Just to think of that word, people who are going to give birth have a dull grinding of their teeth. I would even say that there are some who are totally terrified. We've all heard someone tell their birth story and tell us that it hurts a lot. Let's talk about pain during childbirth.
First of all, it is important to know that pain is subjective. The past experiences, the perception of the situation, the personal references that we have are among the things that influence it.
For example, some athletes work with it on a daily basis as “feedback”. For childbirth, it's a bit the same principle. It's one of the body's ways of telling you progress.
Even with the first baby a person knows when it is time to give birth. The sensation, the pain and the pushing reflex allow you to know what to do. Whether it is to find the right position, to move away from disturbing stimuli, to call on resource persons, the contractions ensure that the person quietly falls into a vortex brought in part by the sensations of pain that bring their lot. endorphins.
Endorphins are your friends. It is a hormone that your body secretes to help you better manage the physical strain of contractions. It gives runners a second wind or even makes us hold a 4 hour tattoo session.
It's also what helps us get past the waves of the contractions that are getting closer and more intense.
There are many tools available to manage pain, both pharmacological and natural. I don't think there is one better than the other, but it is interesting to know several and see what works for you. There might be one that works for 5 minutes, for an hour, your whole delivery or not even all.
Natural pain management tools are always a good thing to know before giving birth. I want to be clear that it doesn't take away the pain, but it will help you decrease it and experience it in a positive way (yes yes it can). Here are a few :
By the way, to understand how these tools can be useful or how to use them, we offer workshops and prenatal classes just for that.
Before applying the pain management tools, there is a concept that is very interesting to understand.
The difference between suffering and pain. Suffering is more of a state of mind, a way of perceiving and experiencing pain. Isabelle Brabant explains the difference well in her book Happy birth :
«Physical pain has an end, a rhythm, moral suffering does not stop between contractions.»
Just understanding the difference can change your childbirth experience.
Also, sometimes it is not the physical pain that hurts the most. When there are one or more feelings or fears that have been hanging over for a while, they may come up without an invitation to your childbirth.
If you're reading this and it speaks to you, I suggest you take a moment to write down the things that scare you. You can then demystify them one by one, at your own pace or with the help of a doula.
For studying health before and asking so many times: On a scale of 0 to 10, where is your pain? The perinatal period has changed my view of pain. Now I see her more as waves. It's up to you to know if you go against the grain or if you let yourself be carried away!
