Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that there is no such thing as a pain-free childbirth.  Yes, I said it.  It is a lie, a farce, a great deception, a misconception, and just plain untrue.  There is no such thing as a pain-free labor.

Click Here to help reduce pain during childbirth.

But, you might say, there are drugs.  Those can help me have a pain-free labor, right?  Or, what if I elect to have a cesarean?  Then, I don’t even have to go into labor, right?  Wrong-O, my sisters.  There is no such thing as pain-free childbirth.

Go with me on this.  Say that you decide that you want to have an epidural.  You never even think twice about natural childbirth.  When the time comes and you go in to labor, you will have no coping mechanism in place.  You will not know how to relax and breathe, because you assumed that the drugs would take away the pain.  You may be in labor for several hours before you are given the epidural.  You will be tense, in pain, and possibly quite scared and out of control.  Is that pain-free?

Then, what if you need to have the delivery assisted with forceps or the vacuum extractor.  Well, that would make things much easier, right?  Only until you get a 4th degree tear on your perineum, your pelvic floor muscles are damaged, rendering you incontinent, or your baby’s head or even brain get damaged.  That is definitely not pain-free.

Or, what if you have an emergency cesarean because your baby or yourself became distressed in labor due to the medication or you just opted for a cesarean.  Try six weeks of pain after the birth.  You will not be able to walk for at least a couple of weeks or pick up anything heavier than the baby.  You may also have trouble breastfeeding, if that was a desire for you, and you are more likely to develop postpartum depression.  Not pain-free.

However, if you choose to birth naturally, it will also not be pain-free.  You will have to endure several hours of labor.  And, you will have to push the baby out.  “So there is no way around it, then?” you may be asking.

There is light at the end of the tunnel.  You can choose to birth naturally and learn to cope with the pain.  When you choose natural birth, you can prepare yourself in advance for what to expect during labor.  You can practice, well in advance, breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, and find other natural ways to cope with the pain such as the birthing pool or bathtub.  You can choose a caregiver to support you such as a midwife or doula, or you can even train your own husband to do the job.  You can discover just what will be happening to you during labor, and be ready for the tough times, and you can read about other women who have birthed naturally and draw strength from their experience.

Click Here to help reduce pain during childbirth.

Whatever you do, just don’t be fooled.  There is no such thing as pain-free childbirth.  There is only such thing as SAFE childbirth, and that can only fully be attained by birthing naturally in the care of someone who knows that birth is safe and natural.