Alternative pain relief methods

Many women prefer not to use any of the treatment listed above and instead prefer to go for a more natural means of pain management.

Natural pain relief methods

Many women prefer not to rely on medical treatments and prefer to use natural methods to control their pain during labour. Alternative therapies do not use traditional medication and do not involve invasive procedures.

• Hydrotherapy

One popular natural option is hydrotherapy; hydrotherapy involves the use of water. Being in water will help to relax you and reduce the intensity of the pain caused by contractions; it is possible to have a water birth but you should discuss this with your midwife or doctor before you go into labour. If there isn’t a birthing pool, you can ask to have a bath.

If you choose to have a water birth, the temperature of the water will be controlled throughout and your body temperature will be monitored closely.

There are many different types of alternative therapy, which may be used to soothe pain; however, there is little evidence to suggest that any of them have a significant impact on pain. Examples of popular alternative therapies are outlined below:

• Acupuncture: acupuncture involves inserting a number of fine needles into specific points on the body.
• Hypnotherapy: hypnotherapy is a means of training the brain to act in a certain way; people often use hypnotherapy to stop smoking or lose weight.
• Homeopathic medicines: homeopathic medicines uses extremely dilute solutions of natural medicines.
• Massage: massage has been proven to relax the muscles and release muscle tension; however, it may not be effective as a means of reducing pain.
• Reflexology: reflexology uses the feet as maps of the human body; it works on the basis that touching certain parts of the feet will affect the corresponding parts of the body, according to the map.

Although natural therapies have been proven to relax patients, they are not nearly as effective at controlling pain as medical methods. If you want to use natural therapies to prepare for labour, you should discuss this with your midwife.