Some Ways to Make Labor Less Painful.

Even if you've never given birth before, it probably doesn't surprise you to hear that labor hurts. Of course it does. It's your body's signal that the little human inside of you is about to move more than it has in nine months — and the exit strategy often includes diving through a hole about the size of a lemon. Childbirth is the biggest physical feat your body will ever achieve, which should make you feel like a rock star, although it maybe has you feeling more anxious than anything else. Yes, it hurts, but there are techniques you can try to ease the pain of labor.

Before starting any new therapy or exercise — especially during pregnancy — consult your doctor or health-care provider. That's precious cargo you're carrying.

1. Cardio Exercise
Exercise doesn't have to — and shouldn't — stop when you become pregnant. "Research shows if you exercise more, you have a shorter pushing phase of labor, so you'll have shorter labor and less pain," says Stacie Schurman, a certified nurse midwife with UCLA Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Cardiovascular workouts — such as running, walking, or biking — help maintain a healthy heart rate, increase circulation, and release endorphins — your body's best feel-good drug. "If women are used to high levels of exercise, they can frequently continue it throughout pregnancy," Schurman says. "Being fit can also lead to less interventions."

2. Kegels
Kegels are a small exercise with big impact. Simply by contracting and releasing your pelvic floor muscles (imagine the sensation of holding in your urine), you strengthen the muscles that will help you push during labor. The exercise is something you can begin at any time and practice throughout pregnancy. And continuing kegels after delivery helps to re-strengthen and tone those now-exhausted muscles.

3. Lengthening Exercises
Stretch-based exercises such as yoga, Pilates, or slow, deep squats help lengthen and loosen the muscles you'll use during labor. These slow-form exercises also help you mentally train to manage pain. "Contractions last one minute. Holding a yoga position also lasts about a minute. They're uncomfortable, you focus on your breath, and then you release," Schurman says. "You train your mind to be in the moment."

4. Aromatherapy
Essential oils have been used as therapy for millennia, especially as an analgesic. The active ingredients in some essential oils derived from plants may affect serotonin (which controls mood), dopamine (which signals pleasure), and norepinephrine (a stress hormone) levels in the brain. Essential oils can either be massaged into the body or diffused into a mist you inhale. The highly concentrated properties of the oils have the ability to penetrate the cells — and even directly enter the bloodstream and the brain — influencing the body's neurological (pain and pleasure control) and endocrine (hormone) systems.

"Inhaling aromatic molecules that are in the air is the fastest route for those molecules to enter the bloodstream," says Dorene Petersen, founder of American College of Healthcare Sciences, which offers degree programs in health and wellness disciplines, including aromatherapy and holistic medicine. Pharmaceuticals such as the FluMist vaccine work the same way.

An aromatherapy massage during labor — something your partner, a midwife, or a doula can provide — may relieve physical aches and pains, and also communicates with the brain's neurotransmitters, sending a clear message to stop producing the chemicals that cause pain.

Petersen recommends rose oil for labor pain, as it may help control the pain of muscle spasms. Black pepper oil is said to provoke a circulatory response that increases endurance and stamina. And lavender oil may be used to reduce inflammation from the trauma of vaginal delivery, or even applied to a C-section incision.

5. Homeopathy
Homeopathy is an all-natural approach to treating illness and pain by administering highly diluted forms of a particular plant-based toxin (in supplement form), which in higher doses would cause the same symptoms it is being used to treat. For pain relief during labor, Petersen recommends arnica for intense contractions, belladonna as a calming agent and mood stabilizer, and chamomilla (like the tea) to relieve backaches and stress.

While homeopathics are regulated by the FDA, medical clinical trials on homeopathy remain inconclusive on whether it's an effective treatment.

6. Acupuncture
The centuries-old practice, which originated in China, is one of the leading remedies for acute pain and nausea around the world. Multiple medical clinical trials have concluded that acupuncture is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for labor pain  and Morning sickness.

Here's how it works: a licensed practitioner (this is not a DIY treatment) inserts sterile, hair-thin needles into the skin at specific acupoints, which release endorphins and serotonin. This "helps to improve circulation and generate an overall wellness response within the body," says Danielle Lombardi, a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in women's health, pregnancy, and postnatal care. The needles act as release levers, freeing up tension, and triggering the body's nervous and endocrine systems to reject the chemicals that cause stress and pain.

7. Sex
I know, I know. Having sex while pregnant — especially in the later stages — seems awkward at best. But it's one of the most effective ways to trigger your body's natural painkilling chemicals. And an added perk to pregnancy: your orgasms may be more intense, according to sex and intimacy coach Xanet Pailet.

"Pregnancy increases blood flow to the vagina, which can often make it even more pleasurable and orgasmic," Pailet says. Blood flow is key to arousal in general, as it engorges the clitoris and sparks sexual desire. "The hormonal changes that women experience during pregnancy can also increase desire."

Orgasms cause the uterus to contract, which is also what happens during labor. So regular orgasms during pregnancy may help the body associate this sensation with pleasure, rather than pain, Pailet says. "Women who are more relaxed and open to surrender are likely to have a much different birthing experience, even verging on ecstatic."

8. Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is commonly used to treat addiction, depression, and anxiety disorders, but it can also help a woman experience a virtually pain-free birth, says Marie Mongan, founder of the HypnoBirthing Institute.

"I don't believe that there needs to be pain in childbirth. When the body is relaxed, it's not in trauma and the muscles work the way they're designed to work," says Mongan, who teaches her clients self-hypnosis techniques, such as guided meditation, deep-breathing techniques, and listening to recorded affirmations. Women aren't in a trance, per se, but rather a deep state of relaxation.

The American Psychological Association says hypnosis has proven to be an important analgesic for labor pain. And some medical professionals prescribe these same techniques, even if they don't call it hypnosis. Schurman says she's a big believer in "mindfulness."

"There's an advantage to preparing your mind for birth. I encourage women to listen to tapes of positive affirmations, which works on your attitude," Schurman says. "If you hear on a regular basis, 'I was made to have this baby, this is normal, I can do this,' then when you approach something that's scary like labor, you have that attitude in your head."

9. Water Therapy
There's perhaps nothing quite as blissful for a pregnant woman than sliding into a warm bath. The water takes the pressure of the baby off your spine and allows your body to feel weightless (a magical state when you're feeling anything but).

"Water is documented good anesthesia for labor," Schurman says. "It reduces the women's perception of the level of pain." The American Academy of Pediatrics says water therapy may be an effective method of pain relief during the first stage of labor, and Schurman suggests soaking in the tub when early contractions hit to ease their intensity. Many modern hospitals even have bathtubs in their maternity rooms.

10. Epidural

When push comes to painful shove, women may choose to have an epidural — chemical anesthesia inserted via catheter directly into the spinal cord, numbing the body from the waist down — to treat pain. Women who were hoping for a natural birth may feel guilt or shame for asking for pharmaceuticals, but they shouldn't. "Labor can be scary and painful, and every woman has to deal with the labor that she gets in the manner that feels right for her," Schurman says.

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