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Pain Management in Natural Childbirth

Pain Management in Natural Childbirth

When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby, I did a ton of research about what to expect during labor and delivery.  I ended up settling on the fact that an intervention-free, natural birth was what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure I was tough enough to handle it.  There are a few key things that went through my mind to help me with pain management in natural childbirth.

Update 5/26/18:  I delivered with baby #3 6 weeks ago and can’t recommend this course enough.  I love it more than the Bradley Method because it truly does teach you to handle pain mentally.  It has helped me handle my debilitating migraines throughout this pregnancy and even though it was a whirlwind delivery, I managed to stay calm with the techniques I learned!

Related: Ways to Naturally Induce Labor

The Right Tools

Even though your baby is going to come whether you have all of these things or not, they’re really helpful in labor for both you and your partner.

The first is honey.  If you deliver in a hospital, you won’t be allowed to eat anything after you arrive.  If your doctors and nurses will let you, honey is awesome during labor to give you an extra energy boost.  I recommend purchasing either honey sticks or a bottle like this.

Lavender is also very calming.  At our birth center during my second birth, we were allowed to have candles if we wanted.  Lavender candles are an awesome tool to have in your arsenal.

Lately, I’ve been LOVING this lavender essential oil.  I diffuse it every night and it’s on my “must pack” list for this pregnancy.

Chapstick – Do not, I repeat do not, forget your favorite lip balm.  This one has been my favorite for about 20 years…I’m 28.

I’ve been addicted to it almost my whole life.  You can’t find it in any stores anymore which breaks my heart!  I buy big packs on Amazon, scatter them around my house and in my car, and have them with me at all times.  These ones are nice and thick, they stay on for a long time which is perfect for labor.  I can’t sing it’s praises enough.

Water bottle with straw – Even with all of my planning, I still managed to forget this during both of my labors.  Don’t make the same mistake I did.  Other than massage oil, this is probably the number one thing I needed during labor.

Massage Oil – Trust me when I tell you that this is the only thing that got me through my second natural childbirth.

If you have back labor, have your significant other rub your lower back with this stuff and make them work as hard as my husband had to.  He swore he was sore for days…that makes two of us.  We used about a bucket of massage oil (all measurements approximate haha) to get me through the final stages of labor.

The Bradley Method

2018 update:  I did Hypnobabies method with baby #3 and actually recommend it more than Bradley.  

First of all, my husband and I took Bradley Method classes for 12 weeks.

The Bradley Method is sometimes called “husband-assisted childbirth.”  The point is to have your husband be an active participant in your labor and delivery.  He becomes your biggest support person.

I highly recommend the Bradley Method because I am all for doing things together as a team.

Yes, I was the one doing all the hard work bringing our baby into the world, but my husband’s knowledgeable presence and support gave me confidence as I worked to achieve our goal.  He believed in me and that helped me to believe in myself.

Have a great support system, but don’t feel the need to make your birth a spectacle!

I’ve read of women having their mothers, mother-in-law, sisters, cousins, friends in the room with them during their birth.  I can’t imagine wanting that after experiencing childbirth first hand.

You’re completely vulnerable and completely focused.

I’m a natural-born people pleaser, so I would be completely concerned with how rude I was being by not talking enough or paying enough attention.  Actually, any talking while I was in labor annoyed me.  If my nurse said something to my midwife, I didn’t say anything, but I definitely noticed and felt perturbed.

Helpful Thoughts

The thoughts that got me through the toughest part of labor were ones I learned in my Bradley Method class and some that I learned through tons of research online.

For example, did you know that if you were in a coma and went into labor, that your body could deliver your baby for you?  For some reason, that brought me so much comfort during delivery.  I felt like I was horrible at pushing (I really wasn’t), and I just kept telling myself that even if I didn’t push at all, my body could birth this baby for me.

Embrace Your Contractions

During labor, I focused intently on not fighting my contractions.

Bent over the back of the bed with my midwife or doula rubbing my lower back was what felt most comfortable to me.  I just laid there with my eyes closed thinking “don’t tense your hands.”

My Bradley Method teacher said to keep your hands loose during your contractions and you’ll know that you aren’t tensing everywhere else.  During labor, I could only keep a few key thoughts in my head and that was the one I thought the absolute most through the whole process.

At one point, my doula, Sara, commented on how relaxed my hands were and I silently patted myself on the back.

If you’re planning a natural childbirth, try to remember that the contractions are actually helping to dilate your cervix and deliver your baby.  It’s easy to tense up when they come, especially as labor progresses and they get more and more intense, but if you can force your body to relax, you’re letting the contractions do a lot of hard work for you.

Side note:  pack a breastfeeding pillow to take with you to the hospital.  I LOVED my breastfeeding pillow.  Don’t pay for one, get one or free (yes FREE, no catch) at Pregnancy Pillow using code “simplelivingmommy50”

Control Your Breathing

Take slow, deep breaths during contractions and don’t let yourself hyperventilate.

Breathing through my contractions kept me focused and calm, even though I was completely unprepared for childbirth on this particular day.  Nugget came 5 weeks early and I didn’t sleep much at all the night before I went into labor.

Looking back, the lack of sleep was probably because I was already IN labor, but my point is I wasn’t ready.

The other main thought I had was that I could “breathe this baby out.”  I took Bradley Method classes, but I understand there are other birth methods where you are trained to mainly breathe your baby out and not push.

Even the Bradley Method teaches pushing “to the point of comfort.”  You aren’t taught to push absolutely as hard as you can.

A key thing to remember is that if you’re keeping your body relaxed, not fighting your contractions, and letting your body do what it’s meant to do, you will have your beautiful baby.  It’s just a matter of when.

Something my Bradley Method teacher (and doula) said during our classes was that contractions last about a minute.  They build up, peak, and then gradually come back down.  Then you get a slight break before you have to do it again.

“You can do anything for one minute.”

It’s so true.  You can absolutely handle any amount of discomfort in one minute increments.

Another thing she said that really resonated with me is that “this can’t be bigger than you, it IS you.”

Finally, my absolute biggest tip for handling pain during natural childbirth…

The Gender Reveal

Don’t find out the sex of your baby!

I know, I know…I’ve heard every excuse in the book.  I’m Type A, a planner, too anal, etc., I have to know what the baby is!  How will I shop without knowing the sex of the baby?

We shopped a ton for our little one.  Mostly from yard sales, but still, we shopped.  We knew we wanted 4 kids, so we figured if we prepare for both a son and a daughter, we’ll be ready to go.

Having a “green” baby is such a blessing that you don’t even realize until you’re in labor.

When I was going through the pushing stage is when it helped the most.  I just kept thinking the better my pushes, the harder I push, the faster I find out what this baby is!

I can’t describe the feeling when you’re meeting your baby for the first time and you are also realizing whether you had a little boy or a little girl.

So much changes in that moment.

You become parents, you actually get to see this tiny person who has been taking up residence inside your body for the last 10 months, and you find out if you have a daughter or a son.

It’s so beautifully overwhelming and I can’t think of any other feeling in the world even remotely close.

Meeting your baby for the first time is going to be an incredible moment whether you know the sex of your baby or not.  I just can’t stress enough how much more incredible I think it was for us being that we had no idea what the baby was.  Sure, I had my mommy feelings that I was having a boy, but when I knew for sure that my first baby was a son, my world and life changed for the better.

Give it some thought.  I promise, if you decide to make the sex of your baby a surprise, you won’t regret it!

 

 

YOU CAN DO THIS!

At the end of the day, if you decide to have a natural labor and delivery, do your research, but know that your body was meant to do this just like other women have been doing it since the dawn of time.  This experience isn’t bigger than you and you absolutely CAN DO IT!

Go to your birthing classes, do your internet research, and be mentally-prepared.  Remember to relax your hands, breathe through your contractions, and keep repeating to yourself that you can do anything for 60 seconds.  At some point, those contractions will be but a distant memory and you’ll be holding your beautiful baby that you worked so hard to bring into this world!

 

Did you decide to have a natural labor and delivery?  What thoughts or techniques got you through the hardest parts of your labor?  What tips do you have for other moms that hope to accomplish the same thing?  Let me know in the comments!

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Amanda

Friday 3rd of August 2018

This is such great advice. I feel 100% the same way as far as what to do and think. I had my sweet baby boy 6 weeks ago... at home. I had 38 hours of unmediated back labor at home. My pain management was in the form or mind over matter, deep breathing, a warm bath tub and my husband massaging my back. I worked hard and so did he. He was amazing and I brag about what a great job he did to everyone ???? Truly, I was so afraid to push leading up to my labor. But once I was in labor for so long, I can honestly say, the 4 hours of pushing was the best part. As stated about, it had a purpose! Which made it so great in comparison to just flat out pain. Also, the actual exit of the baby was NOTHING compared to the contractions. Every contraction I counted my breath in and out (8 in, 16 out) and went through a checklist of Relax your hands, relax your jaw, relax your bum, relax your toes. I did this for 38 hours and was told after the fact that I never made a sound. I had no idea. I was too committed to focusing. It REALLY got me through what seemed impossible. Also wanting to find out if we had a son or daughter!!!

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