In this section you will meet Linda and her partner, as they welcome their little one. You will get to learn about:

• Which hormones help us relieve pain, which hormones may get on the way?
• How the pain develops and how it guides us closer to meeting the baby?
• Why do we all feel pain differently?
  

Here is Linda's birth story

My first thought after birth was that I can’t wait to talk about this experience!

I was well prepared for the birth after seeing birth pictures and movies on Instagram and having deep conversation with Eva. The hypnobirthing and visualisation techniques really resonated with me before the birth, and it truly did help me. My dream was a water birth at the midwifery led unit, but my glucose levels was a bit to high, so I had to give birth at the hospital ward. Because of my levels being a bit high, I was advised to be induced. I was very disappointed, I wanted the birth to start spontaneously when my body and baby were ready.

I had a day scheduled for an induction. The day before the induction, we did everything to boost the oxytocin. I wanted to go all in and boost my oxytocin and we did with a romantic dinner, a lot of cuddles and a good movie, and it worked! That day my first wave came around 7 PM, and around midnight when we came in, I was 4 cm dilated.

I felt positive and in control. I trusted the team - my husband Maurice and my doula Eva and I felt so ready to finally meet my baby! I was moving around, listening to my body's clues all along. I was very vocal on what I needed int he moment. One second I wanted to be touched, and in the other not at all. Everyone knew exactly what I wanted. 

It became a long birth (24 hours in total) ,so at one point I felt the need of a epidural as the waves were a bit too much to handle. I felt tense and not as soft and open, as I know I should have been. The epidural helped me relax, I got to rest for a bit and the birth slowed down. After a while, we decided to add in some Pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) and the contractions picked up again. I didn’t want the fetal scalp electrode during my birth, and have declined the offer several times. I knew Pitocin could make my baby stressed, so I agreed on having the electrode after the Pitocin drip was added.

It became a very medicalised birth, but I got the chance to decide for myself and my baby, something that felt good. I’ve heard a lot of stories from women saying a lot of things were just done without their consent and that’s why I had a birth letter and a doula with me. I was sure to get all the pros and cons of each procedure and felt in control. 

I had many different playlists and the music was important for me, my husband is an artist himself, and he sang to me too 😌. We were so in sync all along, and it felt like we did it together. 

Eva’s breathing helped me focus on my breath while Maurice was constantly telling me how strong and powerful I was. I felt like the best birthing queen of them all, and it became one of my best life experiences!

Here are the photos of Linda's birth

Lesson Summary

Many birthing people worry about the pain they may experience during labor, that is very natural. Pain is a normal sensation and is very unique to each person. And, we have some in-built mechanisms to help us manage the pain. Here are some tips for you:

• Pain perception is unique to everyone. Some people feel things more intensely than others. But no matter what, your body and brain will always be helping you.
• The brain plays a crucial role in managing pain during labor by releasing hormones like oxytocin to help labor progress, and endorphins to act as natural pain killers.
• Feeling safe and cared for boosts oxytocin levels, while fear triggers adrenaline and may slow down labor progress.
• If synthetic oxytocin is used, additional pain relief medication may be necessary as the natural endorphin levels may not match the sudden increase in oxytocin.
• Pain can be reframed as a sign of progress. Each contraction brings you closer to meeting your baby.
• Relaxation techniques, pain relief options (check out the next sections), and the support of your team can help activate the brain's natural pain-relieving mechanisms.
  
• Support from your care team and finding what pain relief techniques work for you can help you navigate labor with strength and grace. You've got this!

You can also learn on the Teachable iPhone app. Download the app, log-into you are account, and you are ready to take your learning with you on the go 😌 If you are already using the app - super! Enjoy!