Normal birth hurts when it is done without anesthesia, as the woman's body undergoes major changes so that the baby can pass through the birth canal. However, in most cases, it is possible to have epidural anesthesia shortly after the start of contractions, as soon as the woman arrives at the hospital, immediately relieving the pain.
Thus, the only pain that the pregnant woman needs to feel during normal childbirth is that of contractions in the time it takes to arrive at the hospital, because after being in the hospital the obstetrician can put epidural anesthesia, preventing the onset of stronger pains.
In some women, in addition to completely removing the pain, the epidural can alter the sensitivity to contractions and, therefore, the doctor can use a device to indicate when the pregnant woman is having a contraction, so that she can push and help the baby to be born.
How to Naturally Relieve the Pain of Normal Childbirth
For pregnant women who do not want to use anesthesia during normal childbirth, there are some natural techniques that help to control pain and include:
- Massages performed by the partner, at the time of delivery, in the interval between contractions; Breathe deeply in the moment of greatest pain and force the baby to be born; Use techniques such as acupuncture or acupressure to relieve the pain; Have the freedom to move during contractions.
See a more complete list of ways to relieve pain at: How to relieve pain from labor.
In addition, it is very important that the pregnant woman takes all doubts with the obstetrician during the prenatal period so that at the time of delivery she feels confident in the medical team and knows what will happen, facilitating relaxation.
How is recovery from normal childbirth
Recovery from normal childbirth is faster than cesarean, being complete by 4 to 8 weeks after birth. During this period, the woman may feel tired muscles due to the labor effort, but this discomfort will disappear in a few days.
In addition, during recovery, a woman who has had a normal delivery may experience some blood loss that occurs due to the leaving of the remains of the placenta and that lasts between 2 to 4 weeks, changing from dark red to light yellow and disappearing.
However, recovery from normal childbirth presents less risk than that of cesarean section, since complications such as infection or hemorrhage are much lower.
See why vaginal delivery is a better option at: Advantages of vaginal delivery.
