The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Nice Summary of Comfort Measures

OK, I'll give it a shot since I opened my big mouth, but I'm thinking you might have misunderstood and thought I meant DRUGS, when I don't. Oh, the docs now think narcotics are wonderful during labor, they don't take away the pain, but they allow you to rest and they let you push when the time comes. (And why do you need drugs to help you rest in the hospital? Because of the fear and anxiety their hypervigilance and attention to clocks is engendering!) Just what I always wanted, to be all doped up for the most awesome, most powerful, most inspiring moments of my entire life! I'm not kidding, for those of you out there who are gearing up for the pain. Giving birth undrugged was a peak experience. Out of this world. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. There is nothing else I can ever do that will compare. (But then I am a writer; masochist is part of the freaking job description.)

Comfort measures to get through labor without an epidural (not an exhaustive list!): (these are pain management approaches, not pain relief)

• Movement (walk, rock, dance, sway, squat, change positions, heck, bounce!)
• Water: shower, bath, big tub in the yard, hose, whatever you got (though I still think too early in labor might not be a good idea for everyone; did me no good, but then the lights were off by that time)
• Drink and urinate frequently
• Ice, juice, cool clothes, warm socks, fan
• Rest: many books and people recommend trying to rest, especially if labor begins at night or if you are not very well-rested beforehand. I wasn't extremely active in early labor, and I've often wondered if labor would have been quicker if I'd jumped up and moved around more. Then again maybe I would have worn myself out; as it was, I napped a lot both nights and felt great when it was all over, 54 hours after I first called the midwife (who was 3 hours away and whose car broke down over 2 hours away even before the thunderstorm knocked the electricity out for 8 hours--talk about drama).
• Massage: a personal thing, but my feet got a lot of attention
• Acupressure: for more effective contractions: the uterus spot on the outside of the foot; for pain: earlobes, constant pressure for 30-60 secs at a time; palm points: use a narrow comb curled in your fist. Ask around about these techniques; they're more effective if demonstrated to you.
• All the mind/body techniques: meditation, hypnosis, etc. RELAXATION however you can consistently get there. (aromatherapy for fear, anxiety, etc.)
• Groaning, low and deep
• Environmental comforts: music, lights, etc. as you desire them to be (when I was pretending to be planning a hospital birth with a CNM, I told her I was going to bring one of those little wedges to shove under the door when I needed privacy. And a big sign for the outside of the door that said: NO. Just NO.)
• An external focus: a picture, a collage, something you've made that has meaning for you, a candle, your lover's eyes, a flower
• Sexual stimulation. I know, you think I'm kidding, but I'm not. The human brain cannot experience pleasure and pain at the same intensity level at the same time. Trick your body into ignoring the pain by having some fun for a while. Might also stimulate labor.
• Breathing: breathe deep, breathe slow. This is the only technique I ever use at the dentist, because I DESPISE novacaine. (I'm allergic to cocaine so Probably to the other caines too, another reason to avoid an episiotomy.)
• Acceptance: be prepared to accept what happens, because as most of us realize, labor is less like it says in the brochure than just about anything on earth. I mean, the unexpected will happen, the labor will be unique. Be prepared to be flexible.
• Concentrate on the notion of healthy pain: when you burn your hand on the stove, it has a definite purpose: it is your body telling you DON'T PUT YOUR HAND ON THE HOT STOVE YOU MORON. Well maybe your body isn't so disrespectful but mine's out of control, talks back like that all the time. Anyway, labor pain is your body telling your brain GET READY, WE HAVE THIS REALLY IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENT COMING UP (pun intended). Also remember that the more you let go of your attachment to the idea of pain, the easier it will be for you to slip into that different consciousness where you need to go in order to give birth. Read Michel Odent and Suzanne Arms for more.
• Language matters: for some people more than others. If you are influenced by words themselves, retrain yourself to think "rush" or "energy wave" rather than "contraction."
• Deal with what happens: new fears can crop up even during labor, and if you have the right companions, it is never too late to talk about them. Give yourself permission to verbalize anything. Get the negative out of your way, go on with positive attitude.
• Choose the right companions. Then don't feel shy about telling them all to get away from you if that's what you want. I did my most effective laboring alone, in that other place. Tell them ahead of time what you think you might need: praise, encouragement, touch, information. Whatever's right for you. My one request was to be reminded to touch my baby's crowning head. They remembered! I was so awed, I remember using all my powers of expression honed by four years studying English literature in college: "Wow." (Reminds me of hearing myself singing to my newborn son, Fat cheeks, fat cheeks, bebe has fat cheeks, and thinking, jeez, I went to college for this?)
• Stall: you know how they tell smokers to quit one craving at a time? If you can just get through that three minutes or five minutes, the craving will fade. Use this technique for labor. If you get to the point where you're going to ask for pain relief, just go one more contraction, or one more half-hour, or whatever you decide. Remember, the epidural is always an option if you're in the hospital, but once you take it, you've taken it. Like I tell my son, who I'm trying to teach to cook, you can't bake the cake LESS than you've already done it, but it can always go back in the oven if it needs to.
• Focus on the babe. The baby is going to be born, this is going to be over. You will never have a nicer reward for hard work in all your life. Sing to, talk to, visualize that baby, who couldn't be luckier with a mother like you who is concerned enough to do all she can to make this birthday really special.