10 Alternative Ways To Reduce Pain During Labor

Before a woman can bask in the joy of holding her child in her arms, she normally has to go through the tormenting pains of labor. Mostwomen experienced severe or extreme pain quoting "the worst pain of my life",though other individuals described only little pain sensation. The intensity of labor pain varies widely amongstdifferent individuals, and from different pregnancies of the same person.

Labor pain, as any acute pain, has two components. First is the sensory or physical element,whereby the pain stimuli is transmitted to the brain; second is the affective element,that refers to how an individual subjectively interprets the painful stimuli through theinteraction of external components like emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive variables distinct to the person.

These days , any pregnant woman can opt for a painless labor and delivery byutilizing standard medicine. If available in the hospital, she has an option from epidural anesthesia, inhalation anesthetics, or administration of injected drugs. All of these methodshave a similar mechanism of action - to inhibit the firstpart of the pain pathway, the physical side.

However, due to the limited accessibility of these conventionalprocedures, complementary and alternate approaches exist. These are theories and practices that wish to tackle the second component of pain. Thesealternatives do not necessarily replace the standard medicine, but only tryto supplement it.

Here are some known alternative ways to lessen the pain during labor.

1. Psychoprophylactic Techniques
This is being founded on physiologist Ivan Pavlov's idea of classical conditioning. Thepregnant woman is taught the anatomic and physiologic facts ofgiving birth and she is familiarized with the process. She is thenadvised to do some mental relaxation techniques that may includefocusing on certain breathing patterns or a certain focus point,such as a mark in the wall. Employing these kinds of techniques could possiblystop pain messages to the brain.

2. Leboyer's Method
Instead of the regular environment where there is so much noise and light, this method offers comfort to the mother through delivery by supplying serenity and acalm atmosphere during labor.

3. Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis seems to minimize awareness of pain, fear and anxiety; and raise pain threshold in the course of labor. Here, the pregnant woman is first subjected to hypnotic experiences to make her relatively unaware, but not completely blind, to her surroundings. Few negative effectsreported involve headache, nausea, and dizziness. There can also be failure to dehypnotize the patient properly. Its use need to be avoided in individuals with psychotic decompensation.

4. Yoga
Yoga has an Indian origin, which indicates control of mind and body. It involvesspecial training of breathing, which achieves relaxation and inner peace. Although there has been no scientific confirmation for these assertions, users of yoga noted decrease in pain sensation andlesser need for analgesic medication.

5. Music Therapy
It is believed that pregnant women can attain sedation and relaxation during the early phase of labor by playing a slow and relaxing kind of music. On the other hand, tunes with a continuous beat is a stimulant which can promote the active stage of labor.

6. Acupuncture
This includes stimulating distinct anatomic parts of the body with the use of needles. It is hypothesized that by stimulating acupuncture points, the level of chemical neurotransmitters in the body is altered. For instance, there is an increase of endorphin level, that like morphine, has analgesic property.

7. Therapeutic Touch
This pertains to application of hand pressure to the pregnant woman's back, hips, abdomen, thighs, sacrum or perineum. The objective of therapeutic touch is to communicate caring and reassurance.

8. Hydrotherapy
Women who utilized water immersion throughout the earlyphase of labor reported statistically significant less pain than those not laboring in water.

9. Herbal Medicines
This includes the use and application of plant materials which are believedto have a calming and soothing effect. The draw back of natural remedies though, is that they have much less scientific inquiry with regards to its pharmacologically active ingredient and toxicity potentials.

10. Aromatherapy
This uses essential oils extracted from botanical sources. Combined with massage, it enhances relaxation and helpsminimize anxiety and stress.

Alternative procedures may be useful throughout the earlyphase of labor. As a distracter, it diverts the woman's attention from the source of pain. But during the delivery itselfonce physiologic pain is at its peak, a woman may need further conventional intervention.


------

They say your kid is a reflection of you. Visit Gagazine.com to learn how to raise a better child by raising a better parent (YOU) first with Gagazine's pregnancy advice and parenting tips.