Labor Pain Relief for First-Time Mothers

Relief from labor pain is the fruit of careful preparation both from the new mothers and those that support and care for them. Below are some tips to minimize labor pain:

1. Entrust the birth to a considerate practitioner. New moms can choose between midwives and doctors, but the bottom line is that the practitioner they chose to assist them in giving birth must be supportive of their want to experience a natural birth and has the expertise to provide them with the necessary care.

2. Get the services of a professional doula. If a new mom can afford it, hiring a professional doula during the pregnancy term, labor, and postpartum period to provide physical and emotional support. Although family and friends can serve the same purpose, a doula is knowledgeable and experienced in childbirth so she can give new moms professional and expert help.

3. Study labor positioning and other labor techniques. There are several positions new moms can choose to assume during labor. Standing and walking or simply sitting are just some of the positions new moms can try during labor. These positions help mothers to tolerate the contractions and align babies so they can be delivered easily.

Author: Kristine Gonzaga

Brief Meditation Can Increase Pain Tolerance

Not many are aware that meditation can help relieve pain. The good news is, you don't have to be an expert in meditation to benefit from it. Based on research, even spending a brief meditation training can produce a positive effect on perception of pain.

The study involved college students who had never practiced meditation before and were given one hour of meditation training for three consecutive days to measure their general sensitivity to pain.

According to researcher Fadel Zeidan, one doesn't need to go through rigid training in mindfulness meditation to experience its benefits. Zeidan and his team found that meditation training appeared to have a positive effect on pain perception and tolerance even when the trained participants were not meditating. Since meditation is a form of distraction, it was not surprising that it had a positive impact on pain perception.

The study also made use of meditation and solving math equations in relation to reducing high-level pain. However, only meditation reduced both high and low-level pain at the same time.