Kayla Wamsley

Pain in labor isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, primal, and deeply personal. If you're planning to give birth without medication, or simply want tools before you decide, this post walks you through real, evidence-informed methods of natural pain relief during labor. These aren't gimmicks. They're based on how your body actually works.

Your labor slowed. Your blood pressure rose. The care team mentioned Pitocin. Or maybe baby's heart rate dipped, not dangerously, but enough to change the energy in the room. Not an emergency. Not a crisis. But still… not what you pictured. This post is for that space, not black or white, empowered or traumatic, perfect or broken. The grey. The "maybe we wait", "maybe we intervene" moments. The "I’m not sure if I want this, but I’m not sure if I can say no moments." The middle.

the reality for many hospital births includes at least one common birth intervention, and most parents aren’t fully briefed until it’s happening in real time. Maybe it’s an induction "just to be safe." Maybe it’s a cervical check with little explanation. Maybe it’s a suggestion for Pitocin or AROM (artificial rupture of membranes) when labor "isn't moving fast enough." Interventions aren't inherently bad. But uninformed consent is.