What if I Experience Pain or Discomfort During Labor?

We can’t guarantee that your birth will be pain free.  We know that for some women it can be and that the HypnoBirthing program supports a more calm and comfortable birth experience.  If you experience pain or discomfort during labor the most important thing for you to do is to remain calm.  Your Birth Companion will help you stay relaxed and often just getting more deeply relaxed is what you need to do.  Birth Companions can use the following list to help find what you need to alleviate/manage pain or discomfort:

• Find out if there is something specific that she knows she needs, but she’s not getting 
• Check the physical environment
  • Dim the lights
  • Turn on or change CD selection
  • Change position
  • Change location (move to the tub, take a shower, use a birthing ball, etc.)
• Are there people in the room who are bothering the birthing mother?
  • Give extra guests a task to do that gets them out of the birthing room or just ask them directly to leave.  Birth Companions, you may need to have some of these conversations outside of the birthing room
  • Stop pain scale inquiries or other unnecessary interruptions, if applicable
• Remind her to use sleep breathing in between surges and slow breathing during surges.  Sometimes it helps if you do the breathing with her for awhile
• If certain muscles are tense, for example, back muscles, apply pressure to tense muscles (a tennis ball placed in the right spot can often provide relief)
• If she isn’t relaxed, help her get relaxed using her favorite technique(s)
  • Rainbow Relaxation – if it isn’t being played already, is a good place to start because by now she should be conditioned to instantly relax when she hears it playing
  • Special Place – track #1 on Birthing Zone CD or guide her to her special place directly without the CD prompts
  • Affirmations – you can mix in her favorite ones while other relaxing CDs are playing
  • Facial Relaxation – place tip of the tongue behind the teeth where the the top of the mouth meets the teeth, then progressively relax all of the facial muscles
  • Disappearing Letters
  • Light Touch Massage
  • Mommy and I are one script
  • Anchors (Glove Endorphin Release, Shoulder Anchor, Verbal Anchor)
• If she is relaxed, help her deepen her level of relaxation using her favorite technique(s)
  • Fractionation
  • Depthometer
• Use Comfort Management techniques
  • Sensory Gate Control Valve – to numb and relax tense muscles
  • Glove Endorphin Release – to release endorphins
  • Comfort Management – track #2 on Birthing Zone CD
  • Dissociation techniques
  • Birthing Body Zone CD – have her focus on relaxing birthing muscles and ligaments
• Use Visualizations to support her cervix in thinning and opening
  • Blue Satin Ribbons
  • Opening Blossom
• What thoughts are going through the mom’s head?
  • Birth Companion, guide her to resolution on anything she’s worried about and/or play Fear Release – track #3 on Birthing Zone CD

Note: Pain and discomfort management techniques should be used during birthing if the mother experiences these symptoms as part of the normal birthing process. They should never be used to cover up a serious condition that requires medical attention.