How to reduce labor pain

Using natural approaches for a gentler birth

In an era when epidural anesthesia has almost become the norm, some women are realizing the benefits of giving birth without an epidural.

However, and this is what can understandably frighten some women, when you don’t resort to the “ease” of an epidural, you face the natural phenomenon of childbirth, which can be potentially painful. What can you do during pregnancy to minimize pain on the big day?

In my experience, there are four ways to reduce pain. For me, these are:

1. detoxification

2. loosening the pelvis

3. contact with nature

4. serenity

1- Detoxification

Giving birth means allowing the baby to exit the uterus. For this to happen, the cervix must efface and then open. Now, all the tissues of our body in general, and those of the perineum in particular, function much better when they are not heavily loaded with toxins. It is therefore about seeking to limit the body’s intoxication and allowing its detoxification. To use slightly simpler language, it’s about the body being really clean on the inside, where it’s not really visible. For this, it is necessary both to dirty it as little as possible and to clean it as much as possible.

To limit the body’s intoxication, it is important to seek to limit as much as possible all kinds of pollution (air, water, electromagnetic waves, food…) as well as sources of stress (noise, emotions of fear and anxiety, complicated relationships, overloaded schedules…)

To promote detoxification, here are some methods I have used myself, particularly when I was pregnant:

• Clay. Poultices on the stomach and ingestion in small quantities.

• Aloe vera, when available, externally or internally.

• The healthiest diet possible, with sufficient periods of fasting to allow the body to cleanse itself.

There are, of course, many other methods, including depurative plants. The important thing is to understand that the cleaner and more toxin-free the body is, the easier it can function, and therefore the less pain you will experience on the day of delivery. Each woman is responsible for her own body and can try to do everything possible to cleanse her system, which will greatly contribute to an easy and painless delivery.

2- Loosening the pelvis

To facilitate childbirth, it is advisable to work on the pelvic joint to make it sufficiently flexible for the day the baby is due. To do this, you can walk as long as it is not too uncomfortable and adopt a squatting position as much as possible. Certain yoga exercises are also very beneficial. I describe some of them in the book we have written.

Since I have always given birth without medical assistance, I was able to choose my body positions on the day of delivery, both during and even before the baby arrived. I always followed my body’s instincts, which told me to stand upright when pushing the baby out. For most of my babies, I stood with my knees slightly bent. For some of them, I sat on a support. I never gave birth lying down with my legs in the air, in a position that seems as unnatural as possible to me.

3- Contact with nature

Nature fills the body with positive energy and relaxes the nervous system, which can only be beneficial in reducing discomfort during pregnancy and pain on the day of delivery. Depending on your living conditions, climate, and season, here are a few simple ideas for getting closer to nature and benefiting from its positive energy: expose yourself to the sun’s rays when they are nourishing, breathe fresh air in a park or forest, by the sea or in the mountains, take a walk in a natural setting, walk barefoot in the grass, swim in a body of water. The important thing is to feel that every time you are outside in a relaxing, natural space, you are filling your body with good vibrations, which some people call negative ions.

4- Serenity

Stress and anxiety generate harmful toxins throughout the body, causing imbalances, tension, and blockages. For a birth to go smoothly, it is essential to regain confidence in yourself and your body, and to feel calm and happy. It is necessary to learn to calm your mind, to prevent it from wandering into unrealistic scenarios, particularly a future that you might imagine to be terrible, when all scenarios are still possible. The important thing is to get back to basics, which is the baby you’re carrying. Think about them, talk to them. Feel happy that you’re carrying them and know that soon you’ll be able to see and cuddle them. Trust your baby. Love them even if you can’t see them yet, and for their sake, stop worrying. Listen to your baby telling you:

“Mommy, I love you. Everything is fine for now and everything will be fine on the day I arrive. There’s no point in worrying, what’s the use? Rest, be calm. Do what you need to do to feel good now and have faith in the future. I’ll come when I’m ready and in my own way, don’t doubt that. Get ready to welcome me. Do what you need to do and let go of what doesn’t belong to you. I love you, Mom, and I’ll see you soon.”

This article was written by Claire Loiseleur, mother of eleven children all born within the heart of marital intimacy, through our conscious choice to offer our babies a birth with all the Love and Respect they deserve, and co-author of the book and documentary:

Filled with music and colours, and enriched with numerous captions and voice-over explanations, the documentary EXPERIENCING BIRTH NATURALLY AND PEACEFULLY beautifully complements the teachings shared in the book NATURAL BIRTH WITHIN THE INTIMACY OF THE COUPLE.

This film is available as a streaming video, with instant viewing through a private personal link offering unlimited access.

Read more articles on the topic of respectful childbirth.

A list of these 22 articles, along with a brief summary of each, is available on the following page:

The book GIVING BIRTH NATURALLY AND FREELY AS A COUPLE is part of the Lights for a New World books presented on the Youtube channel and Facebook page entitled : Lights for a New World

The expression « Lights for a New World » is explained on the following page :