You Don’t Need A High Pain Tolerance To Have An Unmedicated Birth

You DON'T need a high pain tolerance to have an unmedicated birth.

I really have seen so many women decide not try to for an unmedicated birth because they don't think they can handle the pain, or have a "low pain tolerance".

Let's dive into why you don't need this "high pain tolerance" for birth.

Reason #1- Oxytocin

The pain of childbirth has a purpose, and because it happens for a reason your body is also fully equipped to handle it!

Let me explain: as your labor contractions get more intense, your body will also release more of a hormone called oxytocin.

Oxytocin is nicknamed “the love hormone” because it stimulates feel good hormones (endorphins), enters the brain fluid and causes strong feelings of love and happiness, and helps relieve pain overall.

So even if you consider yourself to have a “low pain tolerance”, your body knows exactly how to bring your baby into the world AND decrease your pain!

Reason #2- Positive Emotions

If you have a high pain tolerance you are able to endure a lot of pain, but birth is not about enduring pain!

Birth is about relaxing and trusting your body to bring your baby into the world.

Studies suggest that positive emotions minimize the pain you actually feel during labor and birth while negative ones can make birth seem more painful.

So if you need to have a high tolerance for anything, it’s the ability to see birth in a positive way.

Do this with quality birth education, and consuming positive birth stories!

pssst... I have a free mini birth class you can sign up for  here! 

Reason #3- Non Medical Comfort Measures

If you have an unmedicated birth, you don’t just have to suffer through the pain.

There are actually many great non medical ways to feel less pain during labor, like massage, counter-pressure, baths, affirmations, acupressure, aromatherapy, position changes, and showering.

Many of these options work very well. For example, studies show that 81% of women found a bath during labor to be an effective form of pain relief!

Check out my free download:  The Comfortable Childbirth Cheat Sheet  for more information on comfort measures for unmedicated birth! (It includes 40+ comfort measure ideas, positions to use, tools to have on hand, and more!)

Reason #4- The Fear, Tension, Pain Cycle

The law of psycho-physical association states that for every thought there is a physical and chemical response in the body.

For example, blushing when you are nervous is a physical response to your thoughts that you can’t control.

In birth, if you have feelings of fear or feel unsafe- your body will automatically tense up.

When your body is tense, contrast seem more painful.

This causes you to feel more fear of the pain and become more tense, creating a cycle.

If you can instead start with trust in birth instead of fear, your body can be relaxed and feel less pain during contractions.

Say it with me...

You don't need a high pain tolerance to have an unmediated birth.

You don't need a high pain tolerance to have an unmedicated birth.

You don't need a high pain tolerance to have an unmedicated birth.

The more you can internalize this statement the better off you'll be!