Skip to main content
Pain

Managing pain during childbirth

While your body is made to give birth and you CAN do this, pain is a normal part of labor and delivery. How you cope with it is up to you. We can help you with medication, or you can choose to manage it naturally.

Natural Comfort Measures

“Natural” childbirth techniques (without medicine) may help reduce pain and help you feel a sense of control during labor. Consider the following.

  • Continuous labor support. Having a support person with you from early labor until after childbirth has a proven, positive effect on childbirth.
  • 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.
  • Imagery is using your imagination to decrease your discomfort. For instance, to help manage pain, visualize contractions as waves rolling over you. Picture a peaceful place to help you relax between contractions.
  • Changing positions during labor. Walking, kneeling, or sitting on a big rubber exercise ball (birth ball) are good options.
  • Focused breathing techniques. Breathing in a rhythm can distract you from pain. Childbirth education classes will teach you different methods of focused breathing.
  • Laboring in water. Soaking in warm water may help ease pain and stress.
  • Hypnosis to manage labor pain and anxiety helps many women.
  • Small studies suggest that acupuncture is a low-risk, effective way of managing labor pain for some women.

Labor Positions

In most cases, you don’t have to lie in bed while you’re in labor. Moving around and changing positions may help you feel more comfortable and might help reduce the length of labor. You can choose whichever position feels most comfortable.

You may want to walk, lean, sit on a big rubber ball, squat, or kneel upright or on all fours. The position that feels best for you may change as you move through labor. However, once you have an epidural or if you have certain health problems, you’ll have to stay in bed.

Pain Relief with Medicine

Analgesics are drugs that reduce pain and increase relaxation without causing complete loss of feeling or muscle control.

Pros:

  • You’ll stay awake but may be drowsy.
  • You’ll be able to walk, which can help labor progress faster.
  • You can still have an epidural if the analgesic is not enough.
  • They can help with pain relief after childbirth, too.

Cons:

  • Pain is reduced but not eliminated.
  • We can only give them in the early stages of labor.
  • You might have nausea or vomiting.

An epidural block is numbing medication injected into your lower back through a small tube. While it reduces pain, you can still feel your lower body and can push during labor.

Pros:

  • You’ll be mostly pain-free from the waist down.
  • Once you’re in active labor you can usually have an epidural anytime — until your baby’s head begins to crown.
  • It can work for many hours. You’ll be awake and alert.

Cons:

  • It’s a process — it takes time to prepare and 15 to 30 minutes before you feel pain relief.
  • We can’t give you an epidural if you’re too close to the pushing stage. If you don’t plan to have an epidural but change your mind during labor, we may need to help you manage your pain in a different way.
  • Delivering your baby could take longer.
  • You won’t be able to walk.

Resources

icon

Creating a Birth Plan

Consider your options to pre-plan for your big day.

Learn More

icon

Enrolling Your Baby in Kaiser Permanente

Learn how to select a health plan for your bundle of joy.

Learn More

Resource Center

How to reach us

Need to make an appointment with your care provider? Feeling something unusual or like you’re going into labor? Want advice about breastfeeding? We’re here for your call.

Contact Options