A Different Way to Look at Pain

One of the questions that I get asked the most as an educator and as a mom is, "so how painful is it?" In our culture, there is a lot of fear surrounding childbirth and the pain that comes with labor. For many women, the fear of a painful birth experience prevents them from learning about the process of childbirth prenatally and leads them to view birth as a scary event that they want to "get over with." Unfortunately, much of the media only solidifies this fear through its unrealistic and scary interpretations of childbirth. If all I knew about childbirth was what I saw through the media I would be scared out of my mind to have a baby, too! We are incredibly fortunate to be able to have medical resources in this country that allow us to lessen or eliminate pain when needed; however, I think that the ability to easily fix pain has led to an unhealthy and negative view of labor pain. Our immediate response to pain is to quickly eliminate the pain and then everything will be better. In the case of childbirth, taking away the pain is not always the most beneficial thing for mother or baby. There are definitely cases where pain medication is incredibly helpful and sometimes even needed for a healthy outcome for mom and baby. However, the high use of pain medication that we see today in labor is often in response to fear. No matter what your view on birth or what your ideal birth looks like, I believe that it is incredibly beneficial to enter labor with a healthy understanding of the birth process and with a support team you can trust that sees birth as normal.

So, let's take a different look at pain. What is labor pain really like, you ask? Well, here you go....

Purposeful: When the human body experiences pain, endorphin levels rise. This heightened level of endorphins during childbirth provides pain-relieving and calming effects on the mother. Pain also signals the release of stress hormones in the baby, which allows the baby to better adjust to the extrauterine environment. Pain can be a helpful guide for mom as she labors, telling her how to move and what to do as her labor progresses. When a mother feels safe and nurtured in her laboring environment and is able to cope well with the pain, the pain itself acts as a useful feedback keeping her connected to her labor and able to navigate through the labor itself. There is a reason for the pain experienced during labor and it is a vital part of the complex and beautiful orchestration that is birth.

Anticipated: Unlike the shock of breaking a bone or slicing open a finger, the pain of childbirth is anticipated. You know that it is coming, which allows for an opportunity to prepare for it prenatally, both physically and emotionally. Set aside intentional time during your pregnancy to learn about and practice various coping techniques with your partner and/or your labor support person. Find out what natural pain relief strategies work for you ahead of time so that you are better prepared once labor begins. I like to think of this preparation as a time to fill your toolbox. The more options you have, the more confident you will be as your labor begins. You may only use one of the pain relief methods that you practiced or you may use many, either way it is helpful to have a variety to draw from. During labor, you can also anticipate the breaks between contractions. Knowing that you will have these breathers allows you to take full advantage of these small rests and prepare for the contractions ahead.

Intermittent: Unlike the pain from a cut, bruise or break which continues in strength and severity with limited to no breaks, labor pain is wavelike in nature. The intensity of pain felt during a contraction subsides between contractions giving mom a small rest as she prepares for the next surge. A contraction and the pain felt during each contraction builds and then fades. Our bodies have a built-in system during labor to offer us rest!

Normal: Most of the time, physical pain is an indicator that something is wrong. In childbirth, labor pain is an indicator that something is right. It is called labor; childbirth is not an easy task! While at times pain felt during labor can be indicative of a problem, most pain felt during labor is completely normal. Pain should increase as our contractions become stronger. Pain should increase as baby makes his way through the birth canal. It is important to surround yourself with caregivers and support people who view labor pain as purposeful and normal and help you to work through the pain rather than scare you away from it.

#labor #pain