MIDIRS Essence > September 2010 > MIDIRS

Pain relief options at home

Originally posted on Sept 2010

by Teresa Hare, PR and Marketing Manager, MamaTENS

When you speak to first time new mothers, more often than not, their thoughts about the birth of their baby are very focused on the hospital and the options for pain relief available to them there. Rarely have they thought about what they will do for pain relief whilst they are waiting at home.

The average time for a first time labour is between eight and 12 hours (babycenter.com 2010). For some women the thought of being in pain for a prolonged period of time can be quite daunting. This is particularly true amongst first time mothers who are unaware of what labour feels like and of the limits to which their own body can withstand pain. It is this fear that can in turn intensify the pain that a woman feels during her labour.

• The gate in the ‘gate theory of pain’ is opened when the electrical impulses from all over the body reach the brain; therefore the pain gate becomes more open, worsening the pain. Fear, tension and emotional state of mind are common ways in which to open the pain gate/s (Wall 1978).
  
• Fear naturally increases muscle tension and this is potentially another source of pain impulses.
  
• Increase in muscle tension reduces flexibility and mobility during labour, which can increase the perception of pain (McNeil & Jomeen 2010).

So what can these women do to relieve pain and anxiety, whilst they are in the latent phase of labour at home? In my own personal experience the hospital suggested taking a bath; this works by relaxing the mother-to-be, taking the physical stresses and strain off the mother’s body. They also suggested taking a paracetamol to take the edge off the pain or getting my birthing partner to give me a massage.

In addition, if a woman has attended antenatal classes she will have been advised of a number of breathing techniques to see her through labour. Rhythmic breathing for example maximises the amount of oxygen available to the woman and to the baby. These same breathing exercises can also help a woman to cope with the increased pain of her contractions. She may also have discussed the use of music or aromatherapy.

Another way to relieve the pain of labour at home is to hire a TENS machine. Research has found that if women are given control over either or both the stimulus of pain and access to analgesia, their tolerance threshold increases and subsequently their requirements for analgesia decrease (Green 1993, Green & Baston 2003).

In order to maximise the effectiveness of TENS use during labour it is recommended that a woman begins using her TENS machine from the onset of labour at home. Many women feel that using a TENS machine provides them with a feeling of control and relaxation, because they are actively doing something for themselves. In testament to this, 20% of women giving birth in England, according to the Care Quality Commission (formerly the Healthcare Commission) (Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection 2008) use a TENS machine as part of their pain management plan.

The pulsing sensation received from the machine stimulates the release of the body’s own natural painkillers, endorphins. This process takes approximately 25-40 minutes for a sufficient level of endorphins to build up. TENS also works by blocking the body’s pain messages and can be used from the very first contraction at home to the delivery of the baby in hospital.

It could be argued that relaxing and placing a woman in control of her pain relief during labour, whether that is using a TENS machine or breathing techniques, facilitates the passage to a natural birth.

About Teresa Hare

Teresa Hare, PR and Marketing Manager, MamaTENS, is mum to Harry now two years old. It was whilst she was pregnant that she first came across the MamaTENS brand and when looking to return to the world of work after the birth of Harry she came across the role of PR and Marketing Manager and jumped at the chance to work for such a well respected name in the mother and baby industry. Her PR and Marketing experience spans more than a decade.

References

• babycentre.com (2010). The stages of labour. Available from http://www.babycenter.com
  
• Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (2008). Towards better births: a review of maternity services in England. London: Healthcare Commission.
  
• Green JM (1993). Expectations and experiences of pain in labour: findings from a large prospective study. Birth 20(2):65-72.
  
• Green JM, Baston HA (2003). Feeling in control during labour: concepts, correlates and consequences. Birth 30(4):235-47.
  
• McNeil A, Jomeen J (2010). 'Gezellig': a concept for managing pain during labour and childbirth. British Journal of Midwifery 18(8):515-20.
  
• Wall PD (1978). The gate control theory of pain mechanisms: a re-examination and re-statement. Brain 101:1-18.

Teresa Hare | PR and Marketing Manager | MamaTENS | Photo Credit: MamaTENS

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