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Especially if it’s your first birth, you may be worried about how bad the pain will be and if you’ll be able to deal with it. Below you’ll find some great options for helping with labor pain relief – including some you can start before labor happens.

1. Read positive birth stories. Some mothers like to brag about how scary and painful birth can be, but many women love and enjoy their births and the amazing hormone rush that comes after. A great book to read full of positive birth stories is Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth.

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2. Red raspberry leaf. Taken in either tea or pill form from 32 weeks (as long as you aren’t at risk for preterm labor or severe braxton hicks), this herb helps tone and strengthen the uterus for more effective contractions with the added bonus of minimising postpartum bleeding issues.

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3. Perineal massage. Massaging the perineum during the third trimester can help prepare it for birth.

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4. Position, position, position. If baby is in the best position for birth, then birth will be easier. Visit spinningbabies for information on fetal mapping and positioning. Mothers who are given the option, will gravitate towards the position that best suits their pelvic shape (there are four) and their baby’s position.

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5. Have a birth plan. Not only will you be more informed on what can happen during birth, you don’t have to worry about telling everyone what you want or don’t want – it’s all written down. A birth plan doesn’t have to be exact. It can be as broad or general as you wish.

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6. Hire a doula. A doula is a private birth coach and support person who is trained to help you with birth plans, pain relief, interpreting medical jargon and supporting you and your partner.

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7. Stay informed. Ask your care provider to tell you what to expect next and to what timeline. This way you will be less stressed about what will happen next and have more time to prepare and discuss it with your birth partner. Check out this guide on your rights in childbirth.

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8. Rest. Especially during early labor, it’s important to rest as much as you can to conserve energy for the end of labor.

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9. Laboring at home. Going into hospital too early can often slow down your contractions because your body reacts to stress by slowing down till it feels safe and comfortable again. Wait till you’re in established labor.

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10. Enjoy your breaks. Many people forget that they’ll get breaks between contractions. Enjoy these breaks – have a drink, or doze off for a few minutes.

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11. Stay upright. Laying on your back or semi-reclining closes up the pelvis and makes the birth canal slant uphill. Check out this list of ten reasons not to labor and birth on your back.

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12. Turn down the lights. Darkness helps relax you and makes you more introspective.

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13. Ask for a quiet birth, with unnecessary conversations taken outside. If you wish, ask that you’re not given instructions unless it’s necessary and that talking be kept to a low tone. Check out this article on silent birth.

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14. Use a birthing ball. These are fantastic for helping baby move down into the pelvis, not to mention usable in the shower and a good seat when you don’t feel like sitting on hard plastic!

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15. Saccral pressure. This involves another person placing the palm of their hand on your sacrum (tailbone) and then their other palm on top. They should be leaning on you with gentle pressure. Ask them to move up or down, or apply more pressure if you want.

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16. Squat. Squatting opens up the pelvis and shortens the birth canal.

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17. Pull. Pulling on a squat bar or a rope or material attached to the ceiling (you’ll have to ask if your hospital has these) helps with labor because of the muscles you’re using.

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18. Massage. Buy some Nukkles for your labor partner to maximise the pressure they can apply without wearing out their hands too much.

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19. Rock your hips. Swaying your hips back and forth while standing can really help with pain relief.

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20. Cool down. Use a cold cloth or fan on your face.

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21. Perineal support. Asking your care provider to place a hand on your perineum as baby crowns or even placing your own hand there can help prevent pain and tearing as you stretch. Talk to your care provider in advance, as not all are trained in doing this.

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22. Go on all fours. If you’re finding your contractions are intense, go on all fours, a gravity neutral position (baby isn’t being pushed down by gravity) to get some relief and regroup.

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23. Laughter. A good joke is a great distraction and helps you relax during labor.

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24. Moan, don’t scream. Screaming makes you tense up while moaning helps you relax. Great article on this here.

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25. Don’t use pain words. Scary language can stress you out more. Positive language, talking about contractions as rushes and surges as well as making statements like “Good job! You’ve dilated another 1cm!” instead of “You’ve only dilated 1cm!” can really have an impact on your mental stamina in labor.

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26. Heat. Applying hot packs to your lower back can help relieve the pain.

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27. Open your mouth. Opening your mouth and relaxing your jaw helps relax the rest of your body. Tensing your jaw and not breathing can make birth more painful. Tools such as a Laboraide can help you relax your jaw during labor.

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28. Use your five senses. Use touch, smell, sight, sound and taste to relieve pain. Read more here.

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29. Essential oil aromatherapy. There are many oils that can be used to help relieve labor pain and relax you. Check with your doula or a qualified aromatherapist.

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30. Not having your waters broken. Although some care providers like to break your waters as standard, this has its own set of risks – the amniotic sac is there to protect baby from the pressure of contractions and once it is broken, contractions can come hard and fast. More information here.

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31. Avoiding pitocin/syntocinon. This synthetic hormone can make contractions more painful and intense. If you are laboring well, ask if you can avoid it. Check out this list of 21 reasons to say no to pitocin.

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32. Intermittent or portable monitoring. Laying on a bed on a monitor can make labor more painful, uncomfortable and stressful. Ask if you can have portable monitoring – either a portable monitoring belt (which you can even use in the shower) or a fetal scalp electrode. You can also also for intermittent monitoring with a doppler, or on the bed at certain intervals. Here’s a great read on why standard monitoring can cause a LOT of issues.

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33. Labor music. Make a CD with your favorite songs or use a specially selected labor music CD.

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34. Avoiding stress. The more stressed you are – by people around you, too much light, fear of the unknown or your position – the more you’ll tense up and experience pain. It can also slow down labor. Make sure your birth partner is there to advocate for you and support you and can help minimise stress and outside demands during labor.

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35. Kissing. Kissing and being physical helps release oxytocin – whether it’s from a partner or friend. It can help distract and aid labor.

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36. Touching. If your birth partner notices that you’re tensing your muscles, a simple stroke down that muscle with a hand or finger will help you automatically relax.

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37. Herbs. Skullcap, mother wort, St john’s wort, wild yam can all be useful in labor pain relief. However you should do your own research or check with your doctor as some herbs have bad interactions with certain health issues and other drugs.

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38. Eat and drink. Dehydration can make labor worse and not eating can lower your blood sugar, decrease your energy, tire you and even lead to a longer labor. Research shows that women should be allowed to eat and drink during labor and most will stop towards the end of labor, anyway. [More info]

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39. Refuse unnecessary interventions. Regular cervical exams aren’t needed during a normally progressing drug free birth – they have their own set of risks and can also distract you or stress you in labor. Unless there is a medical reason, it’s your right to refuse or ask them to wait – along with any other intervention. Read more about your rights in childbirth.

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40. Breathe. You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s true! Ask your labor partner to remind you to concentrate on long in breaths.

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41. Water. Waterbirth, birthing in a shower or using hot wet cloths on your back all use water as a method of pain relief. Mothers who’ve birthed in water often say they felt much less of a need for any type of other pain relief.

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42. Acupressure, homeopathy, reflexology. These should all be things you look into with a professional but all of them can help you experience labor pain relief in a range of ways.

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43. TENS machine. A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machine gives you small electrical pulses on your back via small pads. These pulses are meant to release endorphins and block pain signals to your brain.

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44. Hypnobirthing. Many mamas swear by this method of pain relief. It may sound like a big promise, but women who use these techniques often find that they can breathe the baby out and be much more relaxed and in some cases, even pain free during labor – check out the book.

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45. Taking pain as a message. If you are finding the pain is extreme, especially when pushing, this can be your body’s way of saying “Slow down, rest, give me more time to do the stretching and expanding I need to do.” Especially near the end of labor, when things can get very intense, it’s important to work with your body. Check out this guide on 13 ways to avoid the ring of fire during birth.

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