When Jennifer Beers, of Sudbury, Ont., found out she was pregnant with her first child, she was thrilled, but also scared. ?I have a very low tolerance for pain, so the thought of giving birth was terrifying,? she says.
She chose to have a midwife as her primary healthcare provider, but Beers was set on getting an epidural: ?In my mind, there was no other alternative,? she says. But after talking with her midwife and doing some research on her own, she realized there were pain-management options she hadn?t even considered. ?I still thought I?d probably get the drugs, but I opened myself up to the possibility of trying other things.?
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There are many methods to help you deal with the pain of labour. Which one is right for you"
Drug-free options

You can manage your pain naturally.
Helen McDonald, an associate professor of midwifery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., has been attending births for 40 years. She says it?s normal for women to be afraid of the pain. ?There are a lot of ways of making it more tolerable and less frightening,? she says, and women shouldn?t underestimate the power of drug-free coping techniques. ?These sorts of strategies aren?t just old wives? tales; they?re also supported by modern scientific understanding and clinical experience.?
Even if you don?t think you?ll do the whole delivery drug-free, these techniques can help you get through early labour, since you?ll likely have to endure many co...