Your Pregnancy

SOME WAYS TO HANDLE PAIN DURING LABOUR INCLUDE:

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■ Hypnosis

■ Massage or counter pressure or acupressur­e. The power of touch should never be underestim­ated. Hard firm pressure on certain parts of your body will change the way you perceive the pain. Acupressur­e and rubbing the heels of a labouring woman will soothe her pain.

■ Changing position: movement dissipates pain and will change your perception. Stay as upright as possible, and use the force of gravity to bring your baby down and open up your pelvis.

■ Make a noise during labour. Moaning and groaning helps with the release of endorphins, which will benefit the baby as well.

■ Taking a bath or shower – water has amazing pain-relieving powers. Use water to soothe and settle you before and during labour and for pain relief. A powerful shower head directed onto your back can ease backache in labour. Make sure the bath is deep enough to make you feel buoyant, and the deeper you are in water, the higher the level of pain relief.

■ Listening to music.

■ Distractin­g yourself by counting or performing an activity that keeps your mind otherwise occupied.

■ Stay calm. Stress hormones cross the placental barrier. Finding ways to calm yourself and staying positive and unworried will mean that you will cope better with whatever comes your way.

■ Use relaxation and visualisat­ion techniques. The ability to release tension at will as well as turn inner positive thoughts into pictures (visualisat­ion) is not only a labour tool, but also a life skill.

■ Breathe with purpose and intention. Breathing with awareness will help you decrease your pain in labour.

■ Empty your bladder often. A full bladder can hold up the labour process and increase your pain level.

■ Use aromathera­py. Oils such as lavender and chamomile and clary sage have a wonderfull­y soothing effect on the psyche and the body!

■ Use the TENS machine, which sends electrical impulses up the pain pathways, releasing your body’s endorphins and changing your perception of pain.

■ Keep well hydrated. Dehydratio­n can make uterine contractio­ns far more painful, so sip water or clear fluid all the way through labour.

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