Four Proven Pain-Management Techniques

Today I am going to write about four proven pain-management techniques to be used during labor.  We've all heard about the normal ones; movement, water, massage, positioning, but in this post I want to touch on the lesser-known but just as, if not more, effective techniques that I learned from Ina May Gaskin.  Now some of you may take issue with the word, proven.  The only "proven" pain-management is drugs, right?  Not right.

But first...

Don't skip this because it is IMPORTANT.  So often we read something, a diet plan or an advertisement for something like a cure for male-pattern baldness, and we get all excited because of the flashy promises and guaranteed results.  We try it...and it doesn't work.  What happened, we wonder?  Then we read the fine print: results not typical, or something to that effect.  Well great.  Unfortunately, in our world  of product promotion, sales, competition, big business, we, as consumers, are becoming more savvy and anything that looks like a caveat or a fine print makes us run for the hills.  We don't even need to read it to know where this is going.  It means that no matter what you assert, your product is not going to work on me.
I would like for you to suspend your instincts while I maintain that there are proven pain-management techniques for labor and there is a fine print.
Will you read on??  I hope so.

The Fine Print:
There are no short-cuts.  There, I said it.  No matter which way you look at it, these pain-management techniques will not in any way resemble a pill or a shot or a quick fix of any kind.  In order for you to be able to manage your pain effectively, you are going to have to work for it.
Not your typical advertising claim, now is it?!
But, if you think you can handle that kind of fine print, then keep reading.  It only gets better from here :)

Pain-Management Techniques:

#1  Keep Calm and Carry On:
Surround yourself with people who are calm about the birth process.  This may not seem like a lot of work or even important enough to rank first in the list, but trust me, the importance of this simple step cannot be overstated.  At your birth, you need to have people who are going to look lovingly at you and say, "yes, this is normal," and "you are doing a perfect job," or "those are wonderful sounds you're making right now."  Basically, you want people who will encourage your efforts, bolster your confidence and lesson your fear and anxiety.  This may require un-inviting people to your birth (most definitely not an easy thing to do) or switching providers (even less easy), or taking that extra step to seek out a doula or someone who you know will provide that positive, calm support.

#2  Laugh:
Expect to laugh.  Try to laugh.  Erase whatever image of birth you may have that tells you that birth should be a solemn, serious event.  It can be.  But that wouldn't be much fun, now would it?  Seriously, though, if you can laugh or even smile, however tiny, you will be amazed at how your body will respond.

#3  Kiss:
Forgive me if this is TMI, but it should be said, and I love Ina May Gaskin for saying it.  What happens when you kiss a guy?  Blood rushes from his head to his you-know-what, and what happens?  It gets bigger.  We don't talk about it much, but the same thing happens to women.  When we kiss, we get bigger too.  Why?  Hormones.  It's a beautiful thing.  And, by the way, I'm not talking about close-mouth, puritan-style kisses either (I hope you know what I'm talking about).  Make everyone leave the room and enjoy some snuggle time, just you and your partner.  It not only helps ease your pain but boy can it get things moving!

#4  Attitude Adjustment:
Try to observe your attitude.  If you notice that the pain is getting unbearable, take a peek at your thoughts and what their tone is like.  Are you succumbing to the temptation to wonder, "how much longer?"  Are you approaching each contraction with the thought, "dear God, I can't take much more of this!"  Any negative attitude regarding birth and the process will increase your pain.  Although we may think this is out of our purview; it is not.  Let me reiterate, IT IS NOT!!!  This, more than any other area is entirely, firmly, completely within your grasp.  Fake it, till you make it if you have to.  Even if you don't believe yourself; know that you can change your attitude merely by acting like it. Your body will respond.
The next time a contraction comes, change your thoughts, or even better, start talking out-loud and say something like, "Yes!" or "I got this!" or anything that spontaneously comes to you that will help you reverse those negative thoughts and transform them into positive body-affirming truths.

Final Consideration Points:
These techniques, unlike the more commonly-known techniques of movement, water, massage, etc...require practice, habit-building, in order for you to be able to draw upon them when labor begins.  Don't we, when stressed, tend to revert back to a more basic, and base, version of ourselves?  Our pretensions are stripped away and we are left with our own naked vulnerability.  Quite a scary thought.
Unless you have forged habits to draw on.  Habits like staying calm when you most feel like blowing your top; laughing instead of crying when the unexpected happens; kissing, especially when you least feel like it; and training your thoughts to focus on the positive.  The more we practice these techniques in our everyday lives the better we will be able to "switch them on" when labor begins.

Results Are Typical:
Again, to run counter to your typical marketing outcomes, I will maintain that when you use the above techniques you can expect your pain to be manageable, and sometimes even exciting or exhilarating.
Birth is normal.  Our bodies are designed for birthing.  We can birth.  It is possible to feel pain and ride it.  You will have to work harder than you have worked ever before and possibly after.  That's why how we birth matters.  That's what makes it so good.