasurable things. Remind yourself to take deep purposeful breaths. Now imagine combining your favorite scents to your breathing exercises; your brain will be focused on processing these smells instead of the pain sensations. You can bring your favorite essential oils and either diffuse them in the room, or just keep the bottles near by. Some examples you can use are lavendar (calming) peppermint (good for nausea) clary sage (helps with uterine contractions) jasmine (lovely floral smell) or maybe even a citrus scent. Bring a bunch of options with you and see what feels best for you.
Visualization or Focal Points - you can take a point and just focus on it intently, either a spot on the wall or someone’s eyes or a meaningful picture, anything that will keep you distracted as you ride the waves of your labor. Visualization is more of an internal image you are creating in your mind where you can focus on all the aspects you want to recreate in your mind (think of all the five senses) and that way your brain is focused on recreating that image in your mind instead of processing any painful sensations.
Music - not only is this fun, it’s motivational and can encourage movement which is essential for encouraging baby to get into the most optimal position in order to pass through the birth canal.
Touch - relaxing, soft touch sensations, counter pressure, it may or may not work, specially a bit later in the process when the sensations intensify, but try it and see how you feel. The other option is to use hot and cold packs and use cool wash clothes to put on your head and shoulders, and warm packs on the back or any tense muscles.
Water - this one is my absolute favorite. You can jump into the bath or shower. The sensation of water trickling on your body will distract your brain from the pain. This helps you feel less overwhelmed and can be so soothing. Water is so powerful, and specially when your labor is established, it can help you progress quickly.
I hope you found these tricks useful! Let me know if you try any of them.
About Salam Birth Services
Hey there, I'm Lana, the human behind Salam Birth Services! I'm a Chicago-based birth photographer, doula and childbirth educator covering mainly the Western, Northwestern and Southwestern suburbs, but feel free to reach out if you live outside those borders to enquire about my availability.
You can find me on Instagram , or you can get in touch here by sending a message!