• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
458842749 Pregnant Woman Meeting With Nurse

How to Manage Labor Pain

Oct 29, 2020 |
By Julie Jeansonne, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

If you’re about to become a new mom or expecting a new little one to add to your cozy clan, you’re probably busy making preparations such as getting all the necessary baby gear and getting your home ready for those first few months.

However, as a new mom, you may miss the opportunity to prepare for one element that many expectant mothers forget to plan for: labor and birth. Planning for pain is one of the best ways to ensure that you'll stay calm and be able to deal with it when the time comes, so by simply preparing yourself with some strategies now, you may help make an uncomfortable experience less difficult when the time comes.

Researching labor pain management options offered by your OB provider, taking prenatal classes to gather information and meeting with doulas are great places to start. Below are some other strategies you may want to consider before your big day.

Explore Your Preconceptions and Fears about Labor

When you think about a woman in labor, what movie plays in your mind?

  • Do you see a women screaming and begging for an epidural?
  • Do you see a woman holding her baby for the first time, exhausted but so proud and completely in love?

Our idea of birth is influenced by our own life experiences as well as the stories we hear from mothers, sisters, friends and the media. Take the time to explore your fears about labor and birth with your OB provider before labor starts.

Understand That Pain in Labor is “Pain with a Purpose”

For nine months you’ve endured aches and pains as your body changed to accommodate your growing baby. Whether a woman breezes through pregnancy with few issues or struggles with daily pain, every woman accepts these as one part of her journey to motherhood.

Similarly, each woman’s labor is unique and a necessary step toward meeting her baby. Understanding pain in labor is time-limited “pain with a purpose” is important to keep in mind, and reminding yourself that a great reward is waiting for you at the end can help lessen any fears you may have around the pain of labor.

Be Flexible and Listen to Your Body

No matter how well you prepare yourself, your labor journey will be full of unexpected twists and turns. You may be in early labor for two days or you may progress so quickly that when you arrive at the hospital you are fully dilated.

Certain positions will feel better than others and those massages that felt so soothing during early labor may be the last thing you want when you enter the active phase of labor. Use your prenatal visits to develop trust and a relationship with your OB provider so they can better guide you along your labor path.

Learn more about what to expect when you are expecting at Ochsner.

Editors note: This article was originally published on Nov. 11, 2014 and has been updated.

Tags
babies
pregnancy
pain management

You may also be interested in:

Getty Images 1091407098
Conditions & Treatment
Oct 27, 2020

7 Things That Make Pregnancy Easier

One way to make pregnancy easier is with Ochsner’s Connected MOM (that’s short for Connected Maternity Online Monitoring).
By Caitlyn Ranger, MD
Pregnant mother holding bump
Conditions & Treatment
Oct 28, 2020

What Causes Spina Bifida? And Other Spina Bifida Basics

Neurosurgeon Esther Dupepe explains possible causes for spina bifida, the types of spina bifida, how it is diagnosed and how it is treated.
By Esther Dupepe, MD
Pregnancy Test
Women's Health
Dec 9, 2019

9 Early Signs of Pregnancy

If you haven’t taken a pregnancy test or had an ultrasound to confirm it yet, you might have experienced a few symptoms that have you wondering “Am I pregnant?” There are a few signs that could point to the possibility.
By Danielle Cooper, MD

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide