How to relieve pain during labor and childbirth - useful tips and tricks. How to alleviate and independently anesthetize contractions and attempts during childbirth in order to better endure them? Methods to reduce pain during childbirth

The very first and most important thing is to try to relax in every possible way, otherwise pain will follow the tension, and fear and panic will follow it, and all this will turn into a vicious circle.

Ways to relieve pain during contractions

1. The first method of pain relief is a positive attitude towards childbirth

To do this, you need to understand the reasons why pain occurs, and how everything works.

Pain during childbirth is natural, as the uterus contracts, the cervix opens, the ligaments stretch, the baby presses on the pelvis and organs, and moves along the birth canal. Presumably, this pain should be bearable, nature has given our body mechanisms that alleviate it (hormones are released, during pregnancy the body prepares for the birth of a child). If you help the body and do not interfere with it, then everything should go smoothly, of course, not without difficulty and discomfort.

But if a woman is afraid, the situation with pain is greatly aggravated. With fear or stress, a person reacts with muscle tension, clamping. Because of this, the muscles get tired quickly (and the uterus is a big muscle), the uterus is poorly supplied with blood and oxygen, adrenaline is produced, which reduces the production of pain-relieving hormones (endorphins, oxytocin), labor slows down and may even stop. The saddest thing is that the child also feels and experiences all this through the blood of the mother.

It is important to remember that intense contractions and, accordingly, pain make up about 30% of the first birth period, when the cervix opens by 7 cm. That is, in theory it will really hurt in the end. By the time the first stage of labor passes into the second, the duration of the contraction is one minute or more, the intervals between contractions are 3-5 minutes. In addition, the pain increases gradually, so that the body has time to adapt.

It should be something like this, but everyone is different. But why tune in to the bad, if you can tune in to success. We are too accustomed to the information that childbirth is always terribly painful, we have seen enough films, we have heard enough scary stories, and the negative is always easier to remember. Although I very often hear from girls that they gave birth easily and without much pain, but this is perceived more as an exception to the rule. There are many examples among wild tribes who give birth and do not notice, although they are the same in anatomical structure. Maybe it's because we are too far away from nature, from our body, so so often childbirth is scary, painful, and not normal, natural.

To speed up the process of moving the child, it is advisable to walk, stand, squat, on a fitball, on a high chair - to occupy a vertical position so that gravity helps the process. It is often advised to stand with your hands hanging on someone or something. If discomfort and pain intensifies, it is worth looking for a more comfortable position. It is advisable not to lie down.

2. Breath
There are many kinds of techniques. But as I understand it, the most important thing is that the uterus receives enough oxygen, but without hyperventilation. And also, so that a state of relaxation sets in, panic and tension go away. Most likely, if you force yourself to breathe according to a specific rhythm, then you can simply get tired of concentration or even harm yourself. I think it’s important to listen to your needs here, because everyone initially breathes differently. Basically, I notice that it is advised to breathe slowly, evenly and deeply, avoiding holding the breath. At the fight, take a deep breath in through your nose and chest, and exhale through your mouth, without puffing out your cheeks, while relaxing your stomach and pelvis. Such breathing should not cause excessive tension, concentration. Between contractions, breathe naturally and freely, as during sleep, without concentrating on inhalations and exhalations. Rapid and deep breathing can lead to hyperventilation and tension. I liked the breathing option, which is called “Fuh”. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly as if you are saying "pooh". I use it quite often when there is a tone, when my breath gets out of hand, during excitement and worries, and it helps me a lot.

3. It is important to prepare the body for childbirth
These are special exercises that are aimed more at stretching the muscles and ligaments, increasing the flexibility of all the joints needed during childbirth, especially the hip. With physical exercises you need to be very careful. Some can be in the first trimester, but in the third they will be harmful. It is also advised to do a Kegel complex for pumping intimate muscles to avoid ruptures during childbirth

4. Self-massage
You need to rub your lower back and front pelvic bones with your fist to relax the muscles and relieve pain. You can use a tennis ball, roll it along the lower back.

5. Switching attention
It is important to remember that not only you suffer, but above all the baby, he really needs your support and self-control. He is just in the most dependent position, if he is in pain, then he cannot say, change position, breathe deeply.

6. Warm and cold compresses
Apply warm to the tense muscles of the back, perineum. It can be a bottle of warm water or a towel. Cool compresses are applied to the forehead, to the face. Many girls advise taking thermal water with you, it is very refreshing, splashing your face.

7. Recordings
For a positive attitude, you can pre-collect and write down various aphorisms, prayers, parables, lines from a song that will help you relax, remember pleasant things and get inspired. Maybe it will be psychological affirmations, for example, "Each contraction brings a joyful meeting with my child." Another option that I really liked is to record the voice of a husband or mother, which will soothe and say something pleasant.

8. Relaxation workouts
To learn how to relax the muscles at the right time, it is advisable to practice in advance. When lying in bed or doing anything, focus on the body and look closely at what muscles are contracted and tense, especially the face, as it is connected with the uterus. Relax all muscle groups. Key words - open, let go, relax, unbend, should be written on the subcortex.

9. Music
Pick up a playlist with relaxing music that will calm the nervous system.

10. Psychological techniques
This option is more suitable for those who like to imagine and imagine.

• Associate contractions with some kind of pleasant imagery, such as waves in the ocean or a waterfall falling from above.
• When destructive thoughts “I can’t take it anymore” appear, you need to immediately remember what motivates you to win - imagine how you hold your child in your arms. By focusing on the reward, you find the strength to move forward.
• Reception "packaging of pain". Imagine that pain is a piece of clay, roll it into a small ball and place it in a balloon that comes off your body and flies far into the sky.
• Practice in advance and imagine your birth in a very positive way, that everything is going like clockwork.

Trust your body, your intuition and nature more. Let these techniques help you cope with pain and increase your positive mood.

For the day of childbirth, every woman prepares in advance. She not only stores things for the hospital, but also overcomes psychological fears. Everyone knows that contractions - "pleasure" is not pleasant, but they are different for each woman in labor. A woman can also help herself and do everything possible to ensure that the last hours before meeting with the baby pass joyfully.

Why cramping pain is tolerated differently

According to scientists, the human body can endure pain in 45 del (pain units), but during contractions a woman has all 57 of them. Such pain is experienced by a person who has 20 bones broken at the same time, many say, but this theory is not scientifically justified. Since childbirth is considered a natural process, the conclusion suggests itself that the level of pain during labor and childbirth is directly related to the preparation of the body for this process. Women who have been on courses for new mothers during pregnancy, doing fitness or doing gymnastics to train the muscles of the pelvic floor, are more likely to have an easy birth. If during pregnancy a woman did physical preparation for childbirth, then she is more likely to have a mild course

Every woman, or even a girl, must have heard from some woman that giving birth is painful. As a result, even at a young age, female representatives develop a stereotype about "sinister" childbirth. A girl who is preparing to give birth for the first time feels a sense of fear of childbirth, which prevents the body from relaxing and enjoying its position. If the expectant mother seeks to receive positive emotions, then the forces during contractions will be directed to relaxation, and not to the expectation of severe pain.

The pain threshold of a woman is also important. This is the level of irritation with a feeling of pain that the nervous system of the expectant mother experiences. With a feeling of pain from a slight impact, a low pain threshold is noted, with painful sensations from a strong impact, it is called high. According to the pain threshold, one can judge the personality of a woman.

According to the results of the study, it became clear that people with a low pain threshold are more prone to suicide.

It turns out that the more melancholic nature a woman has, the lower her pain threshold. Conversely, the higher the pain threshold, the stronger the woman by nature. This usually refers to confident women with leadership qualities. Scientists have found that the threshold of pain sensitivity can vary depending on the relaxation (increase) or tension (decrease) of a woman. So, the expectant mother, experiencing fear of the upcoming birth, involuntarily strains the nerve endings. The fact is that the organs of a woman experiencing a state of stress receive less oxygen and send disturbing urges to the brain with a feeling of pain. Accordingly, a woman's pain threshold is reduced. Therefore, doctors recommend expectant mothers to tune in positively in advance.

Not all women know that excessive pain cannot be tolerated for several reasons:

• brain cells and its nerve endings are destroyed;
• blood vessels and the heart suffer - being in a state of overstrain, they may simply not withstand;
• the psycho-emotional state changes;
• pain shock or even coma may occur.

In general, I have a high pain threshold - so I thought until recently. The first thing I experienced before the contractions was painful "training", after which I wanted to skip to the hospital. This happened to me at the next training bout (or rather, my husband could not stand it). He took me to the maternity hospital, and they told me to go to pathology, since I was not in labor. I was in pathology for only a few hours, and the contractions kept growing. Compared to previous births, this was a real test. The thought that everything was just beginning made me eat chocolate in large quantities. And then it dawned on me that I was doing everything wrong. And I decided not to panic. I relaxed and even fell asleep, and when I woke up late at night, I found that the contractions were growing. I went to the post to the nurse, the doctor came and examined me. Imagine my surprise when she stated the opening of the cervix at 7 cm. But then I made a mistake again - at first I was delighted, and then began to panic because I was about to meet the baby. I pulled myself together again late - when the doctor said an hour later that the cervix had almost not opened. I immediately realized that this was due to extra nerves, and relaxed. Here the process did not take long - the bubble burst, and I experienced real relief. After 15 minutes, my daughter was lying next to me and tried to examine me.

Psychological preparation for childbirth and its significance

Psychological preparation of a pregnant woman is of primary importance during all childbirth. If a woman understands that by relaxing she helps the baby, then the whole process of delivery turns out to be aimed not at destruction, but at creation. And this means that it is painless. This is largely due to the fact that a woman understands the situation and helps the baby and her body, relaxing at every contraction. She imagines that in a few minutes she will be able to hug her baby, and this gives her strength. A woman needs to focus on the fact that the child is small and it is much more difficult for him to be born than for his mother to endure pain. This attitude of a pregnant woman helps to facilitate the process of delivery and reduce pain.

How to relieve pain during labor and childbirth

A woman can take many ways to alleviate her condition. These are both medical and safer options.

Medical painkillers

A popular medical pain relief procedure is epidural anesthesia. When it is carried out, a thin catheter is installed in the lumbar region, through which an anesthetic is supplied. When the catheter is inserted, the woman sits, leaning forward, or lying on her side. Through the catheter, the anesthesiologist delivers medicine into the intervertebral space, and the pain in the lower body goes away. At the same time, a woman can move and feel touch, which allows her to be active and participate in attempts. When its action stops, the medicine can be given again. This anesthesia is used for cervical dilatation of at least 4-5 cm and painful contractions. Due to the early use of painkillers, labor can slow down. The most commonly used local anesthetics for epidural anesthesia are:

• Lidocaine (the price of an ampoule is about 50 rubles);
• Ropivacaine (the price of an ampoule is about 200 rubles);
• Bupivacaine (the price of an ampoule is 300–400 rubles).

To enhance them, the following opiates are sometimes added to the anesthesia solution:

• fentanyl;
• Morphine;
• Buprenorphine.

When conducting epidural anesthesia, allergic manifestations are not excluded. In addition to it, during contractions or childbirth, the following are used:

• potent (for example, Promedol) drugs - drugs that are administered intravenously or intramuscularly. They eliminate pain, but cause lethargy and drowsiness. Because of them, a woman cannot participate in the process of delivery and adequately perceive what is happening. In addition, these drugs cross the placenta and can cause breathing and sucking problems in the baby;
• local anesthesia with the use of an anesthetic (for example, Lignocaine) at the site of the surgical intervention;
• general anesthesia drugs, which are administered by inhalation or intravenously for major operations (for example, caesarean section, uterine cleansing, or removal of the placenta after the baby is born). In this case, epidural anesthesia may be used.

Photo gallery of medicines used for pain relief during childbirth

Sometimes, to enhance the effect of epidural anesthesia, Morphine is prescribed. Buprenorphine is a drug that allows you to enhance the effect of epidural anesthesia.
Promedol is a medicine sometimes used by an anesthesiologist to relieve a woman's condition during childbirth. Lidocaine, together with other anesthetics, is used for epidural anesthesia.

Proper breathing

Proper breathing during contractions helps painless childbirth. Thanks to him, you can relax and calm down. A woman monitors the correctness of breathing, being distracted from contractions and painful sensations. There are several ways to breathe during contractions and childbirth:

• Take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of four. Then - exhale through your mouth, counting to 6 and turning your lips into a pipe;
• “meet” intensified contractions with shallow breathing, like a dog’s;
• push on the exhale, after a deep breath. Thanks to this, the diaphragm will put pressure on the uterus, the air will flow down, and your whole body will "hurry" the baby to the exit.

Breathing techniques are taught in courses for young mothers, which are held in antenatal clinics.

shower application

Everyone knows that warm water relieves muscle spasms and relieves pain. Many use a special pool for fights, in which they spend all the time of fights. However, such pools are rare for an ordinary maternity hospital. Usually, showers are provided in the wards of many such institutions. You can spend time in them under a warm stream of water until the water breaks. It is recommended to direct the stream of water on the sides in the abdomen and on the lower back. The water temperature should be approximately 37-38 degrees.
A special pool is a rarity in the maternity hospital, so a pregnant woman, at best, has to be content with a warm shower until the water breaks.

Physical exercise and massage

It is better to start exercising not from the moment of contractions, but from the beginning of pregnancy. Then you will see the effect of them yourself: the elasticity of the tissues will increase, the muscles will strengthen. During the day, a pregnant woman should be active - walking, moving around the house, going to the store, etc. Such a load will definitely support the shape of the expectant mother and make several muscle groups work at once. A good option for gymnastics is fitball exercises, during which you can learn postures that help during contractions. Here are some of them:

1. Sit on the ball with your legs wide apart. Rock your pelvis from side to side. Swing slowly - the way you like.
2. Take a knee-elbow position, put your bent arms on the ball. Lean on it with bent elbows.
3. Get on your knees, grasp the fitball with both hands. Put your chest and head on it. In this comfortable position, shake your pelvis to the right and left.
4. Place the ball higher - on a table, nightstand or bed. Lean on the ball with your forehead and palms. Bend your arms at the elbows.
5. This pose is suitable if you have a partner next to you. Sit on an exercise ball with your legs wide apart. Lean your hands on something in front of you - a chair, a chair, a window sill. At this time, the partner should support you from behind. If during the fight he massages your tailbone with his hands, then the pain will become weaker.
6. Get on your knees, put the front of your body on the ball. During the fight, ask your partner to stroke your sacrum area.

The expectant mother can practice the poses shown in the picture below. They will help to alleviate the condition of a woman during labor.
A good option for a pregnant woman is exercise with a fitball, practicing different positions during contractions.

Additionally, you can do specialized gymnastics:

• Pilates;
• yoga;
• exercises in the pool;
• gymnastics.

At home, you can conduct physical exercises for expectant mothers. They need to be performed once a day until the onset of childbirth. Exercise during pregnancy can help ease contractions

From touch during its conduct, impulses reach the cerebral cortex, causing a response that competes with painful uterine contractions. The massage process relaxes and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, increasing the threshold of pain sensitivity. With the help of massage, the muscles relax a little and the appearance of cramps is excluded. Thanks to him, the production of endorphins (hormones of joy) is accelerated, the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases. Massage is performed in the following ways:

Prohibited Measures to Facilitate Contractions

Many women hear from their friends and relatives that during contractions you can behave the way you want. However, according to experts, a woman in labor should not scream. In this process, the air leaves the body, and the forces noticeably weaken. As a result, the baby does not receive the right amount of oxygen, which is so needed during childbirth. During contractions, the baby experiences oxygen starvation without it, since the vessels that enrich the child's body with oxygen and nutrients compress the uterine muscles. Therefore, every “drop” of air is very important for a baby during labor and childbirth. Turning to screaming during childbirth, the woman herself complicates the process and prevents the baby from being born sooner.

Also, a woman who is about to meet her baby will not be able to lie on her back. Because of this position, the uterus of a pregnant woman compresses large vessels - the lower vein and the aorta. Therefore, the blood does not circulate well to the heart, brain, uterus and baby. Due to the lying position, he may experience hypoxia, and in a woman - venous blood stagnation in the uterus and internal organs.

Many women want to sit during contractions - it seems to them that in this way they make their situation easier. Of course, you can sit, but until the head of the crumbs begins to sink into the pelvis. If at this time the expectant mother will sit, then the baby will not be able to move towards the exit through the birth canal. This can lead to serious consequences - hypoxia, delayed labor, etc.

When a woman begins to push, she really wants to “squeeze” the child out of herself - the woman in labor understands that it will be easier this way. However, you should not push without the permission of a doctor - this can lead to injuries to the child.

Video: specialist on pain during contractions and how to alleviate the condition

Childbirth is a difficult process during which a woman feels pain. Pain is normal during childbirth. But women, especially those who give birth for the first time, are afraid of this. Therefore, they think how to ease labor and contractions.

Pain during labor and childbirth

1. muscles and ligaments are stretched;
2. the cervix opens;
3. increased pressure on the uterus.

If the pregnant woman is in a calm state, then her body produces the hormone oxytocin, which provokes childbirth. In a panic state, fearful, adrenaline is produced, from which the muscles are in tension, the contraction of the cervix stops, labor activity is delayed. Experiencing pain, the expectant mother panics even more, so the dose of adrenaline increases. For this reason, relaxation is important.

How to relieve prenatal condition

1. Self-motivated. The birth of a baby is an important event in a woman's life. Any pain is overshadowed by the joy and smile of a newborn. Therefore, doctors advise not to concentrate on their own painful sensations, but on the condition of the baby, who is also difficult, because he has to go through a difficult path of birth.
2. A woman should arm herself with information about the process of childbirth. She must understand what true and training contractions are. If she understands what is happening with the body, the pain decreases a little.
3. Rest. Relaxation can ease the condition during childbirth. It is recommended to rest between contractions so as not to waste strength that will still come in handy. Some people find music or videos helpful.
4. Breath. A woman in position should be able to breathe properly. , breathing should be slow, inhale gently through the nose, and exhale through the mouth, adhering to a uniform rhythm.
5. Massage. To reduce pain, it is recommended to massage the neck, sacrum. This procedure is performed independently or with the help of a husband.
6. Water. You can alleviate the condition with the help of water. To do this, take a warm shower, which will reduce pain. Water can soothe.
7. Close person. More than one woman has noticed that the support of her husband, relative, mother calms before childbirth. A baby is born quickly and easily if the presence of a loved one is felt nearby.

If you stand, then the process of giving birth to a child is accelerated. Reduces back pain pose on all fours.

In this article:

Many women imagine childbirth as a grueling process, but traditionally no one doubts that everything could be different. Often we rely on modern medicine, which is armed with a huge amount of painkillers. Unfortunately, not everything is so easy. Pain relief with medications has many negative consequences for the expectant mother and child. So not really a woman giving birth is doomed to suffering? Absolutely not.

It turns out that nature has provided women with painkillers necessary for childbirth. During childbirth, the female body releases a lot of hormones of pleasure and joy - endorphins, which are able to reduce unpleasant physical feelings, relieve pain, help to relax and give a unique feeling of joyful upsurge.

If a woman feels the horror of childbirth, anxiety and anxiety, muscle tension increases. To know how to relieve pain during contractions, you just need to learn how to relax. However, the whole mystery lies in the fact that the relaxation of the muscles of the female body is unrealistic, without a relaxed state of consciousness.

Start of contractions

The first contractions are short and repeat almost every twenty minutes. Their duration is 20-25 seconds and contractions are easily tolerated. The physiological meaning of contractions is that the uterine pharynx opens. At this time, the mucous plug is “pushed through” and the amniotic fluid gradually leaves (sometimes with a blood admixture). The cervix of the uterus opens approximately from 2 to 12 hours. When the deployment is completed, contractions lasting one minute begin every three minutes. During contractions, the cervix opens 6-8 centimeters, and the baby goes deeper into the birth canal.

Relief of pain during contractions

There are poses that help to relax the muscles.

1. You need to squat down and spread your knees to the sides;
2. You can sit on the edge of a chair facing the back, focusing on the back with your elbows;
3. Sit on the floor or on a bed with your knees wide apart. But, you should remember! That during childbirth it is impossible to sit on the buttocks, as the baby's head may suffer.

Proper breathing that relieves pain

You can reduce pain during childbirth if you learn how to breathe correctly. It does not matter which medications have an adverse effect on the child to one degree or another. By learning to breathe correctly, you can avoid their introduction, or at least reduce the time of its application to a minimum.

In the first (hidden or latent) phase of labor, contractions are not yet quite painful. Many future mothers can safely do their household chores at this time. Usually, special breathing is not required. At this time, the cervix prepares for childbirth and begins to slowly open.

At the end of the first phase, contractions become more frequent and intensify. At this stage, you can apply breathing that suppresses the pain. It is carried out in this way: you need to inhale through the nose to the count: one-two-three-four, exhale through the mouth to the count: one-two-three-four-five-six, as you can see, the inhalation is shorter than the exhalation. This system is called deep breathing. With all this, the child receives enough oxygen, and the woman is distracted from painful sensations, because she focuses on the account.

When contractions intensify, the woman in labor begins to feel that slow, deep breathing no longer helps to relieve pain. Here you need to switch to frequent breathing. At first contractions, you need to use slow, deep breathing, and when the pains begin to intensify. At the end of the fight, you again need to return to slow deep breathing.

Obstetricians, gynecologists and psychologists advise taking birth pain as an integral part of a normal birth. Painful sensations will soon be forgotten after the birth of the baby. So, the main thing in childbirth is peace of mind, because there are professionals nearby who take babies every day. And endorphins (hormones of joy) are actively released into the blood during childbirth. The task of a woman is not to interfere with doctors, but to help them with her correct and calm behavior.

Video about non-drug methods of pain relief in childbirth

Pain during contractions is completely normal. Soreness suggests that the body of the expectant mother is preparing to give birth to a baby. It is quite understandable that women want to reduce the degree of pain. Let's see how this can be done.

How to relieve pain during contractions

A huge role in the process of childbirth is played by the initial psychological expectant mother. Women who have undergone such training have a completely different attitude to labor pain. They focus on helping the baby be born. This allows you to switch attention and relieve soreness. Therefore, do not neglect specialized courses where pregnant women are prepared for the birth process. It is there that they will explain to you how to behave during contractions, and how to reduce the intensity of pain.

For example, one method for relieving pain is as follows. Imagine a burning candle in front of you. Exhaling strongly, try to blow out the flame. Many maternity hospitals offer women several additional devices to relieve pain. These can be special horizontal bars on which you can hang in a comfortable position, or large gymnastic balls, sitting on which it is also possible to relieve pain.

You should not just lie down during, it is better to walk, trying to relax your muscles. Psychologists advise distracting from painful contractions with thoughts about the imminent birth of a baby.

Self-massage techniques effectively relieve pain. For their implementation, special training is not required and they are easy for the woman in labor to carry out on her own. Most often, it is recommended to massage the lumbar region. It is necessary to make pressing and rubbing movements with fingers, an open palm or a clenched fist. By doing this, you block the nerve node responsible for the sensitivity of the organs located in the small pelvis.

How to breathe during contractions

During contractions, it is very important to breathe properly. This helps to get through contractions more easily and reduces pain. There are only two breathing techniques:

• Candle. Breathing according to this technique should be frequent and shallow. Inhale quickly through your nose and exhale through your mouth, imagining that you are blowing out a candle directly in front of your lips. In this way, you need to breathe until the end of the fight. This method acts like natural anesthesia, as endorphins are produced as a result of this breathing, which reduces pain.

• The “big candle” technique differs from the usual one in that it is necessary to exhale through almost closed lips, and inhale as if the nose were stuffed up. As a result, breathing is carried out with effort. This technique relieves pain more strongly and is used if a regular candle does not relieve pain. With such breathing, the pulse becomes even, and the woman has time to rest before the next contraction.

Painkillers for contractions

The doctor decides on the need for anesthesia and the specific choice of the drug after examining the woman. Anesthesia can be done in three ways.

If it is necessary to remove sensitivity only from a certain area or when suturing, then local anesthesia is used.

Epidural or spinal anesthesia is used to relieve pain from contractions. In this case, the drug is injected into the lower back near the nerves. This allows you to anesthetize a significant part of the body, but at the same time the person is conscious. This method greatly relieves pain and is often used during surgery.

In exceptional cases, general anesthesia is used, in which the woman loses consciousness. This technique is dangerous for the health of the baby, so it is used only in case of emergency.

In addition to these cases, an anesthetic drug may be administered intravenously or intramuscularly at the very beginning of labor to allow the woman to rest a bit before giving birth and gain strength.