How to relieve pain during childbirth. Pain relief for childbirth. How to make the birth process easier

Pain during labor is quite natural. Proper breathing, comfortable posture, and massage will help you cope with them. Sometimes doctors resort to medications or blockades.

From generation to generation, mothers and grandmothers tell their daughters that giving birth is painful. Yes, the process itself is unpleasant and painful, but modern medicine and traditional methods can significantly alleviate the condition. The female body is very strong and can withstand the tests that nature sends to it. To be prepared for all this, it is important to know how to relieve the pain of contractions. There are special controls, breathing techniques, medication support and much more.

How to ease the sensations during contractions

What kind of pain a woman experiences during contractions is determined by her individual characteristics and the magnitude of her pain threshold. In addition, the size and location of the fetus in the womb, as well as the number of births previously experienced, if any, are of great importance.

There are several techniques to suppress pain. These may be medications or conservative methods. Special exercises and other techniques require little preparation. Unlike medications, massage and proper breathing will not harm the baby, and you can try hard for this. But under some circumstances, these gentle methods may not be enough.

What methods to resort to should be decided during pregnancy, then the birth will be easier, and the expectant mother will not worry about this. After all, part of the sensations that she experiences during labor are directly related to her emotional state.

What to do to relieve labor pain

Medicines are not always the only way to suppress discomfort and pain during labor and childbirth. For an expectant mother, the main thing is a positive attitude. A woman must remember that everyone has gone through this and there is nothing as terrible as it seems. Having passed such a difficult test, she gives new life, and very soon she will be holding her baby in her arms.

Simple rules and techniques will also help relieve pain:

• massage or self-massage;
• toilet room every hour;
• cold compress on the neck or face;

Massage or self-massage will not only help you relax, but also relieve stress and tension. Doctors recommend that a woman in labor go to the toilet every hour for a reason: a full bladder puts pressure on the internal organs and makes contractions even more painful.

A cold compress on the neck or face activates the receptors and relieves discomfort. But you can also relieve muscle tension with the help of a shower. Water relaxes and calms. If the doctor does not prohibit it, you can drink water and also eat nutritious snacks: they will help replenish the energy that a woman loses several times faster during childbirth.

In addition, the support of loved ones is of great importance. Recently, partner births have become popular. Opinions differ about their appropriateness, but one thing is for sure: if her mother or her beloved man is next to the woman in labor, it will be much easier for her to cope with stress and pain.

During contractions, discomfort occurs throughout the body due to muscle strain, but the lower back and lower back suffer the most. In this case, massage helps a lot. Pressure on the sacrum relieves spasm and alleviates the condition.

It is equally important to breathe properly. This is taught even before birth in classes for expectant mothers, so you shouldn’t skip them. They also tell you what the pain is like. Breathing should be slower than usual, calm, and at the peak of the contraction - intermittent and frequent.

Movement and positioning of the body will not only help suppress pain, but also speed up the process of delivery. We need to help the woman change her position to one that is as comfortable as possible for her.

Correct body position can speed up the process of cervical dilatation and relax a tense body.

When moving or walking, the baby's head puts more pressure on the neck and causes it to open faster. When contractions become more frequent, it is better to take a vertical position: this will give the woman a break and gain strength.

Among the postures that facilitate labor are the following:

• position on all fours;
• leaning on the headboard with the support of another person;
• kneeling position supported by a chair or bed;
• sitting on a special ball for pregnant women.

It is important for a woman to take exactly the position in which she will not feel pain and feel comfortable. She may need to change positions several times, so she simply needs the help of medical staff or loved ones. It will be easier for those who are not having their first birth: they are already familiar with all the sensations and know in advance a comfortable position that will help cope with colic.

Drug pain relief during contractions

Among the medications, it is worth highlighting drugs that suppress pain, as well as those that help to calm down and relieve psychological stress.

Tranquilizers and barbiturates

They do not relieve pain during contractions, but they help cope with tension and suppress anxiety. For many women, this is enough, because part of their discomfort is intensified due to panic and fear.

However, such drugs can negatively affect labor. A woman may lose control over what is happening, and the baby may lose activity during the birth period.

Painkillers or sleeping pills

They are used for increased sensations when a woman is unable to endure and cramping pain in the abdomen leads to loss of consciousness. But you need to take them in advance, and not wait until it becomes unbearably painful. It is best to administer the drug when preparatory contractions begin.

Such medications are safe for the child and mother, they relieve pain from contractions and also relax the abdominal muscles, but do not weaken labor.

The only drawback remains the risk of respiratory depression in a woman in labor or a child with large doses of drugs, as well as excessive weakness and drowsiness of the woman.

Epidural complex

The most common method. Several types of anesthesia are considered:

• epidural block;
• spinal block;
• spinal-epidural combination.

Epidural or peridural anesthesia involves the injection of a drug into the cavity between the dura mater and the walls of the spinal canal. With a spinal block, the analgesic effect occurs due to the effect on the roots of the spinal cord. The drug is injected into the cavity between the soft and arachnoid membranes.

To speed up the process of pain relief, as well as for stronger anesthesia, techniques are combined and a combination of spinal and epidural blockade is often used.

The advantage of this method is the speed of pain relief: the pain goes away within a few minutes after administration of the drug. The woman retains the mobility that is necessary for a successful natural birth, and then contractions pass without pain. It is worth noting that a small part of the medicinal substances reaches the child, but they cannot harm him. Among the disadvantages of such anesthesia, the following points should be highlighted:

• decreased blood pressure;
• nausea or vomiting (extremely rare);
• headache;
• decreased heart rate in a child.

During anesthesia, the catheter through which the medicine is given remains in place, and the anesthesiologist can, if necessary, add the necessary amount of pain medication while monitoring the condition of the woman in labor.

Be that as it may, the question of how to reduce pain during contractions needs to be discussed with your doctor individually, and it is better to do this before giving birth.

Childbirth is very rarely painless. However, pain was developed in the process of evolution as a protective reaction of the body, and we can control it.

For the birth to be easy, the woman must feel safe, and the birth of the baby must take place in a calm and friendly environment. In addition, there are a wide variety of methods that are used to relieve pain during childbirth.

There are medicinal and non-medicinal pain relief for childbirth. Undoubtedly, the latter option has several important advantages: the absence of side effects and influence on the child and ease of use.

Physiological (non-drug) methods of labor pain relief include relaxation, breathing exercises, active behavior, massage and water treatments. In order to be able to use the entire arsenal of these methods, you need to master them in advance - even during pregnancy.

Learning to relax during childbirth

When preparing for childbirth, it is very important to learn to relax. The fact is that tension quickly depletes strength, and hormones produced in response to stress, which, as a rule, inevitably arises when a woman is very tired during childbirth, reduce the effectiveness of uterine contractions.

Prolonged stress reduces the supply of oxygen to the baby, and also affects the heart rate, impairs blood circulation, and causes headaches for the expectant mother. By learning to consciously relax, a woman is able to manage her stress level and avoid many unwanted complications.

What do you need to learn? You can master the relaxation technique by following these recommendations. Sit comfortably. Try to relax your facial muscles first: they are connected to the internal organs. Unclench your jaw and let your chin drop. Then focus your attention on the muscles in your neck and upper back. You can turn your head a little without straining your muscles, as if rolling your head from side to side. Relax parts of your body, causing a feeling of warmth in them and accompanying this process with positive thoughts: “Everything is going as it should,” “I feel easy and calm.” Imagine some pleasant image that evokes a feeling of inner peace and joy: warm rays of the sun, swimming in warm water. Then proceed to relaxing your right hand, left, then the muscles of your legs and perineum, while imagining your arms and legs hanging freely. Remember how you feel. During the contraction, it is advisable to remain in a relaxed state. But this relaxation is not passive, but an active conscious process that requires concentration.

With the increase in regular labor, a woman’s positive attitude towards a favorable completion of childbirth should not weaken. It is important to switch your attention from pain to something else, for example, focus on proper breathing, which is very helpful during childbirth.

Correct breathing during childbirth

Special breathing techniques are rightfully recognized as one of the most effective ways to relieve pain in childbirth.

What is the effect based on? It turns out that when certain types of breathing are used during childbirth, the blood becomes oversaturated with oxygen (hyperoxygenation), which causes the release of endorphins into the blood. These substances are also called hormones of joy or happiness. They influence a person’s pain sensitivity threshold. The more endorphins are released into the blood, the higher the pain threshold, that is, for the expectant mother, contractions become less painful and she tolerates them much easier. This explains the pain-relieving effect of breathing. In addition, the uterus is a muscular organ, and for its effective functioning it requires oxygenated blood.

What do you need to learn? Breathing techniques are good because they can be used at any stage of labor without restrictions, in any position of the body, during normal labor and even during the development of various labor abnormalities.

However, each stage of labor has its own way of breathing.

• At the beginning of labor When contractions are practically painless, abdominal breathing is recommended. When the contraction begins, the woman inhales slowly and relaxedly through her nose, and then exhales through her mouth for a long time, trying to stretch out the exhalation as much as possible (as if blowing on water). This technique helps to relax, relieves nervous excitement and saturates the blood with oxygen, stimulating and pain-relieving contractions.
• When contractions intensify and become painful, you can use “candle breathing”: in this case, you need to breathe frequently and shallowly, taking short breaths through the nose and exhaling through the mouth (as when blowing out a candle). As the contractions intensify, you need to breathe more intensely, but also very often. You should only breathe this way during a contraction. In between, it is recommended to take a deep breath and exhale, calm your breathing and rest until the next contraction. You can also use a “tired exhalation” - this is breathing with a so-called voiced exhalation, which will help relieve tension accumulated during childbirth and replenish your strength. Remember how we breathe when we are very tired and want to throw a heavy burden off our shoulders.
• When the cervix is ​​already fully dilated and contractions become especially long and frequent, the strongest pain-relieving effect is exerted by “train” breathing. At the beginning of the contraction, you need to breathe with your stomach, which allows you to save energy. As the pain increases, it is recommended to breathe more often, and at the peak of the contraction, the most intense. As soon as the pain begins to subside, breathing needs to be evened out and calmed down.
• In the second stage of labor, when the fetus begins to move along the birth canal, pushing begins. They are accompanied by a feeling as if you want to empty the intestines (due to the fact that the fetal head is pressing on the rectum, located next to the vagina). At this stage, it is important for the woman in labor to avoid premature pushing and relax as much as possible, helping the baby move down the birth canal. Dog breathing helps to restrain efforts - in this case, you need to take frequent and shallow inhalations and exhalations through your mouth, which resembles the breathing of a dog. In addition, it has a strong analgesic and relaxing effect.

Pain relief for childbirth: active movement

Another option for natural pain relief is active labor. It lies in the fact that a woman can behave freely during childbirth: constantly change positions, move around the ward or corridor, looking for the most comfortable position for herself.

What is the effect based on? Firstly, movements allow you to take your mind off the pain, which in itself significantly reduces pain. Secondly, if a woman does not move, the overall blood flow decreases, less oxygen reaches the muscles of the uterus, which is their energy fuel, and because This makes the pain intensify. And with active movement, blood flow increases, more oxygen is delivered to the muscle tissue of the uterus and pain is not felt as much. Thirdly, as noted above, the feeling of pain depends on whether a woman is tense or relaxed: the more she tenses, the more painful she becomes, and vice versa. Quite often, women completely stop moving during a contraction - they seem to freeze out of fear of pain. But such behavior will not allow you to hide from pain, but will only intensify it. So, in addition to the techniques of conscious relaxation, in such situations, constant physical activity will come in very handy, because during movement the muscles naturally tense and then relax, so their excessive overstrain is excluded. It becomes easier for a woman to relax, which means the pain will be felt less.

What do you need to learn? It is important to know what movements are acceptable during childbirth. They are very diverse. And if childbirth proceeds without complications, then there are no special restrictions, except that you cannot sit on a hard surface and make sudden and impetuous movements. You are allowed to walk calmly around the hall and ward, lean to the sides and forward, sway and rotate your hips, make turns and stretches with your whole body, step from foot to foot, squat shallowly, arch your back, squat with your knees apart, kneel with your knees apart, them to the sides, stand on all fours, etc. Often relief during childbirth is brought by poses using a large gymnastic ball (fitball) - you can swing on it, spring, rotate the pelvis, etc.

If, for medical reasons, you have to give birth in a lying position, then you should move here too: you can bring your legs together and spread them, rock your pelvis, turn from side to side, and make springy movements with your hips.

Pain-relieving massage during childbirth

Massage is an excellent help for reducing pain during childbirth.

What is the effect based on? The use of massage techniques allows you to switch attention from the pain during a contraction to the tactile sensations from the massage effect. Impact on certain points and areas on the body during contractions allows the expectant mother to reduce pain and relax better. For example, massage of the sacral region (lower back) has a fairly strong analgesic effect. In this zone there are nerve nodes that innervate the uterus and other pelvic organs. Massaging the sacral area during a contraction stops the transmission of the nerve impulse, and the pain decreases.

What do you need to learn? A woman can perform a massage on her own, but if her husband or someone else close to her is present at the birth, then it is more convenient to entrust it to him. Massage of the sacral area can be done with one or both hands, the pads and knuckles of the fingers, the base of the fist, the base of the palm, the inside of the palm, or a hand massager. Movements during a massage can be stroking, pressing, patting, pinching and even lightly tapping.

Massaging the protrusions of the pelvic bones on the sides in the lower abdomen will also help to take your mind off the pain and make it easier to survive contractions. These bones should be treated in the same way as the sacral area: press and release, stroke, pinch. Experiment and choose the effect that will be most effective.

During the contraction, you can gently stroke the bottom and top of the abdomen in a semicircle. These movements calm and help the woman relax.

Massaging the inner thigh helps reduce pain and maximize relaxation (the recurrent nerve, which innervates the pelvic organs, passes through this area). It is more convenient to do it lying on your side or sitting on a ball. Press the insides of your palms against your inner thighs at your groin. During the contraction, move your hands with pressure, without lifting your palms, to your knees and back to your groin.

If you are planning a birth with your husband, then he should learn the simplest massage techniques.

• Eight: take a large pillow and ask the expectant mother to kneel down, spread them gently to the sides, sit on her heels and rest her forehead on her hands crossed on the pillow. This position is quite often used during contractions; it is convenient to massage the back. Putting our hands on the woman’s shoulders, we draw a figure eight – the palms meet on the lower back and tailbone. Then, with the backs of your hands, move your hands along the spine from bottom to top and draw a figure eight again.
• Screwing: clench your hands into fists and very lightly twist them into the lumbar region, without pressing on the spine itself. Gradually increase the pressure, but do not forget to focus on the sensations of the expectant mother. It should tell you the strength and area of ​​pressure.
• Acupressure: With your thumbs, press on points along the spine from bottom to top, stepping back two centimeters from the protruding processes, and go from the sacrum to the cervical region. You can stay longer on more sensitive points.
• Foot, neck and shoulder massage often brings relief and helps to relax. First, the foot needs to be rubbed up and down with quick but light movements, on both sides. The heel and pads of the toes should be massaged in a circular motion separately and with effort, paying attention to each, then press on the hollows between the toes. This massage should be completed by stroking the foot. Start your neck massage by stroking, performing smooth, light movements with your palms from top to bottom. Then start rubbing, moving 2 cm to the left and right from the protruding bone processes of the vertebrae (while grasping the back half of the neck with your thumb and forefinger). Next, we gently knead the neck muscles, including vibration techniques, patting and tapping. The massage ends with stroking.

Water procedures for pain relief during childbirth

Water is an accessible, safe and pleasant remedy. Using water for healing purposes is an ancient method that has proven its effectiveness. In the absence of contraindications (premature rupture of amniotic fluid, high blood pressure), it is allowed to take a warm bath or shower in the first stage of labor.

What is the effect based on? Warm water reduces pain during contractions, relieves muscle and emotional tension, and helps to relax in the intervals between contractions of the uterus. In addition, the body weight in water is less, and often a woman giving birth feels more comfortable. You can also wash your hands from elbows to wrists in cool water, thereby activating blood circulation and relieving fatigue.

As you can see, pain during childbirth can be overcome. Tension and anticipation of pain slow down the birth process, and proper breathing, relaxation, comfortable body position and massage help move the baby’s head along the birth canal and make birth easier.

A good atmosphere and positive emotions have a positive effect on the condition of the pregnant woman and on childbirth.

Experts do not advise lying down during contractions; leisurely walking helps not only relieve pain, but also speed up labor. The vertical position of a woman before the most crucial moment has a favorable effect on the child himself, for whom birth is a rather difficult ordeal. When bending, rocking, walking, the child takes a comfortable position and stimulates.

To relieve pain, doctors advise jumping on a fitball or hanging on a wall bars.

Some women find a cool shower to relieve pain. It allows you to take your mind off the upcoming birth. But prolonged contact with water, for example, immersion in a pool or bath, leads to weakening of contractions, as a result of which the cervix stops opening and labor is delayed.

For the correct course of the prenatal period, you need to concentrate on breathing. Deep inhalations and exhalations help maintain the strength that will be required during pushing, and also allow you to enrich the child’s body with oxygen. The hysterical state and screams exhaust the woman, as a result of which she is unable to quickly give birth to a baby.

Massage during contractions

If common methods of relieving contractions do not help, specialists solve the problem using medications. Anesthesia is necessary to ensure a painless birth. But such interference in the natural process negatively affects the child and the expectant mother.

The birth of a child is one of the most pleasant and at the same time difficult events in a woman’s life. Expectant mothers are unable to cope with the fear of pain on their own. Despite the fact that nature has a certain mechanism of reactions in the body to reduce sensitivity, the genetic memory of “birth in agony” takes over. To help, special techniques have been developed and used to relieve pain and make contractions less painful. There are also medicinal methods that minimize the suffering of the woman in labor.

Physiology of pain

Contractions are part of natural childbirth. Their occurrence means the beginning of the opening of the cervix and the movement of the child to exit the female womb, but not the expulsion itself. By definition, pain means some kind of defensive reaction, a signal from the body to the brain about a problem. But in the case of childbirth, it is different.

Why pain occurs during contractions:

1. at the end of pregnancy, the uterus becomes a huge muscular organ of the body, its compression, accordingly, is felt most intensely;
2. contraction means involuntary compression and displacement of longitudinal and transverse muscle fibers;
3. during contraction there is compression of the nerve endings and tension, tension of the ligaments in the uterine area;
4. As the intensity of contractions increases and the interval between them decreases, the woman’s body gets tired and does not have time to switch, and a feeling of excruciating pain arises.

Before pushing, the nature of the sensations changes. In addition to the general pain during contraction, strong pressure on the perineum is added. This is a reaction to the insertion of the presenting part of the child into the pelvic inlet. Discomfort in the sacral area increases. Before the actual expulsion of the fetus, the peak of sensations occurs locally in the vagina, rectum and perineum.

What determines the pain during contractions:

• psychological state - fear, stress contributes to the release of adrenalin, which aggravates sensations;
• duration of labor - the exhausted body is not able to adequately respond to events, so the pain intensifies;
• the presence of complications - a large fetus, breech presentation, other pathological conditions of the woman in labor affect the nature of the pain.

Modern research shows that the more actively a woman mentally tries to intervene in the process, the more difficult it is for her to cope with the pain during contractions. All mammals, which includes humans, are born according to a similar pattern. But the difference in the perception of a natural process and something terrible directly affects the feeling as a whole.

Pain relief methods

The environment in which the woman finds herself helps to endure the contractions correctly before childbirth. Calmness, friendliness and confidence of the staff, a sense of security put the pregnant woman in the right mood. In this state, it is easier for her to accept what is happening, manage her emotions and control sensations.

There are two main methods that are used to relieve pain during labor: medicinal and non-medicinal. In the first case, drugs with different active ingredients are used. This group includes antispasmodics, analgesics, and drugs with narcotic and sedative effects.

In most cases, drugs are effective when it comes to real anesthetics used in modern obstetrics. But they are not suitable for independent use and have a number of contraindications. The main disadvantage of an anesthetic during labor is that the active substance penetrates to varying degrees into the mother’s blood and through the placenta to the child.

A non-drug or independent method that helps to survive contractions during childbirth is understood as professional psychological training for pregnant women. It includes special types of massage, the use of water, special breathing, postures, relaxation, aromatherapy and more.

Do contractions in the maternity hospital provide pain relief? Yes, but not always. It all depends on the specific case and indications. You can count on the assistance of medical staff provided that you have previously agreed to carry out the birth under epidural anesthesia.

Self-anesthesia

The main component of the success of using any independent methods that suppress pain is mastering the techniques during pregnancy. Practical self-help skills can be obtained in special courses for future parents.

How to relieve pain during childbirth yourself:

1. master self-massage, remember relaxation points on the body;
2. stand in a comfortable position or move, do not sit still;
3. if you don’t have the strength or desire to walk around the room, it’s better to jump or swing on a fitball;
4. learn to breathe correctly during contractions and pushing, at the peak of pain;
5. if the clinic’s equipment allows, use water procedures.

The maximum effect is achieved by combining several methods. By massaging the sacrum you can breathe correctly at the same time. Experienced women still manage to swing on a fitball or walk.

Massage. We are talking about stimulating local areas on both sides of the spine in the sacral area. In order to block pain impulses in this way, you need to apply gentle pressure. Mothers who tried to press the points to ease contractions during childbirth note that the position during manipulation did not matter much. Some massaged their backs while standing or slightly leaning forward, others while sitting on a fitball, while others were helped by their husbands.

Breath. Breathing is used to relieve pain during childbirth. This is at the same time a way to relieve discomfort, relax muscles and saturate tissues with oxygen. Controlling the actions performed helps the woman in labor to distract herself from thoughts about the painful contractions of the uterus.

How to breathe through contractions:

• While the pain can be tolerated, it is important to breathe deeply, sparingly - inhale through the nose and exhale longly through the mouth;
• as the intensity of sensations increases, there is a desire to curl up into a ball, to tense up - this cannot be done, you need to try with all your might to relax the muscles, you can stroke your stomach from top to bottom;
• breathing in this period will no longer be possible, so you should switch to the “dog-style” method - often, quickly, intermittently;
• with the beginning of pushing, attention switches to the obstetrician - she tells you when to breathe out the contraction, and when to take in air and push the exhalation “down”.

For greater comfort, the mother in labor is recommended to remove excess or restrictive clothing and, if possible, frequently ventilate the room. It would be good if there was a humidifier in the room. Useful skill for a woman unwind and relax. Equally important are attempts to rest during the break between contractions: close your eyes, fall asleep.

Medication methods

It is almost impossible to completely anesthetize labor pains. Even the most potent drugs suppress the feeling of incompleteness. But this is not required; to control the progress of labor, it is important not to “turn off” the pain, but to make it less pronounced.

There are three main ways to relieve pain in the maternity hospital:

1. intramuscular injection - a woman is given antispasmodics, analgesics, opiates, sedatives or a special mixture of them, most often in the thigh;
2. epidural anesthesia - an anesthetic is injected into the space near the spine, the woman in labor ceases to feel the body below the catheter;
3. laughing gas - nitrous oxide and oxygen inhaled by the pregnant woman with each contraction, common in Europe and the USA.

For short-term and incomplete pain relief from contractions, the so-called lytic mixture is most often administered intramuscularly. It consists of promazine hydrochloride, promedol, diphenhydramine and novocaine. The cocktail is injected if there are 2 or more hours left before the expected attempts, there are no contraindications on the part of the woman and child. It is also administered when the woman in labor has severe anxiety.

What painkillers can you take during contractions:

• antispasmodics: No-Shpa, Drotaverine;
• antispasmodics + analgesics: Spazmalgon, Baralgin, Revalgin;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ketones, Emodol.

Any independent use of medications should be under the supervision of doctors. But - Spa during contractions will not give results, even if the dosage is selected correctly. An incorrect dose of other pills, untimely administration, or the presence of contraindications can only cause harm. Labor activity will subside or become uncoordinated.

Does baralgin relieve pain during real contractions? Usually no, only the intensity of sensations decreases. Taking such drugs is considered one of the methods for checking training contractions of the uterus from real ones.

Whether to try to reduce the pain during contractions or endure it until the end - the woman must decide for herself. There are also situations when strong stress is contraindicated and the birth of a child occurs exclusively under anesthesia. Childbirth without pain should also not cause a false sense of guilt. This is fine.