Labor Pain: A Natural Approach to Easing Delivery

Nicky Wesson shows how natural alternatives can provide effective pain relief during labor and childbirth without dangerous side effects for mother and baby.

• Conventional medicines provided for pain relief during childbirth can have adverse effects on the baby.

• Offers many options for effective natural pain relief, including acupressure and acupuncture, hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, aromatherapy and massage, relaxation techniques, homeopathy, and reflexology.

• By the author of Natural Mothering and Enhancing Fertility Naturally.

Every woman's experience of labor is different, but nearly all women find labor painful to some degree. Conventional medicine offers numerous pharmacological methods for pain relief, but recent studies on babies whose mothers received pain-relieving drugs during labor demonstrate various adverse effects, including central nervous system damage, impaired sensory and motor responses, slower development, and problems with feeding. As of yet, no long-term studies have been conducted on the effects of the drugs commonly used in epidurals on the fetus or on the child's postnatal development. Fortunately, there are alternative ways to relieve the pain of childbirth. Few can remove the pain completely, but it can become bearable without the threat of dangerous side effects to mother and baby.

Nicky Wesson, childbirth teacher and mother of six, fully explains the physical and psychological processes of labor and covers issues relevant to birthing at home or in a hospital. She offers many options for effective natural pain relief, including acupressure and acupuncture, hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, aromatherapy and massage, relaxation techniques, homeopathy, and reflexology. An essential guide for every pregnant woman, Labor Pain provides you with the information you need to prepare for this transformative event.

Author of Home Birth, Natural Mothering, and Enhancing Fertility Naturally, Nicky Wesson is a National Childbirth Trust teacher and member of the Association for Improvement in Maternity Services. She lives in England with her family.