Nonmedication Pain Management for Childbirth

You have the option of not using any pain medicine during your labor and delivery. This is sometimes called a "natural" delivery. Nonmedication ways of controlling your pain include:

• Continuous labor support. Having a support person with you from early labor until after childbirth, has a proven, positive effect on childbirth.
• Distraction. During early labor, you can walk, play cards, watch TV, take a shower, or read to help take your mind off your contractions.
• Massage. Massage of the shoulders and lower back during contractions may ease your pain. Strong massage of the back muscles (counterpressure) during contractions may help relieve the pain of back labor . Tell your labor coach exactly where to push and how hard to push.
• Imagery. Imagery is using your imagination to decrease your pain. For instance, to help manage pain, visualize contractions as waves rolling over you. Picture a peaceful place, such as a beach or mountain stream, to help you relax between contractions.
• Changing positions during labor. Walking, kneeling or sitting on a big rubber ball (birth ball) are good options.
• Focused breathing. Breathing in a rhythm can distract you from pain. Childbirth education classes will teach you different methods of focused breathing.
• Laboring in water. This helps with pain, stress, and sometimes slow, difficult labor (dystocia). ^{footnote 1, footnote 2}

Other techniques without medicine

Other ways to control pain without using medicine include:

• Acupuncture. Small studies suggest that acupuncture is a low-risk, effective way of managing labor pain for some women. ^{footnote 3}
• Hypnosis. This is a low-risk way of managing labor pain and anxiety that works for some women. ^{footnote 3}