THE PAIN OF CHILDBIRTH BEGINS WITH A THOUGHT
The pain of childbirth begins long before you go into labor and start to push. The pain of childbirth begins soon after the pregnancy test comes back positive and the excitement wears off. The pain of childbirth begins when you realize that you haven’t budgeted for a baby or you won’t be able to wear your favorite jeans in a few months.
Pain is subjective. How you interpret pain is influenced by your life experiences, emotions, or opinions. For some women the simple state or condition of being pregnant is painful. I’m not talking about women who have a mis-timed or unwanted pregnancy, that’s another topic. I’m talking about women who welcome their pregnancy, but have been traumatized by the images of birth in the media or the language used by their friends/family to describe their birth experience.
This is what I have learned as a birth worker. When women start to talk about the pain of labor it’s very important to listen. It’s also important to get them to be descriptive because you will often find that the pain they are describing was sometimes physical and sometimes emotional. Frequently it wasn’t continuous physical pain; therefore a 36 hour labor (such as mine) won’t be filled with 36 hours of pain.
The reality behind the pain
Lisa is in labor. She has a contraction every 10 minutes over a 60 minute 
period. Each contraction lasts for 45 seconds. Do you know how much labor pain Lisa has in 1 hour? Lisa experienced 270 seconds of pain, or 4 minutes and 30 seconds, over a one hour period. Chances are Lisa’s description of being in labor won’t convey this fact.
Labor is your body at work. There are dozens of ways to prepare for labor. Here are a few tips from me.
- Know your body. Move it, touch it, look at it, and understand how it works.
- Understand how pregnancy changes your body and how the birth process works.
- Work out your issues with yourself and your husband/partner before you go into labor.
- No negative people at your birth. Pick a supportive birth team.
- Learn techniques you can use to handle the discomforts and pain.
- Sign-up for birthing classes. They are not a luxury and they create a safe space for you to process your questions and concerns. What you don’t know can create an unpleasant experience for you.
I won’t tell you that there is no pain in labor. What I will tell you is that labor is not synonymous with pain. If you believe that the pain of childbirth is your destiny then you will speak life into it starting with your thoughts. If you believe that there might be pain in childbirth, but you can handle it, overcome it, or do your best, then you will speak life into that destiny. The pain of childbirth begins as a thought. What are yours?