Meeting your new baby for the very first time is an experience like no other! While you’re eagerly thinking about that, we’re sure you’re also wondering what labour and childbirth are actually like.
It’s best to prepare yourself for labour, because it may not always be easy. Of course, the experience is different for every woman, so you need to keep an open mind and speak with your doctor to decide what’s best for you. In fact, even if you’ve been through this before, it’s possible that the second time will be different from the first.
Options for pain relief in labour
Labour progresses in stages, and expectant mothers use various methods to cope with the pain as it occurs. The most important thing is trying to relax to ride over the pain.
The amount of pain that a mother feels during labour and delivery is not the same for everyone. It depends on the size and position of the baby as well as the contractions the mother is experiencing.
Let’s take a look at the two methods of pain relief that you can consider during birth, viz:
- Pain-relieving medications, and
- Natural pain-relief methods
Pain-relieving medications
Before you opt for pain relief medication, do speak at length with your doctor. It is, in fact, a good idea to have a birth plan in place, detailing at which stage during the birthing process you would like medication. Of course, be prepared to adapt to any last-minute changes that come up.
Pain-relieving medications can further be of two types:
- An anaesthetic that can stop the pain completely, or
- An analgesic that relieves pain without complete loss of feeling or movement
An analgesic is usually given in the early stages of labour so that while the pain eases, you don’t go to sleep. For instance, an epidural block is a regional analgesic that causes loss of movement in the lower body. Here too, you’re awake but cannot feel the pain.
In some cases, an expectant mother may require a local or general anaesthesia, depending on how the labour is progressing and the baby is faring.
Natural pain-relief methods
You can also choose to go through childbirth using natural methods to relieve pain. These include:
- Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing
- Find the right kind of music to relax you through labour
- Explore aromatherapy and try to sample essential oils, diffusers and or incense sticks
- Keeping certain nutritious snacks around to help reduce weakness when in labour
- Choose the right kind of massage treatment from a range of techniques to suit you when in labour
- Control pain and release endorphins through Reflexology which basically refers to massaging the nerve ending of your feet.
You’re almost there!
It is important to trust your doctor and work in tandem with them, irrespective of whether you opt for pain medication or otherwise. Your medical team will always put your health – and that of your baby – first, so rest assured that you are in the right hands. Make childbirth a memorable experience by focussing on yourself and the tiny little person who will soon wrap you around his or her little finger!
