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With my first pregnancy, I had desired a natural labor and delivery. But I didn’t prepare for natural pain management. In fact, I only read one book my entire pregnancy–Easy Labor. It was the only book on labor I could find at my local library, and it primarily addressed medicated pain relief.
After a long, medication-laced labor with my first, I was determined to find some natural relief for labor pain my second time around. With the help of my doula, some naturally-minded friends, and quite a few books and a couple videos, I was able to incorporate these natural pain management techniques and achieve the natural birth I desired.
Not everything works for everyone, but here are 8 natural pain management techniques for labor you can try:
1. The Birthing Ball
This is basically the same as an exercise ball. My doula suggested I practice bouncing on one regularly while pregnant, and I found it a huge relief during labor. I sat on the birthing ball and rocked back and forth, and I also leaned over the birthing ball while kneeling.
Image by eyeliam
2. Changing Positions
With my first labor, I was flat on my back in a hospital bed for 16 hours. With my second, I changed positions frequently. Both of my babies have been sunny-side up (posterior), which lends itself to a LOT of intense back labor. I found that rocking on all fours really helped take the pressure off my back. There were times during my second labor when my nurse asked me to come to the bed for monitoring. Even in the bed, I was able to rock back and forth from side to side, which my midwife said helped the baby move down the birth canal.
3. Water!
Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to experience a water birth. Even though I was able to move around freely with my second, the hospital where I birthed had no tubs in the room at the time (they do now!). But, I was able to use the shower. My favorite part of labor was sitting on the birthing ball in the shower. I rocked back and forth on the ball, draped my torso across a chair, and let my husband and doula spray hot, hot water over me. The water was the most comforting pain relief technique for me!
Image by sundaykofax
4. Massage
Not only did my husband, doula and midwife attend my second birth, but I was super spoiled to also have a good friend who is a professional massage therapist as part of my birthing team. I found massage and counter pressure on my back very helpful in pain relief.
5. Hydration
With my first, I was only allowed to chew on ice chips. Whew–that wasn’t fun! With my second, my doula kept me well hydrated with water mixed with Emergent C. A dehydrated body will make the cramping much worse. Unless it’s against hospital policy (which, it may be if you are hooked up to machines and medications), I would advise taking in plenty of fluids during labor!
Image by goldberg
6. Deep Breathing
Even though I had a highly medicated labor (pitocin, a catheter, stadol, etc.) with my first, I still managed through with no pain medications my first 8 hours. But I had no idea how to breathe. Instead of taking long, deep breaths, I took short breaths and tensed up. This only increased the pain. With my second, taking deep, deep breaths in and slowly breathing out really helped keep me relaxed and helped keep the pain manageable.
7. Embracing Your Contractions
When you feel the pain of contractions, your first impulse may be to tense up and fight it. Try not to! I found contractions to be like a wave. They would start out slowly, increase and peak in intensity and slowly come down and end before a short rest break. Instead of fighting the pain, try embracing it–knowing that it won’t last forever. As clique as it may sound, try to ride those waves!
8. Heat
Especially for back labor, hot rice packs, a hot water bottle or even an electric heating pad can help ease the pain.
9. Essential Oils
I did not use these much in my last labor, but my bag is already packed with them for this next one! Lavender, especially, has a very calming/relaxing effect. I plan on having my doula or husband shake a few drops on a washcloth that I can hold up to my nose and inhale. You can also place certain essential oils in your bath, rub them on your feet or if you birthing facility allows, you can even diffuse them in your room. For more information on essential oils during labor, see this article.
What are some of your suggestions for natural pain management techniques during labor?
*For more information on how to achieve a natural birth in a hospital setting, I recommend the eBook, Unbound Birth.*
Top Image by sundaykofax
**I am not a pregnancy or birthing expert. I simply write from personal experience and personal research. Please consult your trusted health professional before making any decisions regarding pregnancy or birthing.
Check out the other posts in this series:
- 5 Simple Tips for Combating Morning Sickness
- Reflections on my First Pregnancy
- 10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center
- Easing Leg Pain During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Posts Around the Web
- A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 2
- A Tale of Two Births: Medicated vs. Natural Hospital Births, part 1
- How to Achieve a Natural Birth in a Hospital Setting
- Real Food Pregnancy Cheats/Shortcuts
- OB or Midwife: Finding the Birth Provider Who Works for You
- A Comparison of Birth Settings: Home, Hospital and Birth Center
- Resources for a Natural Pregnancy
- 10 Things Never to Say to Pregnant Women
- What Every Pregnant Woman Wants to Hear
- Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Much More than Severe Morning Sickness
- Pregnancy Posts Around the Web, Take 2
- Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding While Pregnant
- Preparing for a Water Birth
- The Importance of Using a Doula
- A Sample Hospital Birth Plan
- Why We Chose NOT to Induce Labor
- 7 Ways to Naturally Induce Labor
- Maintaining Proper Iron Levels During Pregnancy
I’m linking up with: Simple Lives Thursday, Your Green Resource, The Better Mom, The Prairie Homestead, Growing Home, Deep Roots at Home, Time-Warp Wife, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Works for Me Wednesday,Fight Back Friday, Monday Mania
*I have included affiliate links in this post.
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THANK YOU!!! You sure knew I needed this.
Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents recently posted..Not-So-Sourdough Bread
I thought about you when I was writing this!!
Erin recently posted..Maintaining Proper Iron Levels During Pregnancy
This is a great post! I did most of them except the essential oils, and they really did help.
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy recently posted..Moving Right Along to Authentic Simplicity {Menu Plan Monday}
Thank you, Anne! I did all of these except the essential oils as well…but I plan/hope to use them this time…that is, if she ever comes!
Good info. I had both my babies at home. The first one was posterior. I didnt know this until labor started. Wow! 37 hrs of WOW. I think the best preparation is being open minded to change. Always remember to breath. I used Hypnobirthing techniques for both births. Its amazing. Its hard when you gets sucked into uncomfortable contractions and focus on our comfort so remember you are bringing a life into the world and each movement is bringing you closer. My first birth was 37 hrs long with 6 hrs of pushing. I was exhausted. I danced, walked, showered, swam, laid in the birth pool, used the birth stool, birth ball, toilet, you name it. My husband, midwife, and doula were amazing. Baby # my water broke, contractions started 18 hrs later and she was born in 4 hrs after 4 pushes. The whole time I focused on Breathing and the waves. When you get scared or tense pain happens so you really must surrender. And remember no two births are ever the same.
Oh wow, Leah! What a crazy first birthing experience–6 hours of pushing?! WOW! You sound like a very strong woman!
I had both babies naturally and #7 worked best for me. I imagined this little “Surfer Bob” who rode the waves of pain on his surfboard. When he got to the top of the wave, I knew it would crest and I would enjoy the release. This worked great except for transition, when nothing worked except getting through it.
I had 3 days of “prodromal” false labor before my first baby’s birth. I knew it wasn’t actual labor and I was pretty good at breathing through contractions and staying relaxed during contractions with three days practice (no sleep!). So I never really noticed when I went into REAL labor, and when I was in transition, I thought THAT was real labor–then I was terrified because I thought it could get worse (it can’t). So it pays to understand what transition is like and to know that part is usually quick.
The symptoms of transition are back to back contractions with plenty of peaks and few valleys. If you’re not getting ANY respite between contractions and they aren’t fully relaxing before the next one, you’re there. Hang on because it’s almost over at that point. Knowing this will help, I promise.
I had to have hospital births because of high risk factors, but in both cases, transition started almost immediately after arriving at the hospital and both babies were born very quickly after getting there (2 hours for the first, 1 for the 2nd).
My other advice is to remain upright as much as possible and let gravity help–don’t lie down until/unless you have to.
Such great advice!! It sounds like you had wonderful hospital births…and it’s so important to remember that once transition hits it’s almost over!!
I really like how you pointed out to embrace contractions. I used a mental picture during mine to help. I would imagine the beginning like a pile of sugar, as the contraction reached is peak the sugar was then pushed into a cube, after the peak the cube is dropped in water and dissolves. As contractions intensified it was as if it took longer for the sugar to press into a cube, and longer to dissolve in the water. I hope that mental image makes sense. It helped me achieve a fully natural labour and delivery with my 3rd baby.