Why Do We Tell People Childbirth Is Painful

I recently completed a course and my mind was completely blown when the facilitator, Ibukun Afolabi, asked why do we tell people childbirth is painful?

That statement has sat with me ever since then and has been something I have thought long and hard about.

It's disheartening to know that so many people go into labor and delivery terrified of what they're going to experience. I know I was. I had no idea what to expect. There is no other experience like it. And I think if somebody had told me that it was going to be quite uncomfortable, but I would manage, my mindset would have been completely different.

I was under the impression there was no way to have a baby without having pain. But yet I have heard from clients and friends and family members that labor really wasn't that painful for them. I wonder if perhaps our mindset around it leads us into pain.

What if we approached it with the perception that having a baby is a natural process that our bodies CAN handle? It may not be the best sensation in the world but it's an experience our body will safely guide us through.

We would feel more confident and there wouldn't be as much fear and anxiety around having a baby.

Let's be honest, having a baby is beautiful, wonderful, and miraculous.

Make the focus on that, rather than the short potential discomfort we may experience.

Nicola Robertson

Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist