A drug free labor and delivery is achievable for three quarters of pregnant women. These essential tips will help you work toward a natural birth.
Do You Want To Give Birth Without Pain Relief?
If you have decided that you don’t want to take medication during your labor and delivery then you will want to do all you can to prepare for it. A drug free labor is entirely achievable for more than three quarters of healthy pregnant women.
Pain medication, especially epidurals can contribute to the risk of having a complicated delivery such as forceps. It is also linked to side effects for mom in the moments after delivery such as headaches and low blood pressure and a slower postpartum recovery time.
Going medication free is not easy. It can seem like a long, hard fight against seemingly never ending pain but I can assure you it is worth it.
A natural birth can be completely manageable with some work, effort, and preparation. It’s going to be hard and it’s going to hurt but if you can learn some helpful techniques and trust in your body’s ability to know how to do this then you should have a successful drug free birth.
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Before we begin, if you are really struggling with preparing for labor, don’t know what to expect, and have a lot of questions then this free prenatal class will ease your fears.
Hilary has been a labor and delivery nurse for over 16 years and her class is packed full of valuable information.
10 Tips For Coping During A Drug Free Labor
Prepare Yourself Mentally
The first thing you need to do is to commit to a drug free labor. Don’t tell yourself you will see how far you can go. That will only pave the way for giving into pain meds at some point during the labor. Don’t give yourself any other option. Tell yourself there is no pain medication, the only thing you can do is ride out the pain.
If you have made your mind up to have a drug free labor then you need to mentally prepare yourself for the pain during your pregnancy.
Think about the worst pain you could possibly imagine, I thought about a knife slicing me open. Imagine how you would deal with that pain and know that it’s not going to last forever.
Use Water For Pain Relief
Water will help ease the pain and help you relax during your contractions. Take a bath, a shower or use a birthing pool. Even a hot compress across your abdomen will help.
Spend as much time as you possibly can in water, just make sure the water is warm. If you don’t feel like getting in the tub heat will also work to help ease the pain. Try using a microwaveable wheat bag or a hot water bottle.
Stay In Good Shape
Try to stay as fit as possible during your pregnancy. Try gentle exercises that are safe to do while you are pregnant or do some prenatal yoga . Take it easy as you are obviously going to be more tired during your pregnancy but activities such as walking will help you.
If you keep your body as fit as you possibly can you will have much more energy during your labor. Your stamina will also be higher which is exactly what you need to get through your labor drug free.
Read Up On Pain Management Techniques
During your pregnancy do as much research as you can on strategies and techniques to help you cope with the pain. Learn the ones that you think will help you and spend time practicing them.
There are also many breathing exercises and relaxation techniques to help keep you calm. Look into the Lamaze technique , hypnobirthing, and the Bradley method.
It will be beneficial to have your birthing partner learn and practice these techniques with you. This means they will be better equipped to help you when the time comes.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is an excellent way to help you relax during labor. Some essential oils are not recommended to be used for massage during pregnancy and labor but you can burn any oil in your oil burner as long as the oil itself does not come into contact with your body.
Spend As Much Time As You Can At Home
It will be helpful to spend as much of your early labor as you can at home. There are many more distractions at home.
You are free to move around and do what you wish. You can walk through the pain, watch tv, listen to music, or take a bath if you want to.
When your contractions are consistently getting stronger and are less than 5 minutes apart it’s time to call your health professional and get to the hospital.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking water regularly throughout the labor can help with uterus function. If you can try to eat regularly in the early stages but try to keep it light and eat food that is digested easily.
Eating and drinking regularly throughout can help to reduce the total length of your labor.
Change Position
Changing your position during labor can help help ease discomfort. In early labor moving around as much as you possibly can is beneficial. As your contractions get stronger changing your position regularly can help with the pain.
Try any position that feels comfortable for you, you can squat, lie on your side or even stand with the top half of your body leaning on a bed or chair. Follow your instincts and go with what works for you.
Try Using A Birthing Ball
During early labor it may be helpful to use a birthing ball to help you get comfortable. Using the ball will help ease labor pains and may also help to keep you calm.
Most balls are latex free and non slip. Try to get a ball that’s between 65cm and 75cm in height.
During labor try sitting on the ball and rocking your pelvis gently, or you can lean over the ball from a kneeling position. You can then hug the ball and rock gently from side to side.
If you are more comfortable standing you can place the ball on a bed and lean over it from a standing position.
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Massage
Massage is a great way to help soothe the pain during labor. A good massage will stimulate endorphin production, which is a natural painkiller.
Your birthing partner or doula will be able to massage you and it should be given on the shoulders, back, legs, and hands. Feet are optional as they can be highly sensitive and I personally may accidentally kick someone in the face if they touched my feet.
It’s not advisable to plan this as your only pain relief option as you may find that once labor gets underway you don’t want to be touched.
I’m not going to pretend that it is always easy but a drug free labor can be achieved with some determination, preparation, and research.
