Our tips & advice
Of course, we are happy to be there to support you and help you find the ways that are best for you. Call your midwife if you are worried or uncertain and tell us what you are thinking and feeling. The better you can express what is on your mind, the better we can think with you and together find ways that are most comfortable for you. We are here for you 24/7.
Childbirth tips to help you cope with labor pain
- Try to relax between contractions. A contraction comes and goes, and between 2 contractions, it is important not to lie or sit tensely. Take a deep breath, sigh heavily once or twice and move your shoulders to relax your neck. Take your rest and relax until the next contraction comes. This will allow you to last much longer and won’t give your body extra tension. Your partner can help you very well with this, because sometimes you yourself don’t even notice that you remain completely tense.
- Use your breathing during contractions. In the first stage of dilation, you breathe in very quietly briefly through your nose and out very slowly through your mouth. This is sometimes called sucking away. There are several pregnancy classes where you learn how to use your breathing to deal with pain. Again, your partner is an important support, he or she can indicate the right rhythm and breathe with you and hold your hand and give a gentle squeeze to the rhythm of your breathing. Do not breathe too deeply all the time, as you may suffer from hyperventilation.
- Heat and hot water can be very helpful to relax during your labor. A lot of women stand or sit under the shower for hours during labor. The warm water often feels very nice and relaxing and makes it easier for your muscles to relax in between deliveries. It’s nice if you have something you can sit on so you don’t have to stand all the time. You can then alternate positions.
- A warm bath also relaxes very well between contractions during your labor phase. You can also give birth in the bathtub if you would like.
- Do you have a rubber jug for warm water, then it is often pleasant to place it against your abdomen and/or back. It distracts from the pain and helps you relax.
- When you notice the first contractions coming, they are often still somewhat irregular and short-lived. Find diversion, don’t focus too much on the contractions yet and don’t start timing yet. Try to rest, watch TV or do something else you like.
- Alternating between different postures helps you cope better with pain. You often think it’s nice to stay in the same position for a long time, but you’ll find that it helps to alternate different postures and ways. Even in the different stages of your labor, it may be different what you find to be the nicest posture.
- Wear fine, soft and loose clothing or nothing if you are more comfortable with that. Make sure it is pleasantly warm in the rooms you are in. Nice loose and soft socks can be very nice.
- Go to the toilet regularly to try to pee. Het is fijn als je blaas leeg is en veel vrouwen vinden de wc ook een prettige plek om weeën op te vangen.
- Positive thinking can really help you. Believe in yourself and your body that you can do this!
- Each contraction brings you closer to meeting your baby for the first time and not coming back. It’s not bad at all. If there are times during labor when you find it harder, give yourself space. Sometimes the pain can suddenly overwhelm you. Speak up and get help. Your partner and midwife can coach and encourage you You can think about the moment when your baby is lying with you after delivery.
- Birth TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Neuro Stimulation) works through a small device that allows you to give yourself small pulses of electricity. You push a button yourself, which can give you a sense of control. So you also control how strong the electric shocks are. Birth TENS does not take away pain completely, but it does reduce pain for some women. It has no harmful effects on you or your baby. There are several organizations where you can rent a TENS. Some health insurance companies reimburse these costs.
Medical pain management
If you cannot cope well with the pain or the delivery goes differently than expected, there is also medical pain management, such as an epidural or a drug infusion. Each treatment has advantages and disadvantages. It is good if you read up on this before you give birth, so you know what to expect and what you want in case it becomes necessary. You choose what to do in case of pain and whether you want treatment.
Types of medical pain management
Sometimes childbirth goes differently than you think or hope, takes too long, you can’t handle the pain or there are complications. There are then different methods of medical pain relief. For pain control with the medications listed below, you always have to go to the hospital, because your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing have to be monitored continuously. Your baby’s condition must also be monitored by recording the heart rate via a CTG.
An epidural involves injecting a combination of pain-relieving drugs into your lower back. You then feel nothing in your entire lower body. You will first be given a syringe of local anesthetic and then the anesthesiologist will insert a needle at the base of your back. You must arch your back and sit very still, even during the contractions. A tube will be inserted into your back so that you can receive pain medication during labor.
Benefits of an epidural:
- Many women no longer feel pain during labor.
- As far as is known now, there would be no adverse effects on the child or breastfeeding.
- You don’t get sleepy or drowsy from an epidural.
Disadvantages of an epidural:
- Sometimes an epidural only works on one side. It can also happen that the pain does not diminish at all or hardly at all (5%). The place where the needle is inserted or the dosage of medication can be a cause of this. The lumbar puncture is then sometimes performed again.
- Labor takes longer, especially the pushing during the expulsion. This is because you yourself do not feel what to do and therefore it can be very difficult to push. You are therefore more likely to give birth with a suction cup or vacuum pump, a “vaginal artificial delivery.
- Contractions should be supported more often with an IV with medication.
- You may not get out of bed because you have less or no feeling in your legs. At low doses, you have more feeling in your legs and can sometimes stand, walk and push along.
- To prevent low blood pressure, an IV is always inserted.
- You get a bladder catheter because you don’t feel well when you need to urinate and your bladder can get too full unnoticed.
- Your temperature may rise because of the epidural. It is then difficult to determine whether it is because of the epidural or whether the fever is caused by an infection. Sometimes you will be given antibiotics just to be sure. There is a chance that after examination by the pediatrician, your baby will be admitted to the pediatric ward and also treated with antibiotics.
- You may experience itching. This can be treated by adjusting the composition of the medication.
Remifentanil is a morphine-like substance that is administered through a tube in the arm (drip) attached to a pump. You can use a push button to control the amount of Remifentanil you receive. The pump is adjusted so that you can never give yourself too much. Because not all of the disadvantages of Remifentanil are yet known, efforts are made to give an epidural. If this is not possible due to circumstances, Remifentanil is an option.
Benefits of Remifentanil:
- Remifentanil is easily connected by infusion.
- Remifentanil works quickly, after only a few minutes.
- Remifentanil numbs the pain better than Pethidine (but not as well as an epidural).
Disadvantages of Remifentanil:
- Remifentanil can affect your breathing and the amount of oxygen in your blood. Therefore, continuous monitoring of you and your baby is needed.
- Remifentanil does not numb the pain as well as an epidural.
- You can no longer walk around. The drowsiness can make you fall. You are a little drowsy, which makes it harder for you to remember everything.
- What effect remifentanil has on breastfeeding has not yet been well studied.
Pethidine is administered through an injection in your buttock or thigh. Pethidine is similar to morphine and works within half an hour. It numbs the worst pain, according to many women. Pethidine works for 2 to 4 hours. Pethidine is not used as often during childbirth anymore, but more when you cannot sleep during pregnancy due to (pain) symptoms.
Benefits of Pethidine:
- About 30% of women are satisfied with the analgesic effect of Pethidine.
- You may become drowsy from Pethidine or even fall asleep. Sometimes this is nice to get some rest.
Disadvantages of pethidine:
- Pethidine does not work as quickly as Remifentanil, nitrous oxide or an epidural.
- 60% of women still experience (a lot of) pain.
- Nausea, drowsiness and sleepiness may occur, therefore you may experience the birth of your baby less consciously
- You can no longer walk around. The drowsiness can make you fall.
- Pethidine also enters your baby’s bloodstream and can affect breathing after birth. Sometimes babies need an injection to regain proper breathing.
- Breastfeeding may be made more difficult by the drowsiness, as your baby may not be able to find and suck on the breast as well at times.