ziggie, I am with you. I have no idea how painful it will be. My cousin said it was like a feeling someone putting hot knife up, my friend said it was just a bad menstrual pain...
I chose a birth center and they don't have any pain killers there. I'll need to be transfered to another floor for that.
My other friend did a natural all the way only the last minute she asked for a pill and that ended up her progress and she had to do a c-section. The second child she gave a birth at home. Th ebaby was 4kg.
When we feel pain, the body tells you something is wrong. My liver , my kidneys, appendix... You are worried, stressed out. You can't sleep at night.
Childbirth is normal, nothing wrong with that. If the baby's heartbeat is ok and I am fine. I am not passing out or throwing up. I am not having fever or high blood pressure. I am aiming to go till the end.
If you have fears during a childirth your sympathetic nervous system will kick in and tells your body to fight. All the blood will go to hands and legs prepare you to run and your uterus will be less functioning and your labor will not progress. Relaxation and peace of mind is important during a labor cos your parasympathetic nervous system will kick in and release feeling good hormones. Your body has it's own pain killers you just need to use them. Look when you break a leg you don't feel pain, you feel uncomfort and you think it'll heal itself, but an x-ray tells you different story, you need a cast and 6 weeks therapy.
How do you relax when you feel pain? I can't visulize being in the nice warm place, beach or so. Maybe positive thinking I hope can help.
I am researching about hypnobirthing and this visualisation and message does make sense to me. Please look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCXvY0tauuk&list=PLmPnB9c-LQs9pj-6Msm0W6fi6GYJRNcev&index=3