Let’s Talk About Pain
You can't talk about childbirth and not talk about pain. There is so much chatter about it. It's the top concern/fear amongst pregnant women that I talk to. And that's really no surprise given that many mamas love to tell mamas-to-be about their own long and painful birth experiences - it has almost become a badge of honour in our society! Well I am here to set the record straight. To tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
What is 'pain'?
Pain is your body's way of telling your brain that something is wrong in your body. When you burn your arm, break a leg, or the most painful of the lot, stub your toe, a message is sent from that area of your body, to your brain to say - "woah, something bad has happened, it's hurting and you need to do something to make it stop." Your brain can then work out what it needs to do. Pretty smart, pretty simple.
If we think about this in relation to birth, it doesn't feel quite right that our uterus, the muscle built for the job of birthing our baby, would be telling our brain that something is wrong and it needs to stop. Stop birthing our baby? Huh??!!
Some birthing science
Our bodies are 100% designed to birth our babies. It has been happening for millions of years. And we are absolutely capable of doing it without experiencing the kind of toe-stubbing pain I mentioned earlier. However, sometimes, we let our fear and anxiety get in the way of our natural birthing instincts, and this can lead to pain. How?
When we get frightened, we release adrenalin - this chemical has some particularly negative impacts on the course of labour. Firstly, it can slow it down. Secondly, it can cause our uterus muscles to tense up and stop working as effectively. Thirdly, and most importantly, it inhibits the production of our body's natural pain-relievers. OUCH. So to recap, it's actually FEAR that causes PAIN in childbirth.
Birth without fear
If you can get rid of fear (enter handy Bright Births Online Course), you are well on your way to reducing pain. BUT... I said I would tell you the whole truth... very few women manage to achieve a totally pain-free labour, and this is why. When you are in the gym, or running, or doing a Pilates class - your muscles hurt. They get tired. Especially if you have really pushed them to the point of fatigue. Think about how they feel the day after. It's painful. But it's not stub-your-toe painful, it's a good pain. A rewarding pain. It's a pain that you can work through if you want to - you can manage it. You can lean into it.
This is the kind of 'pain' that your uterus will experience. It is having the work-out of its life, perhaps for the first time. It will get sore and it will get tired. But you can be in control of it. If you stay relaxed and calm and confident, you will be able to manage it. You will lean in to it. It will make you feel strong and powerful. It will be empowering. Just like lifting that heavier weight, running that extra mile, holding that Warrior 3.
The other thing to remember is that it will not be constant - it will come in waves, as your uterus works, and holds, and then releases. It will build gradually, it will take your body on the journey. Remember - you are perfectly designed for birth, your body has thought of everything.
So remember this... Birthing 'pain' should feel like a pain because your body is working and thriving and growing, not because it is broken. And because of that I encourage you all to reframe the way you talk and think about it. It's 'powerful' and it's 'empowering'. It can be 'uncomfortable' and 'challenging'. It 'builds', it comes in 'waves'. It doesn't sneak up on you, or trick you. It is on your side.
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