Right from the day you find out about your pregnancy, you start to look forward to that day when your baby will come into this world. You think about your baby each day of the nine-month pregnancy journey. First-time mothers are usually more curious about the delivery day.
They hunt the internet and are always found asking other mothers how the delivery goes and what kind of pain they experienced. Some women narrate their story of easy labor with a few contractions here and there, while others may scare you with the intense pain and exhaustion they went through. This leads to much fear about the pain you’ll face during labor.
What is the real story of labor? How much time will it take? What is the discomfort level of childbirth? Is there anything you can do to alleviate the pain? Here you will find all of the answers.
For More: Early Signs of Pregnancy
How Painful is Childbirth?
Labor pain is subjective. Everybody is different; hence everybody experiences different labor journeys. Just like the nine months pregnancy of every woman is other, the same goes for the labor journey.
If your mother, sister, or friend experienced, heavy and prolonged pains doesn’t mean you will go through the same and vice versa. You must keep in mind that pain is not consistent during the labor process. The contractions start as the water breaks, but there are little breaks in between.
When you are entirely 10cm dilated and the pushing time comes, your pains will relax. Unfortunately, no one can predict how painful childbirth will be for you. So there is no point in freaking yourself out about the labor pain. Relax and go with the flow and pray for the best.
Measures affecting labor pain
Science never lives with unknown answers. Many studies have been conducted on labor pain and the intensity of it. Back in the 1940s, a study was born on the power of labor pain, which proved that pain is not only dependent on an isolated physical sensation.
Childbirth
It proved that a woman’s fears, moods, memories, and personality directly connect with pain. Additionally, the bearing capacity of a woman is also an essential factor.
Factors affecting the pain and birthing
There are a few minor factors that can increase or decrease labor pain. Different factors that can impact the child birthing experience are as follows:
- Delivery type: Pain is an inseparable part of delivery. The two carry different pains, whether it be vaginal birth or C-section. Standard delivery will navigate pain from contractions and damage to the vagina and perineal areas. On the other hand, surgical delivery leads to incision pain and gastric pain following the procedure.
- Baby position: Many times baby gets mispositioned in the womb. The changing role of the baby will give you back pain and even increase the contraction pains during labor. This is a common phenomenon at the time of delivery.
- Abnormal delivery: Premature or any other strange delivery can be harsh on the mother. It tends to increase the intensity of the pain.
- Bearing power: Some women have higher bearing power, so they feel less pain, while some are over-sensitive, so they feel intense pain. A woman’s perception of pain makes a lot of difference.
Tips to ease the labor pain
It is challenging to predict labor pain. But it is essential to know about some pain management techniques you can discuss with your doctor. Following are some of the tips to ease the labor pain:
- IV medication: This temporary technique will come via prescription directly into your IV or Into the Vein. It is important to note that this technique sometimes leads to nausea, headache, drowsiness, and the transmission of medication to the baby.
- Epidural analgesia: This is one of the most commonly adopted methods. It is a continuous infusion of medicine that goes directly into the epidural space in the spine. This anesthesia blocks the lower half of the body and makes it numb.
- Water therapy: This method works for some women in relieving the pain. Showerheads or tubs with jets ease the labor pain in some women. You can also choose natural water birth. Water therapy has proven to be quite effective in the first stage of labor. It can help to relieve both pain and anxiety.
Water therapy
- Birthing coach support: Women can have a dedicated birthing coach, whether a partner or a hired doula. It helps to ease the labor pain in many women. A doula supports positioning/counterpressure, and comfort measures, advocates for your choices, and will answer all your doubts during labor pain.
- Massage and counterpressure: Several massage therapies have proven helpful during labor. Different acupressure points on the foot, hand, back, and shoulders help ease labor pain. These massages are not only good for labor pains but also shorten the labor duration.
Massage and counterpressure
- Music: For many people, music is the best soothing agent. At the time of labor, music has the same impact. Listening to music helps in lowering stress and blood pressure. A study also revealed that music helps alleviate pain and anxiety during labor.
- Visualization and hypnosis: Since a woman’s mind is already paranoid about the labor pain, she feels more pain because it is in her psychology. Guided imagery, hypnotic tracts, and visualization help in relaxing the mother. It is like not paying much attention to the pain.
- Movement: Keep moving your body to ease the pain. Walking, rocking on a birthing ball, and even dancing can help you quickly pass through the labor stage. The more active you are, the easier it is. Try different positions and find your comfort. You can sit, stand, or squat.
It is difficult to predict a woman’s labor in advance. The intensity of pain varies from mother to mother. The best thing is to keep yourself calm and think about the outcome. It is going to be a smooth ride if you are strong.
