One of the most natural and ancient ways to reduce pain in childbirth is through acupuncture. For those mothers not wanting to take pain medications, or to reduce their use of pain medications, there is another option.
There have been several studies on using acupuncture for pain relief during childbirth. NK Ternov, et al,(1998) wrote an article entitled, "Acupuncture during childbirth reduces the use of conventional analgesia without major adverse effects: A retrospectve study," in the American Journal Of Acupuncture. Clinicaltrials.gov, of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, cites a study, "Acupuncture as Pain Relief and Relaxation During Childbirth," conducted at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. Both of these studies concluded that the use of Acupuncture during childbirth greatly reduced the amount of pain during childbirth.
You can either use acupuncture, acupressure, or use a TENS unit (as I did), on specific pressure points to reduce your pain during childbirth.
While I was pregnant, I had a very difficult time of it and went weekly to my acupuncturist to help me control my nausea, headaches, and backaches. She was unable to come to assist me during childbirth, so we worked out a plan for me to use my TENS machine - a pain relief device that shoots tiny electric currents between two pads attached to a small, battery-operated machine. I had used the TENS machine for 15 years to control pain while walking, since I am allergic to most pain medications. We studied an acupuncture chart, and she marked with a permanent marker on my back and legs the best places to put the pads, as my due date came closer. After my water broke, we headed to the hospital. I was fine for a few hours, and then experienced excruciating back labor pain - our daughter was in a strange position. Unable to take pain meds, my husband and I attached the 4 TENS pads, and hooked them up to the machine. Although it did not take away the pain completely, it Greatly Reduced it, enough for me to breathe through it and safely deliver our daughter. Good News!
I have since read many books on the subject - and have recommended this pain relief method to many pregnant women. Something that has been used for thousands of years, for millions of women, and has also been recommended by Western medicine, definitely has a place in the options for women for pain relief during childbirth.
Are you pregnant and thinking of your labor? It is natural to think ahead, plan, and yes, be a little bit scared of the pain. Research your options, and head into childbirth as well-informed as you can be!
One site that I found to have a great deal of information is about Acupressure techniques for pain relief in childbirth:
http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/Acupressure/introduction.aspx
Here are some books that I recommend for learning about acupuncture during childbirth:
As always, please talk with your doctor, ob/gyn, and acupuncturist before starting on any plan of action.
