Just before a woman can savor the joy of holding her baby in her arms, she usually has to undergo the tormenting pains of labor. A lot of females experienced severe or intense pain quoting “the worst pain of my life”, though other people described only little pain sensation. The intensity of labor pain may differ largely amongst different individuals, and from different pregnancies of the same individual.
Labor pain, as any acute pain, has two components. First is the sensory or physical element, whereby the pain stimuli is transmitted to the brain; second is the affective element, that refers to how an individual subjectively interprets the painful stimuli through the interplay of external components such as emotional, social, cultural, and cognitive variables distinct to the individual. 1
Nowadays, any expecting woman can opt for a painless labor and delivery by utilizing standard medicine. If available in the hospital, she has an option from epidural anesthesia, inhalation anesthetics, or administration of injected drugs. All of these procedures have the same system of action – to block the first element of the pain pathway, the physical side.
However, due to the constrained accessibility of these standard methods, complementary and alternate procedures exist. These are theories and practices that wish to tackle the second element of pain. These alternatives do not necessarily replace the conventional medicine, but only attempt to supplement it.
Here are some known alternate means to reduce the pain during labor.
1. Psychoprophylactic Methods
This is based on physiologist Ivan Pavlov’s idea of classical conditioning. The expecting woman is taught the anatomic and physiologic facts of labor and she is familiarized with the process. She is then advised to do some mental relaxation methods which may include focusing on certain breathing patterns or a certain focus point, such as a mark in the wall. Employing those techniques could possibly stop pain messages to the brain.
2. Leboyer’s Method
Instead of the usual environment where there is so much noise and light, this method offers comfort to the mother through delivery by providing serenity and a peaceful ambience during labor.
3. Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis seems to decrease awareness of discomfort, fear and anxiety; and increase pain threshold in the course of labor. Here, the pregnant woman is initially subjected to hypnotic experiences to make her somewhat unaware, but not absolutely blind, to her surroundings. Few negative effects reported include headache, nausea, and dizziness. There can also be failure to dehypnotize the patient properly. Its use must be avoided in individuals with psychotic decompensation.
4. Yoga
Yoga has an Indian origin, which suggests control of mind and body. It entails unique training of breathing, which achieves relaxation and inner peace. Though there has been no scientific confirmation for these assertions, practitioners of yoga noted decrease in pain sensation and lesser need for analgesic medication.
5. Music Therapy
It is believed that expecting mothers can attain sedation and relaxation during the early phase of labor by listening to a slow and restful kind of music. On the other hand, songs with a continuous beat is a stimulant that can promote the active stage of labor.
6. Acupuncture
This includes stimulating specific anatomic parts of the body with the use of needles. It is hypothesized that by stimulating acupuncture points, the level of chemical neurotransmitters in the body is altered. For instance, there is an increase of endorphin level, that like morphine, has analgesic property.
7. Therapeutic Touch
This pertains to application of hand pressure to the pregnant woman’s back, hips, abdomen, thighs, sacrum or perineum. The goal of therapeutic touch is to communicate caring and reassurance.
8. Hydrotherapy
Females who employed water immersion through the early phase of labor noted statistically substantial less pain compared to those not laboring in water.
9. Herbal Medicines
This comes with the use and application of plant materials that are considered to have a calming and soothing effect. The draw back of natural remedies though, is that they have much less scientific inquiry regarding its pharmacologically active ingredient and toxicity potentials.
10. Aromatherapy
This uses essential oils extracted from botanical sources. Mixed with massage, it enhances relaxation and helps minimize anxiety and stress.
Alternative methods may be helpful during the early phase of labor. As a distracter, it diverts the woman’s attention from the source of pain. But during the delivery itself when physiologic pain is at its peak, a woman may need additional conventional intervention.
To receive more parenting tips in your inbox, please visit http://www.gagazine.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
Reference:
Tournaire, Michel (2008). Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief During Labor. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/570648
