How to manage pain during childbirth.

 

Managing pain during childbirth is a unique experience for every woman. For some mothers, labor can last a couple of hours, and they get to have their babies almost painlessly. While for other mothers, labor can last many hours, even days. Turning the experience so traumatic that they prefer not to have any more children, or to have a C-section the next time. The good news is that, with all the advances in science today, managing pain during labor is easier than ever.

But what about those mothers who prefer to have a delivery without medication? The topic of this article will help you enormously. Because I am going to give you some excellent tips, that if you implement before and during childbirth, it will surely allow you to enjoy the experience of birth with less pain.

Why is childbirth painful?

Contrary to popular belief, that pain during labor is caused by uterine contractions. Labor pain originates from the stretching of the cervix, vagina, and adjoining tissues and muscles in the vaginal canal, as the baby passes through. During labor, the function of the uterus is not to squeeze the baby outward. Instead, uterine contractions serve to pull the muscles of the cervix upward, to clear the vaginal canal, and thus allow the baby to exit.

The muscles and ligaments of the pelvis are loaded with pain receptors and nerves, which therefore send a signal of pain during labor.

Learning to relax your body muscles in preparation for labor and delivery will make the difference between a joyful childbirth experience versus a traumatic one.

What are the benefits of learning to relax the birthing muscles to manage pain during childbirth.

Learning to relax your vaginal muscles during uterine contractions will not only ease discomfort, but it will also speed up the progress of labor. Learning to relax other muscles in the body, especially the neck and face, although it looks strange, will also facilitate a quick delivery with little pain.

Relaxation during labor also helps balance the hormones of labor that are two: the adrenal hormones or stress hormones. This is the one that gives the body that extra power it needs to perform an extraordinary effort during labor and delivery.

The other primary hormone of labor is endorphins. This hormone act as a natural narcotic, which helps the body to relax when there is stress and to relieve pain naturally. Endorphins stay in the maternal body for up to two weeks after delivery, they help you secrete Prolactin, a hormone that is essential for the production of breast milk, and endorphins is also the hormone that helps you in the transition to motherhood, helping the coupling. With your new baby.

Fear and anxiety during childbirth can increase the levels of the stress hormone (adrenal hormones); this will weaken the natural relaxing and pain-relief effects of endorphins. Therefore, if your mind is more prepared and relaxed, your body is less likely to hurt.

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What to do to have the perfect childbirth experience.

Face your fears about childbirth: Many studies have scientifically proven that fear and pain are closely linked. Therefore, it will be complicated for you to relax if you are afraid. Try to identify your fears and work on them. Lastly, think that many times, some circumstances are beyond your control. Perhaps it is better to choose not to worry about things that you can not change.

Stay informed:  Take control of the experience you visualize for the arrival of your baby. Inform yourself, read, research, talk to your doctor, and among all the options that are available today, select the one that most resembles your vision. From deliveries with hypnosis, to water birth, to home birth with a midwife. Or simply, a traditional delivery at the hospital, you must find what makes you feel more secure and comfortable.

Choose wisely your birthing team: The people who are by your side during the most vulnerable moment of your life, must be people who don’t have fears, who are receptive to your needs, who give you space, freedom and time to do what makes you feel better. Whether you choose your mother, your best friend, your husband, or whoever this person might be. It must be someone who also contributes to this moment with a bit of joy, positivity and optimism.

 

Focus on your breathing: Breathing and relaxation are also linked. Knowing about good breathing techniques for labor and being able to use them at the right time will help you cope with the discomfort and the pain of contractions. The use of right breathing techniques may even reduce the need for medicines for pain relief during labor. By using the proper breathing techniques, your body releases less of the stress hormone, and more of the pain-relieving hormones, endorphins, which has a calming and relaxing effect.

Childbirth Class: If your fears of childbirth are greater than your confidence, this may be the best time to consider birthing classes. During childbirth classes, you will learn different topics such as:. Exercises and relaxation techniques, different positions for labor that help you relieve pain, the different options available for pain relief, possible delivery complications, the various stages of labor, and more.

Here you have a popular exercise that will teach you to relax for childbirth, you will learn this exercise during childbirth classes:

• Get in a comfortable position with your partner next to you.
• Calm your mind and be mindful of your body.
• Try to identify in your body muscle tension, perhaps a furrowed forehead, clenched fists, a tight mouth, etc.
• Then practice releasing each group of muscles, from head to toe, on a systematic way.
• This exercise will include tense and relax of every group of muscles throughout your entire body.
• Your partner can help you with the cues of “release and contract.”

Music is excellent for relaxation during childbirth: Music can be a fantastic relaxation aid at the time of childbirth. Choose the music that helps you relax the most, practice relaxation exercises mainly during the third trimester, listening to the same music over and over to triggers relaxation in your brain.

Mental imagery: I have to admit, this technique is new to me. However, the results that my patients have shared with me are promising. What is mental imagery? It is a clear mind filled with soothing scenes that will help tremendously to relax during childbirth, at least between the contractions. How do you do this: you must practice it before giving birth, during meditation exercises. Select the images that help you calm your mind more efficiently. The most popular images for relaxation are: waterfalls, waves, a walk at the beach, or any other pleasant memory you might have. Another good practice is between and during the most painful contractions, think about the result of all this (your baby), instead of thinking about the pain, your bundle of joy will give you the strength to continue.

Summarizing the tips for a more pleasant labor experience are:

• Choose the right options of delivery for you.
• Try to feel confident (no fear).
• Choose the right team.
• Work on proper breathing techniques.
• A childbirth class to learn about labor and some relaxation exercises.
• Music.
• Mental imagery.

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Related post you might want to check after:

Early signs of labor.

Hemorrhoids during pregnancy, how to prevent and treat them.

All you need to know about amniotic fluid.

How to relieve heartburn during pregnancy.

Final thoughts for how to manage pain during childbirth.

Feeling informed and confident before labor and delivery will help you relax. When your body reacts to childbirth in the way it is designed to do, it will be able to produce the necessary and balanced amounts of stress hormones and endorphins. Fear and exhaustion drive these hormones out of balance. In this case, if the stress hormone exceeds the endorphins, a more painful delivery will occur, which progresses more slowly.

When you learn to relax during delivery, you’ll be amazed as your body takes control of your mind, allowing you to feel better and having your baby more easily. I hope this article can help you. See you on my next one.

Zadi, xo.