Pain Relief During Labour
Labour is intense. Not because something is wrong, but because something powerful is happening. The pain of labour is purposeful pain. Your body is opening, shifting, and moving your baby down. You do not have to “push through” that alone. Pain relief exists, natural options, medical options, and everything in between.
This guide walks you through what actually works, how to use each technique, and when in labour it’s most effective.
Why pain relief matters
When you feel safe and supported, your body produces more oxytocin (the hormone that drives labour) and less adrenaline (the hormone that slows labour). Pain relief isn’t about avoiding the sensations. It’s about staying calm enough that you can ride them.
Natural coping techniques
These are things you can use at home and in Calgary hospitals.
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How it helps:
Slow breathing lowers adrenaline and increases oxygen to your uterus and your baby.Evidence:
Breathing techniques reduce pain perception and improve coping.How to do it:
Inhale slowly through the nose, exhale longer through the mouth.Good for:
All stages of labour. -
How it helps:
Warm water relaxes muscles and reduces the body’s pain messages.Evidence:
Hydrotherapy shortens labour and decreases epidural requests.Good for:
Active labour and transition. -
How it helps:
Movement helps baby rotate and descend, reducing pain caused by tension or poor positioning.Examples:
Swaying
Birth ball
Hands and knees for back labour
Asymmetrical lunges for a baby who needs help rotating
Evidence:
Movement leads to shorter labour and fewer assisted births.Good for:
Early and active labour. -
How they help:
Takes pressure off the sacrum, reduces back labour, and creates more space in the pelvis.Evidence:
Reduces perceived pain and provides grounding.Good for:
Back labour, intense contractions.When to use:
Back labour or when contractions start to feel overwhelming. -
How it helps:
Electrical pulses interrupt pain signals and increase endorphins.Evidence:
Most effective when started early in labour.Good for:
Early labour at home.Considerations:
Cannot be worn in water. -
How it helps:
Scent affects the limbic system, lowering anxiety and helping with focus.Evidence:
Lavender has been shown to reduce fear and pain perception in labour.How to use:
A few drops on a cotton pad or diffuser.
Popular oils: lavender (relaxation), peppermint (energy or nausea).Considerations:
Some hospitals prefer cotton pad use instead of diffusers due to shared air space.When to use:
Always. From the first contraction until baby arrives. -
How it helps:
Squeezing a comb in the palm activates acupressure points that interrupt pain messages to the brain.Evidence:
Gate control theory: competing sensation reduces pain perception.Good for:
Transition or moments where you feel out of control. -
How it helps:
Reframes contractions as waves and reduces fear, which decreases tension and pain.Evidence:
Hypnosis lowers pain scores and decreases epidural requests in some studies.Good for:
Parents who experience anxiety or fear-based tension in their body.Considerations:
Requires practice during pregnancy, not something to “learn in labour.” -
How it helps:
Relaxes muscles, reduces stress hormones, increases oxytocin.Evidence:
Massage during labour reduces pain scores and improves emotional regulation.Types:
Light touch massage (early labour)
Deep pressure on lower back (active labour)
Good for:
Any stage. Often most effective in active labour.
Medical pain relief
Canada-specific: Calgary hospitals use these three options
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How it works:
You inhale it through a mask during contractions. Effects wear off within seconds.Benefits:
Takes the edge off the intensity
Helps with focus and breathing
No lasting effect on baby
Considerations:
May cause dizziness or nausea
Requires consistent breathing with mask
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How it works:
Injected or given through IV. Helps reduce pain sensation and allows you to rest between contractions.Benefits:
Useful in long early labours to help you sleep or regroup
Short acting
Considerations:
Can cause nausea or drowsiness
If given too close to birth, can make baby sleepy temporarily
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How it works:
Local anesthetic delivered through a catheter in your spine. Pain relief is continuous.Benefits:
Most effective pain relief available
Allows rest during long labours
Helpful in cases of exhaustion or medical complications
Considerations:
Requires continuous fetal monitoring
May limit movement or pushing positions
Can lower blood pressure (managed by IV fluids)
What works best in each stage
Early Labour (at home):
TENS machine
Warm shower
Walking, swaying, or using a birth ball
Slow breathing techniques
Aromatherapy (lavender for calm, peppermint for nausea or energy)
Eat, drink, and rest between contractions
Active Labour (hospital or home):
Tub or water immersion (hydrotherapy)
Hip squeezes and counter-pressure on the lower back
Birth ball or upright positions to use gravity
Massage (deep pressure during contractions, light touch in early labour)
Hypnosis or focused visualizations
Transition (8–10 cm):
Long exhale breathing
Grounding touch or firm counter-pressure from your support person
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) if available and desired
Combs in the hands (acupressure pain distraction)
Exhaustion or very long labour:
IV fentanyl to help you rest and reset
Epidural if you need deeper relief or sleep
A note on strength
You do not need to suffer to prove anything.
Strength in labour is not about being quiet, stoic, or unmedicated.
Strength is staying connected to your body and making decisions from a grounded place instead of a pressured one.
Natural coping. Medical pain relief. Both are valid.
A final reminder
You do not have to cope alone.
Continuous support during labour reduces fear, decreases requests for pain medication, increases satisfaction with the birth experience, and improves outcomes.
My role as a doula is not to push you toward a certain type of birth.
My role is to help you feel safe, informed, and supported, whatever path you choose.
If you want to practice techniques or build a customized birth comfort plan, I would love to support you.
