Labour Pain: Understanding Your Body's Signals and Responses

No one can tell the exact time of labor - the date told by your doctor is only an estimate. Labour can happen 3 weeks before or 2 weeks after the due date. The first stage of labor can last for several hours, so don't panic if you experience pre-labour signs. The following signs are experienced when labor begins:

• Lightening: This is when your baby's head moves down into your pelvis as labor approaches. Your belly will look smaller at this time. You will find it easier to breathe as the baby is now lower in the pelvis and there is no more pressure on the lungs. You may also feel the need to urinate more often as the baby puts pressure on your bladder. This can start a few weeks or hours before labor begins.
• Bloody show: The blood or brown discharge from your cervix is ​​the mucus plug that is there to protect the womb from infection. It may come out a few days or shortly before labor begins.
• Diarrhea: Persistent diarrhea or nausea may mean labor is near. 
• Ruptured membranes: Vaginal discharge or leakage means the amniotic sac has ruptured. This can happen a few hours before labor starts or even during labor. Most women start feeling labor pains 24 hours after it starts. If labor does not happen naturally during this time frame, the doctor may use medicines or techniques to induce labor. This is done to prevent infection and birth complications.
• Contractions: As the time of delivery approaches, periodic, irregular contractions (spasms in the muscles of the uterus) are experienced. Contractions that occur at intervals of less than 10 minutes usually indicate that labor has begun.
• Your water breaks.
• You may feel bloated, constipated or in pain.

As soon as you feel the signs of labor, visit your doctor immediately. They will ask about the cramps and other symptoms you are feeling. Remember, if your water breaks, you should call your doctor immediately. They will give you the right advice on when to go to the hospital.

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The date of delivery is considered to be from the first day of the last menstrual period to the date after 40 weeks. However, sometimes it is determined by ultrasound. For most women, the doctor determines the time of delivery between the 37th and 42nd week. Delivery that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy is called premature or preterm labor. Delivery that occurs in the 37th or 38th week is considered the early period of labor because the lungs of children born at this time are still immature. Just as every woman's pregnancy is different, the onset of her labor, symptoms and the time taken for delivery also vary.

(Read more -Premature Labor)

Labor is usually divided into three stages:

Stage 1.
The first stage of labor is divided into three stages: latent, active, and transition. The first, the latent stage, is the longest and least intense. During this stage, contractions become more frequent, helping your cervix to dilate so that the baby can pass through the birth canal more easily. There is also less discomfort at this stage. During this stage, if your contractions are regular, you will be admitted to the hospital and will have frequent pelvic exams to determine how much the cervix has dilated.

During the active phase, the cervix begins to dilate more rapidly. You may feel intense pain or pressure in your back or abdomen during each contraction. You may feel the urge to push and push the baby out, but your doctor will tell you to wait until the cervix is ​​fully dilated. During transition, the cervix is ​​fully dilated to 10 centimeters. Contractions are very strong, painful, and frequent, coming every three to four minutes and lasting 60 to 90 seconds.

Stage 2.
The cervix is ​​fully dilated at this stage. When it's fully dilated, your doctor will tell you to push. Your pushing moves your baby forward into the birth canal. Your baby's head becomes visible when its widest part reaches the opening of the vagina. As your baby's head emerges, your doctor will suction out amniotic fluid, blood, and mucus from the baby's nose and mouth. You continue to push and push to get the baby's shoulders and the rest of his body out. The doctor cuts the placenta after the baby is born.

Stage 3.
After you give birth to your baby, you enter the final stage of labor. In this stage, the umbilical cord is removed. This is the organ that nourishes the baby in the womb. Every woman and every delivery is different. The amount of time spent in each stage of labor varies. Labor usually lasts about 12 to 14 hours if this is your first pregnancy. The process usually takes less time in subsequent pregnancies.

Many types of measures can be taken to relieve labor pain. The measures taken to get relief from pain depend on the stage of your labor pain, your and your baby's health etc. The best medicine for delivery is that you should be mentally prepared for this time. Because if you are afraid of delivery, then you will be unaware of the problems or pain that will occur during that time and will not be ready to bear the pain at all. You can also take pain-relieving medicine. If you are fearless and you trust your doctor, then you may need less or may not need any medicine. Childbirth is a natural process and there are many ways to deal with its pain other than medicine. The doctor can give you additional suggestions. Some ways to deal with pain are as follows:

• Try to relax.
• Try to walk a little whenever you have cramps.
• Keep doing moving work to keep your pelvic part moving.
• It can also be treated by taking a bath in a bathtub, swimming pool or shower.
• Get a massage from your husband or someone else.
• Go to the toilet more often.
• Try to distract yourself with music, television or meditation.

(Read more - Labor and Delivery Complications)

Your husband and relatives can also help you deal with the pain by:

• Trying to divert your attention.
• Your partner or relative who is near you can help you move the baby down.
• Ask them to place a wet cloth on your forehead.
• Take the drinks and food that your doctor recommends.
• You can get a massage if you wish.
• Try to rest in between as you experience one cramp after another.

Giving birth is not a test of strength or bravery. Labor pain is considered to be the most intense pain experienced by humans. There are various natural and medical ways to reduce labor pain. There are various types of painkillers in medical methods which should be taken on the advice of the doctor. Apart from painkillers and oral medicines, efforts are made to reduce labor pain by methods like anesthesia or blocking the nerves (numbing) or epidural (Epidural: In this, the area where the pain is occurring is numbed) etc.

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When labor pain does not occur by the date determined by the doctor, the doctor also induces it through medicines and injections. But it can also be generated by some natural methods which are as follows:

1. Labor pain is caused by having sex, the reason behind this is that the sexual arousal of the woman not only helps in generating labor pain, but the prostaglandins present in the semen also come in contact with the vagina.

2. Massage the breasts. Stimulation of the nipples secretes the hormone Oxytocin. Which starts contractions or cramps in the muscles. Massage for 5 minutes throughout the day. Breast stimulation will not start labor. But if the cervix is ​​​​mature, then this process can be accelerated. Do not massage excessively because doing so can cause more cramps that are felt very quickly.

3. Take a short walk. When you walk, your baby finds it easier to breathe. If you are already feeling cramps, then walking can help you induce labor pains. Do not let yourself get tired. Childbirth requires physical effort. Save your energy so that you do not become inactive even before labor begins.

4. Be informed. There are a lot of myths about inducing labor. But there are some remedies that you should avoid. These remedies are as follows:

• Castor oil can cause stomach problems. It does not cause labor but it can cause stomach problems. Eating spicy food does not cause any kind of cramps. There is no evidence of this.
• Some herbs, such as cohosh or evening primrose oil, are not safe to use. And using these herbs with compounds that work like hormones can actually be harmful. Talk to your doctor before using any herbal supplements.

Medical Methods:

• The doctor removes the membrane around the uterine wall with the help of one of your fingers, this ruptures the amniotic sac membrane. This process is done by the doctor in his clinic itself. After that you can go home and wait for delivery. In the meantime you may feel spotting etc. So do not worry. If this bleeding is excessive, contact the doctor.
• Take medicine to soften the cervix. If you have not yet experienced any changes in the cervix, then there is still time for labor, and the doctor may also ask you to take some different medicines. These medicines mimic the hormones that initiate labor.
• In this, your water bag is torn. This is called amniotomy. In which the doctor slowly breaks the amniotic sac with the help of a plastic hook. This is usually done only when the cervix is ​​open and the baby is in place but your water bag is not bursting. Your doctor will check your baby's heart rate and make sure you are not experiencing umbilical cord complications.

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The duration of labor pain varies from woman to woman. It depends on several factors, first of all whether this is your first baby or you have given birth before. Typically, the duration of a first labor is 12-14 hours, with subsequent labor lasting seven hours or even less. Some women may be in labor for 24 hours or more, while others go into labor in just a few hours. Both of these situations are unusual, though.,Labour is divided into three distinct stages, each lasting for a certain time. The nurse or midwife will be with you throughout all three stages, and will guide you until your baby is born. If you have a doctor (relative or otherwise), or someone willing to be with you at this time, especially if there are complications, he or she can usually stay with you for the first stage.

It also helps a lot if your husband is present during labor to support you physically and mentally. He can not only try to comfort you and massage you but also help you do labor exercises. He can also help you communicate with hospital staff and get medicines etc. when needed.

(Read more - Episiotomy)

Braxton Hicks contractions are experienced in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. These are irregular cramps that usually subside. When actual labour starts, the contractions start as mild, irregular cramps that become regular and more painful with time. You may feel these cramps in your back or your upper and lower abdomen. You usually cannot feel your baby's movements during cramps or contractions. The contractions push the baby's head down. This gradually opens the cervix. Appearing labour is when you feel the same kind of pain, but they do not open the cervix. This is not real labour, but the pain is real. Real labour dilates the cervix.

Labour is usually a long process. The first pains are known as early, mild or early labour. This stage may last for a day or two or it may start and then stop. Eat a lot during this time and drink plenty of fluids, especially water and pure juices without added sugar. You can bathe, walk around, but do not let yourself get tired. When your contractions are regular and strong, and come every four to five minutes for one to two hours, you should call your doctor. She will ask you a number of questions that will determine if it is time to go to the hospital. At the hospital, a vaginal examination is done to determine if the cervix is ​​dilated. If the cervix is ​​dilated to about 4 centimetres, it is time for you to go into labour and you will be admitted. If you are pregnant with twins or more babies or have any other risk factors and you think you are going into labour, contact your doctor immediately. Any pregnant woman should contact her doctor without delay in the following situations:

• The water bag ruptures.
• Excessive vaginal bleeding.
• Unable to feel the baby move.
• Swelling of the face and hands.
• Blurred vision
• Severe headache
• Dizziness
• Sharp abdominal pain
• Sudden weight gain.

(Read more - Amniotomy)

Labor pain is the physical pain that a woman experiences during childbirth. This pain is caused by contractions of the uterine muscles and dilation of the cervix, which prepares the baby to exit the birth canal. The intensity and duration of labor pain can vary from woman to woman, and this pain increases gradually. Pain in early labor is often mild and causes more discomfort, while pain in active labor and the transition phase can be more intense. Various techniques are available to manage this pain, such as breathing exercises, warm water baths, massage, and sometimes the use of painkillers or epidural anesthesia. Labor pain is a natural process and it is a sign that the baby is getting ready for birth.