So now that we understand what pain is and dived a little deeper in how the body works during labor and birth, it's time to get into how to cope with the discomfort and, yes, pain that comes with having a baby. There are different kinds of methods and medications out there for you to consider. So much so, in fact, that I broke what was going to be one long article on pain management into three separate articles.

​I'm choosing to start with non-medicated pain options. The reason for this is because I feel strongly that everyone needs to be familiar with these methods, even if you're planning a medicated birth. While the following tools and skills can certainly be used all on their own, they can be used during a medicated birth either along side medication or in the even that medication does not end up working well for you.

​Over the last 30 years, water immersion for labor and birth has been growing in popularity as a means of reducing pain and stress during childbirth. The term “water immersion” is usually reserved to mean laboring in water during the first stage of labor and getting out of the water for the second and third stages of labor. The term “waterbirth” better describes what happens when the birthing person remains in the water during the second stage of birth, when baby is born. In this article, the two will be addressed as one. Keep in mind, however, that when and how much you use any time of water during labor and birth is up to you and should be talked over with your care provider.