The Truth About Pain Relief in Labour: Understanding Your Options & Making Empowered Choices

When it comes to giving birth, one of the biggest concerns many parents-to-be have is: “How will I manage the pain?”

Whether you’re planning a home birth, a water birth, or giving birth in hospital, there’s often a lot of pressure around what choices you should make—particularly when it comes to pain relief.

I’m here to tell you:
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and there’s no right or wrong decision.

At Born This Way Hypnobirthing, I believe true empowerment comes from understanding your options and making informed, confident choices on the day—whether that includes medical pain relief, hypnobirthing techniques, or both.

Let’s break down all the main pain relief options available to you.

Your Pain Relief Options in Labour:

1. Hypnobirthing Techniques

At the core of what I teach, hypnobirthing techniques like:
 • Breathing exercises
 • Visualisations
 • Deep relaxation
 • Affirmations
 • Creating a calm birth environment

These tools help you reduce fear and tension, allowing your body to work more efficiently and comfortably.
Many people find these techniques make labour feel manageable—and even enjoyable—without needing further pain relief.
And importantly, hypnobirthing can be used alongside any medical option too.

2. Water (Birth Pool or Shower)

Warm water is one of nature’s most soothing comforts.
A birth pool or even a warm shower can:
 • Relax tense muscles
 • Ease pressure on the body
 • Provide buoyancy and freedom to move
 • Naturally reduce the intensity of contractions

This is why water is often referred to as “nature’s epidural.”

3. TENS Machine

A TENS machine is a small device with pads placed on your lower back, delivering gentle electrical pulses.
These pulses help block pain signals and encourage the release of endorphins (your body’s natural pain relievers).
It’s particularly useful in early labour and something you can control yourself at home or in hospital.

4. Gas & Air (Entonox)

Gas & Air is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide, commonly available in hospitals and birth centres.
You breathe it in during contractions to take the edge off the pain.
It acts quickly, wears off fast, and allows you to stay mobile and alert.
While it won’t eliminate pain completely, many find it helps them stay calm and focused.

5. Diamorphine or Pethidine

These are opioid-based injections usually offered in hospital.
They help dull the intensity of contractions and promote relaxation, especially if labour is long or you’re feeling exhausted.
However, they do cross the placenta and can cause drowsiness in both you and your baby, so timing and individual circumstances are key considerations.

6. Remifentanil (Patient Controlled Analgesia - PCA)

One pain relief option you may not have heard much about is Remifentanil.
This is a strong, fast-acting opioid given through a drip.
The key difference?
You control it yourself via a handheld button—this is called Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA).

The benefits of Remifentanil:
 • Works quickly and wears off quickly.
 • Doesn’t accumulate in your system.
 • Has minimal effect on the baby compared to other opioids.

However, it does require continuous monitoring and may cause drowsiness or dizziness.
Not all hospitals offer Remifentanil routinely, so it’s worth checking with your care team if it’s available to you.

7. Epidural

Epidurals are probably the most well-known form of medical pain relief.
They involve an anaesthetist injecting local anaesthetic near your spinal nerves to block pain from the waist down.
The pros:
 • Most effective at numbing sensation.
 • Can provide welcome relief if labour is long or particularly intense.

Considerations:
 • Limits mobility—you’ll be unable to walk around.
 • Requires continuous monitoring.
 • May increase the chance of assisted delivery (forceps or ventouse).

Can You Mix & Match Pain Relief Options?

Absolutely!

You might start labour at home using hypnobirthing and a TENS machine, then opt for gas & air or Remifentanil later.
Or you might plan for a water birth but decide on an epidural if you feel it’s needed.

There’s no failure in adapting your plan.
The power lies in understanding your choices.

Why Knowledge is Power

It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea that you need to “stick to the plan”—whether that’s aiming for a drug-free birth or relying solely on medical pain relief.

But real empowerment comes when you feel informed enough to make flexible decisions in the moment.
I’ve supported parents who’ve had calm, positive experiences using every single one of these options—because they felt in control, not pressured.

Final Thought:

So, if you’re wondering how you’ll cope or what you’ll choose:
Start by learning about all your options now.
Ask questions.
Explore what feels right for you.
And trust yourself to make the decisions that are best for you and your baby on the day.
Want to learn more?

Inside my hypnobirthing course, we cover ALL of these options in depth, so you’ll feel calm, prepared, and confident—whatever kind of birth you’re planning.

You deserve to feel empowered. You deserve to feel informed.
And you deserve to have a birth experience that feels right for YOU.