Labor contractions can be painful, but there are ways to control or reduce the pain. Many people are aware of epidurals and other drugs that can be taken in a hospital setting to help you through labor. In addition, there are alternative pain management methods that can be used on their own to achieve a non-medicated birth or as a complementary method along with narcotics.

The goal when you are in labor is to relax. "When mothers are relaxed and feel at ease, their bodies literally labor better," says Mayri Sagady Leslie, a certified nurse-midwife and chair for the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS). "Our natural pain relievers – endorphins – are more easily produced by our bodies when we are relaxed."

According to Leslie, the non-medicated ways to relieve pain in labor fall into one of the following categories: physical comfort measures, relaxation and visualization, emotional support and the freedom to move and change positions.

Hydrotherapy (using water to help relieve the pain of contractions) is a popular alternative pain management option. Some mothers take showers or stay in a pool of water for some or most of their labor.

Michelle Collins, a certified nurse-midwife and a faculty member in the Nurse-Midwifery Program at Vanderbilt University, lists aromatherapy, acupressure and massage as additional comfort measures that can be practiced during labor.

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