What About the Pain!?

Is pain in childbirth normal? Are there ways to reduce or eliminate pain, naturally?

Our fear of pain during birth has deep roots. It may even be tied to our fear of death. One mother suggested, 'It is the fear of the unknown!' The first thing to consider is the fact that we are isolated from the birth process until it is time to have our own babies. There was a time when we helped each other through this challenging rite of passage. We shared birth with the other women in our lives. We supported each other emotionally, physically and perhaps spiritually. We had the chance to see what 'normal' birth was like. Today we give birth virtually alone. Unless we bring our own labor support with us we are left to cope with little knowledge or skill in the journey from woman to mother or man to father.

Then came the promise of childbirth without pain. The problem is that there is a trade off or cost of having 'painless' childbirth. What is the cause of the pain? How did women in past centuries endure yet continue to have children? I have heard women say it is pain with a purpose. I contend that it is part of the bonding process. We also underestimate the importance of bonding with our newborns. With every medical intervention there is a risk to both mother and baby. How high the risk is depends on the circumstances for that individual birth. We know that what's best for babies and mothers is no interventions. There is a huge difference between medically indicated interventions and those done for the connivence of the hospital or practitioner.

Fear is a huge factor in whether we can cope with the pain of labor. Mother Nature protects us from the pain in several ways. First if the mother is relaxed enough that there is no adrenaline present then the natural endorphins make the pain manageable. Natural contractions, while intense, have a break between them to allow the mother to rest even if it is only a few minutes. If the mother can successfully ignore all that is going on around her and get into her 'zone' she can work with her body instead of fight against it. The balance of hormones also has a very important role in bonding. Needless to say that if you have drugs in you bloodstream the natural balance of these hormones will be blocked.

Our fear is so great, mostly due to lack of information, that we are willing to subject ourselves to all kinds of medical procedures without little or no information as to the possible risks involved. Most of us are thinking of the short term and not about what happens after the birth or to the baby. There are many things that can be done to keep women comfortable during labor. Many of them seem so simple that it is hard to believe that they work but they do. Following are some suggestions for making your birth a much more enjoyable experience.

Privacy, a safe place, a warm temperature, low or no lights and quiet may also be all you need to have a birth with little or no pain. Hire your own labor support person - often called a doula. Choose practitioners and a facility that support nonintervention oriented birth and believe that birth is a normal bodily process. Ask for a nurse that will support nonintervention oriented birth. Water is a tremendous comfort measure. Reduce fear by educating yourselves. Read, take classes, research in the internet. If too much research is making you anxious stop the research and trust birth. Remember this is a body, mind and spirit process. Stay mobile and utilize many positions for comfort. Eat and drink lightly during labor to keep your strength up.

Doulas can help you with many options. They can help you stay in the comfort of your own home as long as possible. At the hospital they can create a sacred space and help you protect that space. Here are some of the techniques they can help with:

Breathing techniques, birth ball, massage, rice sock, combs, tennis ball, TENS unit, focal point, calm voices, visualization, encouragement, advocacy, facilitation of the role of family, guided imagery, music, videos, light levels, essential oils, homeopathy, herbs, ice chips, ice packs and wraps, hot and cold compresses, warm blankets, hot water bottle, pillows, faith, patience, trust, flowers, beautiful images, jokes, crying, making noise, laughter, toilet sitting, double hip squeeze and counter pressure, walking, being in multiple positions, effleurage, leaning or slow dancing, rocking, hands and knees, pelvic rock, squatting, side lying, emotional support, prayer, acupuncture, hypnobirthing, acupressure, creating ritual, light fortifying foods, power objects, personal items, stop thinking, moxa, aromatherapy, popsicles, trust in the birth process, relaxation techniques, work with the contractions not against them, allow your body to do what it needs to do, use words other than pain, address emotional or psychological issues before the birth, know and love your body, understand how the mental can impact the physical and tap into the power of birth.

Is birth an empowering or victimizing experience? It is tragic that most women feel they just want to get it over with as quickly as possible. Our belief that birth is a dangerous medical procedure has only been in vogue a short time. Globally 80 - 90% of women give birth out of hospital. Many of them don't even have a trained practitioner. They don't believe it is necessary. We are at the opposite end of that spectrum. We are trying to avoid the many interventions that most women worldwide don't have access to if needed. Yet we are still at the bottom of the list of industrialized nations for infant mortality. Fifty percent of births involve surgical procedures that in most cases were not necessary. Know when it is appropriate to use medical or alternative medicine interventions. These things should happen only rarely. Parents are consumers and must demand that they are allowed to have positive and safe births for their babies.

Jo Anne Lindberg, president and founder of BirthLink since 1996, the Chicagoland Birthing Network, dedicated to non-intervention oriented birth, breastfeeding and bonding, is also a birth consultant, speaker, writer and educator. www.birthlink.com