Most pregnancies are happy times full of promise despite the minor discomforts women experience during the last few months. However, as the time draws near to have your baby you may experience some anxiety about the delivery. Will there be complications? How painful will it be? (especially if you’re a first time mom) and you may worry about whether you will be able to handle the pain during labor in a calm manner. Pain during labor is a natural part of childbirth and a degree of anxiety is natural and fairly common in pregnant women.
For most women labor IS painful but the intensity of the pain varies from woman to woman with some experiencing relatively little pain and others feeling the pain is not manageable at all without the use of drugs. This also depends on your perspective and most first births are described as more painful than a second or third birth.
What Can You Do to Manage Pain During Labor?
It is advisable to prepare yourself mentally for pain during labor and to plan some strategies for coping with it. Dealing with your anxiety about childbirth is an excellent coping strategy.
What Causes the Pain During Labor and Delivery?
Labor pains are caused by the strong uterine muscle contractions and pressure on the cervix as the baby moves down the birth canal. The pain is usually a cramping pain in the lower abdomen, groin and back and a tired, achy feeling all over the body. Many women have pain in their sides and thighs as well. Pressure on the bladder and bowels from the baby’s head and stretching of the birth canal and vagina is another cause of pain during labor.
Some women describe the pain during labor as similar to menstrual cramping, others say it is severe pressure and still others say it feels like intense waves similar to that of diarrheal cramps.
Often it isn’t the intensity of pain during labor that causes women to seek pain management but the fact that the pain is repetitive and goes on for a lengthy time during each contraction.
