Pain during labor is different for every woman. Although labor is often thought of as one of the more painful events in human experience, it ranges widely from woman to woman and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. Women experience labor pain differently — for some, it resembles menstrual cramps; for others, severe pressure; and for others, extremely strong waves that feel like diarrheal cramps.
It's often not the pain of each contraction on its own that women find the hardest, but the fact that the contractions keep coming — and that as labor progresses, there is less and less time between contractions to relax.
How can breathing help with contractions?
- Focusing on your breathing is a really helpful way of getting through each contraction. Think of it in two stages, of breathing in ("re-") and out ("-lax").
- Take a deep breath at the beginning of the contraction and think "re-", then as you breathe out, think "-lax" and let go of any tension.
- Then continue by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, keeping your mouth soft and slightly open.
- Keep a good rhythm going. Don't worry about how deeply you're breathing, or for how long. Just try not to let the in-breath become longer than the out-breath.
- Repeat this a few more times. Concentrate as hard as you can on breathing in as the contraction builds up, and out as it fades away.
- When the contraction is over, relax.
This rhythmic breathing will conserve your energy and help to ease your pain, too.
Natural Childbirth
Some women choose to give birth using no medication at all, relying instead on relaxation techniques and controlled breathing for pain. If you'd like to experience childbirth without pain medication, make your wishes known to your health care provider.
Natural Childbirth
Some women choose to give birth using no medication at all, relying instead on relaxation techniques and controlled breathing for pain. If you'd like to experience childbirth without pain medication, make your wishes known to your health care provider.
Things to Consider
Here are some things to think about when considering pain control during labor:
- Medications can relieve much of your pain, but probably won't relieve all of it.
- Labor may hurt more than you anticipated. Some women who have previously said they want no pain medicine whatsoever end up changing their minds once they're actually in labor.
- Certain medications can affect your baby, causing the baby to be drowsy or have changes in the heart rate.
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