Have you ever wondered why a person will cringe at the thought of a vaccination, but will gladly let someone put a piercing gun to their lobes for a new pair of earrings? Some people hate going to the dentist, but have no problem putting on a pair of rollers blades and burning down the bike path like they have jets on their skates. Pain is relative, and our experience with pain has more to do with our understanding of it than the physical amount of it. Sometimes all we need to endure pain is a sense of purpose and willfulness about it. Often we have a hard time with pain that is afflicted upon us, but we skillfully ignore pain when we are in the driver’s seat. We ignore the pain associated with piercings or tattoos because the end result is something we want. We are not afraid of the prospect of experiencing pain when the experience (like speeding on skates) is more important to us than the risk.
Our society has turned childbirth into a medical condition instead of an experience with a tremendous amount of purpose. As a result, many women go into labor anticipating affliction rather than focusing on their active role in giving birth. Labor is not supposed to happen to us. Labor is something we do. Handling the pain of labor is much easier when you see yourself as the doer rather than the inflicted. When you say, “I am pushing this baby down,” the pain starts to feel more like pressure. You relax because you are in control. When you relax, the pain actually lessens. However, when you do not acknowledge your active role in labor and focus on coping with the pain, the pain becomes more unbearable because you are bracing yourself, which tenses up your muscles and makes labor hurt even more.
The mind is an incredible thing. The simple act of mentally taking charge of your labor and telling yourself that you are experiencing pressure, rather than pain, can do wonders for your pain management. Envision each contraction pulling on your body, encouraging it to open up and make room for the baby’s descent. Imagine your baby moving down. Focus on that imagery and let your body relax to allow it to happen.
If you want to learn more about this type of pain management, I would encourage you to take a Bradley Method childbirth class.