The truth about labor pains
The pains associated with labor are unique and personal, and not every woman experiances them in the same way. Everyone reacts differently to stress and tollerates pain differently. For some women labor is extreamly painful; whereas, for others it's relitively easy. Also, pain is a subjective experiance. It's important not to compare experiances with other mothers. Birthing is not a compitition, and there is no right or wrong way to have a baby.
Learning about the process your body goes through during birth leads to understanding about what causes labor pain. Preperation and learning about how to cope lets women focus on the positive, making the experiance more enjoyable.
The pain a woman feels during labor comes from a variety of sources. Contribuing factors include: a thining and dialating cervix, pressure from baby's head in the birth canal, lactic acid in the uterine muscles, pressure from the contracting uterus on other organs, and streaching of the vagina and perineum.
Labor pain comes with each contraction then subsides. A laboring mother can learn to contol there physical pain with any combination of: breathing techniques, relaxation, staying attuned to her body, and medication. Develop a plan and set expectations help a laboring mother feel in control. However, it's important to be flexible. No two deliveries are the same. Use whatever stratigies best work for you.
Leave a comment. What stratigies worked for managing your labor pain?
