Pain during childbirth. What is she like? Is it possible to reduce pain during contractions? Breathing during childbirth

Complicating the entire process and often leading to injuries to mother and baby, it is not at all necessary, as is commonly believed. Of course, it is unlikely to give birth to a child naturally and completely without pain, but it is still within your power to make sure that this important event goes smoothly and leaves only pleasant impressions.

1. Learn to breathe correctly.

Many note that 95% of women in labor are absolutely unable to breathe while pushing, which significantly complicates the process. Master proper breathing in advance so that you don’t forget anything at the most crucial moment. So, during contractions at the initial stage, it is recommended to take a deep breath through the nose and exhale the same through the mouth. When they become more frequent, use the so-called dog breathing. A steady flow of oxygen into the lungs will significantly relieve pain and help your baby move through the birth canal.

2. Positive attitude.
Fear of has such a negative impact on their course that its harmful effect is difficult to overestimate. The wrong attitude interferes with the normal course of labor and can provoke many dangerous consequences - from a hypertensive crisis to acute fetal hypoxia. Try to stay positive throughout your pregnancy and mentally prepare yourself for an easy birth without complications. Get more information about all stages of this important process, read stories about successful ones, discuss your worries with your gynecologist and listen to reasonable arguments that will help overcome fear.

3. Learn to relax.

During labor, the uterus carries out serious work, gradually opening up. However, pain does not arise because of this, since there are not many nerve endings in the uterus itself. Muscle tension is what causes a woman suffering. A woman in labor needs to rest not only between contractions, but also be able to relax during them. Imagine your body as a blossoming flower, allow your organs to open up, and you will definitely feel relief during the contraction.

4. Choose the optimal position for the period of contractions.

When contractions become quite painful, try to find the optimal position that will help reduce pain to a minimum. You can lie on your side, stand on your feet or on all fours, walk, or squat. The choice of position is based only on your subjective feelings. Moderate physical activity will help the uterus open faster and facilitate the process of labor.

5. Use aromatherapy.

Natural essential oils are a great way to relieve labor pain. Their most effective use is in an aromatic lamp or as an aid to massage the lower back, temples and solar plexus. Essential oils of lavender, jasmine, neroli, and ylang-ylang are best suited in this case. It is very important that you like these smells and do not cause allergies, so test their effects on your body before pregnancy.

CONTRACT PERIOD
Labor pain is a completely natural phenomenon; it indicates that a woman’s body is properly preparing for the birth of a child. For this reason, childbirth cannot be completely painless, and this is normal. Another thing is that too much torment has a depressing psychological effect on a woman, preventing her from concentrating on her main task and helping the baby. If the pain is intensified by fear, panic, and a feeling of insecurity, then the dilatation of the cervix slows down, discoordination and weakness of labor occur. All this can lead to intrauterine suffering for the baby. This is why a woman giving birth must breathe properly, relax her body and trust the doctors.

Observations by obstetricians and gynecologists show that a “bedridden” woman in labor endures pain during labor much more difficult. Conversely, movement during this period relieves painful cramps for many women.
Another argument in favor of the movement is helping the child. After all, childbirth is a difficult process not only for the mother, but also for the child. The health and happiness of both will depend on the outcome of the birth. By taking a vertical position of the body and changing positions, the mother helps her baby to sit comfortably at the os of the uterus, which reduces the risk of injury to the baby's head during movement along the birth canal and ruptures of the woman's perineum.
In addition, during movement and massage, the body warms up, blood circulation improves, and this, in turn, helps relieve painful spasms during the next contraction.

So, you can move in different ways.
Even ordinary walking is useful: in German hospitals, for example, women in labor are not even recommended to lie down during the first stage of labor. According to ancient Russian custom, already in childbirth, a woman had to go around the entire house to open all the locks and untie the knots. These ritual actions meant that her body was ready for the birth of a new life and “guaranteed” that everything would go smoothly for mother and baby. At the same time, this ritual was quite useful for the woman in labor from the point of view of obstetrics. It is well known that ancient traditions and signs often had not only sacred, but also purely practical justification.
In many maternity hospitals, a woman in labor is asked to sit on a special gymnastic ball, performing slow circular movements with her pelvis. At this time, the midwife or the baby's father can massage the sacrum, shoulders, and cervical spine.
The position of the woman when she stands leaning forward and rests her hands on the couch greatly facilitates contractions. In our country, the most common option for accompanying childbirth is the presence of the husband during labor. Dad will not only support mom morally or give some nice useless advice, he will be useful for performing the exercise “a woman in labor stands and puts her hands on her husband.” Instead of a dad, you can use a wall, a window sill, or a headboard. Another exercise: a woman does breathing exercises while kneeling on a couch, her hands resting on the shoulders of her husband, who is standing on the floor in front of her. Focusing on shallow and rhythmic breathing, the woman in labor tries not to lose the rhythm. This not only distracts her from the pain, but also provides oxygen to the baby.
Residents of India and Arab countries are considered the most prosperous in terms of obstetrics and gynecology. The reason for this is traditional dances (belly dance, temple dance in India). The movements of the hips and contractions of the abdominal muscles, characteristic of these dances, have a very beneficial effect on the condition of the female reproductive system and reproductive function. A simplified form of these movements was borrowed by obstetrics for natural anesthesia during childbirth. When a woman sways her hips, as if dancing, the muscles of the perineum relax, the cervix begins to open faster, and pain becomes less intense.

Water is a very effective way to relieve pain. Not all maternity hospitals practice water birth: this type of delivery has both pros and cons. But in some maternity hospitals, a woman in labor has the opportunity to take a shower or a warm bath during labor. In water, we practically do not feel the heaviness of our body, but the body perceives immersion in water as a relaxing massage, the heat of the water is transferred to the muscles, warms up and relaxes them, the pain becomes tolerable.
For some, sitting poses may be the most effective: squatting, on a chair with legs wide apart, in a knee-elbow position (on all fours).
Well, when mommy is tired, she can lie on her side, placing pillows under her chest and between her legs.
To endure contractions in a hanging position on a rope - advanced maternity hospitals also offer this method of preparing for pushing. At first glance, this is comical, but in this position the load is removed from the pelvis, its muscles relax, and this is all the baby needs to begin his journey into the world. By the way, about comedy. A woman in labor should not be embarrassed to take positions that are comfortable for her during labor. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) in its recommendations says that every woman has the right to independently decide what position she should take during childbirth. In the process of giving birth to a child, a mother has something more important to do than worry about how others look at her. In addition, the “surrounding people” in the maternity hospital are the medical staff and the husband/relatives (if the woman is accompanied). So who should be embarrassed?

LIGHT PERIOD
Over the centuries-old history of mankind, the midwifery art of different countries, which became the basis of obstetrics, invented several postures of direct childbirth.
Often, the postures of the pushing period repeat the position of the body during contractions. For example, women of the East in ancient times practiced vertical childbirth. Such methods of delivery are used today in many maternity hospitals around the world; in Russia, alternative birth positions (kneeling or on a special bed; squatting or on a birthing stool with a hole for the baby to exit) are also gaining popularity.
Modern obstetrics has borrowed the technological principles of these techniques. In some maternity hospitals, analogues of such maternity beds and stools, designed in accordance with medical requirements, have already begun to appear. Although the aspect of traditionality is important here: such types of childbirth are still more common in Asian countries.

Psychologists and obstetrician-gynecologists advise to perceive labor pain as an integral part of a normal birth. Unpleasant sensations will be forgotten sooner than you think. So, the main thing in childbirth is peace of mind, next to you are professionals who deliver babies every day. And the hormones of joy, endorphins, will specifically begin to be actively released into the mother’s blood during childbirth, so that the birth of the baby becomes a holiday for her. Your task is not to interfere with doctors and endorphins, but to help them with your correct behavior.

ADVIСE
1. When choosing a maternity hospital, find out its conditions and the rules established there: is a woman free to choose positions during contractions, are there devices in the maternity unit for a free position during childbirth (balls, special obstetric chairs, a bath, etc.)
2. Agree with your doctor whether it is possible to use non-drug means (aromatherapy, sound therapy, acupuncture) in the maternity hospital to relieve pain from contractions and pushing.
3. Sign up for preparatory courses for future parents: you can get a lot of useful information during the classes. It's only the unknown that's scary.

What is the purpose of childbirth?

Since time immemorial, mothers and those who delivered their babies have sought to find the ideal pain reliever. The advent of synthetic analgesics and anesthetics has changed the way we look at childbirth and changed obstetric care. When a woman has a normal, uncomplicated labor, the question of the benefit of pain relief is always associated with the question of risk. After all, there is no painkiller yet that would be recognized as absolutely safe and without consequences. And we are increasingly beginning to think about the meaning of painless childbirth. After all, the goal in childbirth is not to gain pleasure and maintain the woman’s comfort. The goal is to give birth to a healthy, strong baby and become a healthy, happy and loving mother. Natural childbirth saves a young mother a lot of strength (physical and moral) and gives her a feeling of self-satisfaction. Childbirth is the joy of your own knowledge and creativity, of meeting your child. This is a test in which you need to take responsibility, make decisions and act. This is personal growth and development. That is why the question of natural methods of pain relief is becoming increasingly relevant.

What is pain?

Let's try to figure out what pain during childbirth is. What is its nature? What is its meaning? The answers to these questions will help you understand how to avoid pain. So, pain is always a cry from an organ about impending danger. There are no pain receptors in our body as such. For example, muscles have stretch receptors. When a muscle is overstretched, there is a threat of its rupture, so the signals from the stretch receptors will come with such strength and frequency that we will perceive them as painful. The brain warns us about the danger of overstretching and tearing through pain and forces us to stop this stretching. If we had not received this pain signal, we could have damaged the muscle ourselves. Or, for example, with prolonged exercise, the working muscle begins to suffer from a lack of oxygen. It also begins to signal this to the brain. The signal is perceived by us as painful and requires an immediate change in the load. Pain during childbirth helps the mother navigate the ongoing process and, if necessary, change her behavior. Childbirth is a strong tension of the muscles involved in contractions (longitudinal muscles of the uterine body) and stretching (circular muscles of the cervix, pelvic floor muscles, perineal tissue). But tension is not pain. The threshold of pain sensitivity is not a constant value inherent in each person (as is usually believed). For each of us, this threshold may vary depending on the state of the body. At rest it is higher, and in order to feel pain, greater force is required. In an anxious state, this threshold decreases. This is why fear of pain causes pain itself. Because fear is a state of anxiety in which the level of stress hormones increases and the pain sensitivity threshold decreases (that is, the body becomes very sensitive to any pain signals). And our organs, which are under stress, receive less oxygen, begin to suffer from hypoxia and signal this to the brain with pain. Feeling this pain, a person begins to worry and become even more afraid (especially during childbirth, because the unknown lies ahead). Thus, the vicious circle of fear - tension - pain closes. Therefore, long before giving birth, it is important for a woman to prepare to understand the processes that will occur in her body. Understand the mechanism of pain and learn to manage your body and pain. This is exactly what childbirth preparation courses do.

Prepare your sleigh in summer

In nature, a woman’s preparation for a natural, painless and harmonious birth begins long before childbirth, even long before her pregnancy. Yes Yes! Preparation begins at the moment of its birth and subsequent development. When the mother of a little girl (the expectant mother) gives her information and a general attitude towards childbirth. This transmission occurs mainly not through words, but through the feelings and emotions that the mother experiences during childbirth and the subsequent upbringing of her daughter. After all, a child is very sensitive to our experiences, it is impossible to deceive him. This is a wonderful foundation that a mother can reward us with, and we can reward our daughters with. Alas, not everyone receives such a gift from their mothers. Moreover, for a woman who did not receive the dominant birth control in childhood, a negative attitude towards childbirth and fear continue to be reinforced through the stories of friends and reading various stories. This is where schools for young parents come to the rescue, where expectant mothers study the physiology of birth processes, their hormonal and emotional regulation. A woman can help her body prepare for childbirth by leading a healthy lifestyle, adhering to a separate diet, performing a set of exercises and hygiene procedures. Understanding the hormonal-emotional mechanisms of labor regulation and the occurrence of pain, women learn to “open” the vicious circle (fear - tension - pain) through special relaxation and visualization exercises. These techniques are used to relieve fear of impending labor and are then used during labor to promote self-relaxation and prevent pain. Knowledge of the processes occurring during childbirth allows a mother to develop skills in behavioral options during childbirth and the use of various positions, breathing techniques, massage, interaction with a partner and a doctor. Let's look at what will happen during childbirth and how you can help yourself.

The birth has begun!

You understand that you have never experienced these unusual sensations before (for those who have already given birth, it is easier, they know these sensations and will not be mistaken). On the one hand, it is more difficult for beginners, since there is no certainty that these are true contractions, because labor often begins with precursors, which, according to the sensations and essence of physiological processes, are the same contractions, only not regular and not so intense. On the other hand, it is easier for beginners, since they do not yet have their own negative experience, which can automatically “switch on” the state of fear. Listen to your feelings. Rejoice in them: the long-awaited baby will be born soon! Look inside yourself and accept your feelings. Imagine how hard you are trying the uterus. She can do everything herself, you just allow her to do her job. Imagine how your cervix opens, smile. This smile helps your cervix to relax, it stretches easily and elastically, like the muscles of your lips in a smile. he does not need control. Trust the process! So, what do you feel? Strong internal tension. Your task is to provide the “worker” with comfortable working conditions.

What does the uterus need and how can you help it?

♦ Constant access of fresh air to the “working place”: your calm, deep breathing will ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to the muscles of the uterus.

♦ Regular “working” nutrition: the supply of nutrients through the blood vessels is necessary for the muscles to energy contractions. When you are calm and breathing evenly, the blood vessels provide the uterine muscles with everything they need. In a state of stress, the blood vessels contract, the muscles will suffer, and send pain impulses to brain.

♦ Cleaning the “workplace” of debris: waste nutrients - metabolites - interfere with effective muscle contractions and easy stretching of the cervical muscles. All metabolites are carried away with the blood. This means that this can be achieved by your relaxation and breathing, which leads to good blood flow through the uterus.

♦ Creating a positive emotional climate in the “workplace”, an atmosphere of trust and support. Your uterus works with full dedication. Trust it, encourage and encourage it.

♦ Be attentive to the requests of the “worker”: if he sends you a signal of fatigue (pain or a feeling of excessive tension), try to change the position. Shifting the center of gravity can improve the condition.

♦ Do not push the “worker”; faster does not mean better quality. Childbirth cannot become painful due to the fact that it lasts for a long time. However, it can become protracted due to pain. The child cannot be born until the cervix is ​​dilated. And it is dilated to the best of your ability (elasticity, relaxation). Smile at her, because your smile is a projection of the cervix. With pursed lips and clenched teeth, we are trying to fight the pain, but a trained partner will help you apply all the relaxation techniques.

It is very important to relax! This can be learned.

♦ Take care of your amniotic sac. If possible, do not resort to opening the amniotic sac until the second stage of labor, that is, until the moment when the cervix is ​​already fully dilated and the baby is trying to be born. As long as the bladder is intact, you are not limited in time, and the neck stretches under the gentle pressure of the water pad - this is a soft, painless sensation when opening.

The strength and elasticity of the amniotic sac will depend on your metabolism and nutrition during pregnancy and, of course, on your mood during childbirth. “Support” him in the most stressful moments. And he will ensure that the first stage of labor is painless. So, in the first stage of labor, when contractions are going on, mom has no time to be afraid! You have a lot to do: you need to ensure calm work for the working mother. relaxation!

What helps you relax?

♦ Selecting a comfortable position. Often this is a position with a shifted center of gravity (either lying on your side, or while walking, or on all fours). Some people like different variations of squatting poses. Positions may change as labor progresses. Choose the most comfortable for yourself. A fitball helps remarkably (uniform rocking on it calms and relaxes). If you are giving birth with a partner, he will help you get comfortable or offer himself as a support. Here, the partner’s prenatal preparation should be no less than that of the woman in labor. And the main thing is trust in each other and complete mutual understanding.

♦ Breathing, singing, prayer. The task is to breathe without delay in the most comfortable way for you. When the strength of the contractions is great and at the peak the breath is taken away, you can use forced exhalation (through plump lips, voiced on vowels or consonants), singing (it will make breathing rhythmic; in addition, the lyrics of the song can distract you), reading a prayer. If you are giving birth with a partner, his calm breathing is your assistant. He can breathe next to you and set the rhythm.

♦ Comfortable temperature. The body can only relax at a comfortable temperature. If mom is cold, she needs to warm herself up (with hot tea, a warm shower, in a bath, under a blanket). Your partner can rub your feet.

♦ Water. Massage with a shower jet is a wonderful means of relaxation (massage of the perineum, abdomen, lower back). A warm bath is a great way to get through the first stage of labor without pain.

♦ Autorelaxation. If you have ever closed your eyes and smiled while dreaming of being on the seashore, then you are already familiar with the elements of visualization and auto-relaxation. The body will feel what you want. It’s good if you devote enough time to this during pregnancy so that relaxation is easy for you during childbirth. If the birth is partnered, then the calm, relaxing voice of a confident assistant can replace anesthesia. It is very important here that the partner himself is relaxed. “Adrenaline is contagious”—the partner’s excitement can be passed on to the mother. On the contrary, his relaxation will also relax the woman in labor.

♦ Massage and self-massage. Massage allows you to relax tense body muscles. Relaxation of the body is transmitted to the internal organs. Any massage you are comfortable with will do. It will be great if you know the reflex points or master the sujok technique. It’s even better if you have an assistant massage you, since when self-massaging a woman has to strain her hands, and this tension can be transferred to other parts of the body. Massage can be varied: cervical-collar area, lower back, hands, feet. The main thing is to feel the woman in labor and set her a rhythm of relaxation.

♦ Aromatherapy. A wonderful assistant for mothers who managed to get to know her before giving birth. All the oils that helped relieve stress and relax during pregnancy will most likely help during labor in the first stage. Everything here is individual, but most often it is lavender and orange. You can massage the abdomen with a stimulating mixture (orange, eucalyptus, cloves, jasmine) diluted in avocado oil.

♦ Homeopathy. Purely individually, provided that the woman has the opportunity to consult with her homeopath during the birth process. The most commonly used is Actea racemosa 15 (one dose at the beginning of labor eliminates fear). Caulophillum 6 (favors effective contractions of the uterus), Gelsemium 15 (for poor cervical dilatation), Chamomilla 6 (for too painful contractions with attacks of severe anger). As a rule, all of the above methods are used in combination. Mom feels what she needs at every moment. The most important thing is to just trust yourself! As labor progresses, the intensity and duration of contractions increases, and the intervals between them decrease. Sometimes, towards the end of the first period, the frequency of contractions may decrease. This is the slowdown phase - a break that the body takes for 40 minutes before the active period of pushing. The cervix remains to open another 1-2 cm.

Easing efforts

So, the hardest part (relaxing a tense uterus) is already over. The second stage of labor is ahead. This is the phase of expulsion (in fact, the birth of a child in the sense in which we are accustomed to understand it). The second phase, as a rule, occurs under the guidance of a midwife and a doctor. The child passes through the birth canal, which can adapt to it. Especially if mom has the opportunity to change position. It is very important that she herself can choose a comfortable position for pushing. Then the “tunnel” elastically adapts to the child and childbirth does not cause pathological pain. At this stage, the woman’s body produces a huge amount of endorphins, oni-like analgesics. They anesthetize to a certain extent: the mother must feel the progress of labor in order to change the position and rhythm of breathing. It is impossible to anesthetize the mother in labor completely and deprive her of sensitivity, because then you can miss the pain signal of the organ about hypoxia or the threat of muscle rupture. Important: endorphins dull pain sensitivity, but do not reduce it completely. This is why it is not recommended to use drug pain relief in the second stage of labor. for the mother, and for the baby, if a woman under anesthesia quickly enters the second stage of labor. So: the main pain relief in the second stage is endorphins. And in order for them to be produced in the required quantity, the mother must be emotionally calm (here again there is no place for fear, it is needed). positive attitude towards meeting your child very soon - the pushing stage is short-lived). In the intervals between attempts (1-2 minutes), women in labor, as a rule, do not feel anything. This is a time for calm breathing and self-relaxation. Relaxation will restore strength and increase the pain threshold. When pushing begins (regardless of whether the midwife says to push or not), your task is not to hold your breath, because breathing is oxygen and nutrition for the working muscles and stretching tissues of the perineum!

Various types of breathing can be used during pushing

♦ If you need to push, emphasis is placed on exhaling slowly. At the same time, the diaphragm presses on the abdominal cavity, helping the baby to be born (blowing out a candle, inflating a balloon, stepwise exhalation). Proper breathing will help the perineal tissues to stretch in a timely manner and not tear. Additionally, you can use a warm compress on the perineum and salt baths.

Third stage of labor

And then the baby was born! You hold him close to you, put him to your chest! This feeling of happiness stimulates a powerful release of oxytocin (the hormone that contracts the uterus) into the woman’s bloodstream. This is the key to easy and painless separation and birth of the placenta - the third stage of labor. Pain exists only in resistance. Joy lies only in acceptance. Even events filled with pain become joyful when we accept them with an open heart. This poem by J. Rumi is very consonant with the idea of ​​natural childbirth in general: the idea of ​​acceptance, discovery and trust. Trust yourself, listen to your body! It will tell you the best way to relieve pain.

In this article:

Many women imagine childbirth as a grueling process, but traditionally no one doubts that everything can be different. We often rely on modern medicine, which is armed with a huge number of painkillers. Unfortunately, not everything is so easy. Pain relief with medications has many negative consequences for the expectant mother and child. So isn’t a woman giving birth doomed to suffering? Absolutely not.

It turns out that nature provided women with the painkillers they needed for childbirth. During childbirth, the female body releases a lot of hormones of pleasure and joy - endorphins, which can reduce unpleasant physical feelings, relieve pain, help to relax and give a unique feeling of joyful elation.

If a woman feels horror before childbirth, worry and anxiety, muscle tension increases. To know how to relieve pain during contractions, you just need to learn to relax. However, the whole mystery lies in the fact that relaxing the muscles of the female body is unrealistic without a relaxed state of consciousness.

Start of contractions

The first contractions are short-lived and repeat almost every twenty minutes. Their duration is 20-25 seconds and contractions are easily tolerated. The physiological meaning of contractions is that the uterine os opens. At this time, the mucus plug is “pushed through” and the amniotic fluid (sometimes mixed with blood) gradually drains out. The os of the uterus opens from approximately 2 to 12 hours. When dilatation is complete, contractions begin, lasting one minute every three minutes. During contractions, the uterine os opens by 6-8 centimeters, and the baby goes deeper into the birth canal.

Relief of pain during contractions

There are poses that help relax muscles.

1. You need to squat down and spread your knees to the sides;
2. You can sit on the edge of the chair facing the back, placing emphasis on the back with your elbows;
3. Sit on the floor or bed with your knees wide apart. But, you should remember! That you cannot sit on your buttocks during childbirth, as the baby’s head may be damaged.

Proper breathing to relieve pain

You can reduce pain during childbirth if you learn to breathe correctly. It does not matter which medications have an adverse effect on the child to one degree or another. By learning to breathe correctly, you can avoid their implementation, or at least reduce the time of its use to a minimum.

In the first (hidden or latent) phase of labor, contractions are not yet very painful. Many expectant mothers can calmly go about their household chores at this time. Usually, special breathing is not required. At this time, the cervix is ​​preparing for childbirth and begins to slowly open.

At the end of the first phase, contractions become more frequent and intensified. Pain suppressing breathing can be used at this stage. It is carried out in this way: you need to inhale through the nose to the count: one-two-three-four, exhale through the mouth to the count: one-two-three-four-five-six, as you can see, the inhalation is shorter than the exhalation. This system is called deep breathing. With all this, the child receives enough oxygen, and the woman is distracted from painful sensations because she focuses on counting.

When contractions intensify, the woman in labor begins to feel that slow, deep breathing no longer helps relieve pain. Here you need to switch to frequent breathing. At the beginning of contractions, you need to use slow, deep breathing, and when the pain begins to intensify. At the end of the contraction, you again need to return to slow, deep breathing.

Obstetricians, gynecologists and psychologists advise accepting the sensation of labor pain as an integral part of a normal birth. The painful sensations will soon be forgotten after the birth of the baby. So, the main thing in childbirth is peace of mind, because there are professionals nearby who deliver babies every day. And endorphins (hormones of joy) are actively released into the blood during childbirth. A woman’s task is not to interfere with doctors, but to help them with her correct and calm behavior.

Video about non-drug methods of pain relief during childbirth

Before we begin a review of methods for reducing pain during childbirth, we will try to understand the causes of labor pain.

Why does it hurt to give birth?

During childbirth, pain occurs for two reasons. The first, visceral pain, is associated with contractions of the uterus and stretching of the cervix. It occurs during the first stage of labor - during contractions and intensifies as the cervix dilates. Visceral pain is dull, the exact location of its localization is impossible to determine. It is often felt at a location other than its origin and is usually carried out in the lower back and sacrum.

The second, somatic, pain occurs before the birth of a child during pushing. This painful sensation is caused by stretching of the tissues in the lower part of the birth canal as the fetus moves forward. Unlike visceral pain, somatic pain is acute and is precisely localized in the vagina, rectum, and perineum. Knowing where and what hurts during childbirth is very important for a woman - it reduces the fear of the unknown. This means that it helps to cope with the third type of pain, which definitely brings nothing but harm.

This is pain from muscle tension that appears as a result of the nervous tension of the woman in labor. It is not difficult to imagine its mechanism. When there is severe fear or stress, a person usually reacts by tensing his muscles and “squeezing.” When the vaginal muscles are constantly clamped during childbirth, this prevents the baby from passing through the birth canal - as if pushing him back. Because of this, both the child and the woman in labor suffer, as her efforts are prolonged. In addition, they become more and more painful, because the fetus must “break through” the clamped muscles... It is this kind of pain that you need to learn to cope with.

What makes childbirth painful?

The degree of pain and each individual woman's ability to tolerate it depends on numerous factors. It should be noted that there are many references to representatives of various nations who do not have such concepts as labor pains. At the same time, it cannot be said that the women of these nationalities are structured differently than European women. So why is it that most of our women experience very painful childbirth? This is largely due to the fact that from early childhood we are taught that childbirth is always painful.

It was noted that if a woman’s attitude towards the upcoming birth was calm and the child was desired, then the pain during childbirth was not felt so much. On the contrary, the fear of childbirth contributes to the fact that the pain is felt even more intensely. When there is a lot of stress and fear, the body releases adrenaline-like hormones, which cause increased heart rate and muscle tension. In addition, the pain threshold decreases. It turns out that the more a woman is afraid of pain, the stronger the pain becomes.

So, we have the following chain of etiology of pain during childbirth:

• the emergence of individual anxiety and fear of pregnancy and childbirth, the accumulation and development of dramatic expectations and fears,
• the culmination of fear and horror during labor,
• release of the hormone adrenaline into the blood,
• convulsive tension,
• compression of muscle vessels,
• deficiency of blood and oxygen in the muscles of the uterus,
• subjective sensation of pain.

Let us note the sad fact that the pain that a woman experiences during childbirth also affects the child. The child receives the entire complex of humoral (blood-transmitted) pain factors experienced by the mother. As such, the child does not experience the mother’s pain, but it is deposited in his unconscious and, in the future, can influence the development of the child.

Thus, the correct psychological attitude towards childbirth is important. In order for such an attitude to arise, a woman must understand what exactly causes pain during childbirth and what it is needed for. In order to overcome their fear (as well as ignorance of the processes of labor) before childbirth, pregnant women are recommended to take a course of psychological and physical preparation for childbirth. A woman prepared for childbirth knows that she can help herself and feels more confident and calm. Which, in turn, greatly facilitates childbirth for her.

Despite all of the above, the pain of childbirth cannot be denied. Pain during childbirth is different for every woman in labor.. This depends on the individual sensitivity of a particular woman in labor to pain, and on how long labor lasts, whether it goes smoothly or with complications. In addition, the intensity of pain can be influenced by the size and position of the fetus, the strength of uterine contractions, and the presence of previous labor.

However, there are women who are calm give birth without pain relief at all. The fact is that nature had already taken care of the painkillers necessary for childbirth before the doctors. Labor activity is regulated by many hormones, among which endorphins are present in large quantities - the so-called pleasure hormones, they can reduce unpleasant physical sensations, help to relax, reduce pain and have a beneficial effect on the course of labor. It is only important to remember that the production of endorphins depends on the general emotional state of the woman: fear, panic, tension, which so often accompany childbirth, can negate all hormonal protection from pain.

Another important point: in order for the hormonal background to be as intended by nature, the birth itself must also proceed as intended by nature: without stimulation, the obligatory horizontal position of the woman in labor, etc. Therefore, it is necessary that the birth take place in a calm, friendly atmosphere so that the woman in labor can completely relax. Such seemingly insignificant details as a calm environment, music, dim light, and a loving person nearby help the woman in labor relax. These factors alone help reduce pain.

So, let's summarize. Childbirth is painful for most women. In addition to the physical causes of pain (when dilating the cervix and pushing), women are susceptible to psychological causes: fear and horror before and during childbirth lead to worsening pain. To overcome fear, women are recommended to take a course of psychophysical preparation for childbirth. In addition to knowledge about the birth process, during the classes women learn techniques and special techniques that help effectively reduce pain. Our articles are designed to introduce you to the most popular methods of reducing pain during childbirth: maternal position, physiological postures and movements during childbirth, methods of inhibiting (blocking) the sensation of pain - superficial heat and cold, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, soothing touch and massage, acupressure.

When preparing this article, materials from the following sites were used:

• Alternative methods of labor pain relief
  Regional Center for Family Planning and Reproduction
• Pain during childbirth and its suppression. Borovikova N.V., graduate student of the Russian Academy of Civil Art
  School for expectant mothers "Lada"
• Encyclopedia of Misconceptions: Pain during Childbirth