To relieve pain during labor, a woman may have recourse to a variety of natural resources, rather than anesthesia, if she prefers labor without intervention. Controlling breathing, having something to hold tight, walking, dancing, exercising on the pilates ball, staying under the shower, standing in the tub with warm water are a few options to ease the pain during active labor.
The labor pain is similar to an intense menstrual cramp, which at first is weaker and gradually increasing, being caused by contractions of the uterus and dilation of the uterine cervix. And even if the pain is not completely eliminated, resorting to these resources can bring a great deal of relief.
3 Natural Ways to Relieve Pain Without Medication
To relieve the pain of labor without the use of medication, the pregnant woman should be in a calm, low light and noiseless environment. However, the woman can listen to a relaxing music to help her stay calm.
1. Control breathing to relieve pain
To control the breath, relieving the pain, suffice:
- Fill your chest with air as if you were smelling a flower;
- Release the air very slowly as if blowing a candle.
This breathing helps keep enough oxygen to contract properly, reducing the intense pain and general discomfort.
In addition, deep breathing also lowers adrenaline, which is the hormone responsible for stress, helping to control anxiety, which often intensifies the pain.
2. Positions to relieve pain
Before the contraction pain arises, the pregnant woman can walk slowly with the support of a relative to allow the baby to position correctly in the uterus, and birth occurs faster, reducing the time of pain.
However, during severe contraction pain, the pregnant woman should choose a body position that will relieve pain, such as:
- Kneeling with body leaning over cushions or birthing ball;
- Stand and lean on the partner, hugging the neck;
- Position 4 supports on the bed, pushing with the arms, as if pushing the mattress down;
- Sit on the floor with your legs open, bending your back toward your feet;
- Use pilates ball: the pregnant woman can sit on the ball and make small rotating movements, as if she were drawing an eight on the ball.
In addition to these positions, the woman can use a chair to sit in different positions, as shown in figure 2, identifying which position helps her relax more easily during contraction.
3. Body massage to relieve pain
Gently massage the back with gentle circular movements is a good strategy for relieving pain as it decreases the tension of the muscles caused by the weight of the belly.
The woman can also do a relaxing massage along the body with a moisturizer, as the contact of the hands with the skin of the pregnant woman helps to reduce the stress, leading to the sensation of pleasure.
In addition, taking a warm bath or applying a hot water bag on the back also helps to relax the muscles and decrease the pain, which can help complement the massage at times.
To relieve the pain of labor
In some cases, the woman uses epidural anesthesia, injecting an anesthetic into the spine that eliminates pain from the waist down, without altering the woman's level of consciousness in labor and allowing the woman to attend the delivery without feeling the pain of contractions.
If you liked this information, read more about labor in:
- Phases of Labor
- Normal birth
