Pain normally results from a problem or injury--something is wrong with our bodies. Childbirth pain results from physical effort--the uterus is contracting and labor is progressing. When women make the mental "jump" from pain as a warning signal to pain as a sign of progress, they can better deal with pain.

Labor is a process that is individual, and it is important to choose options that reflect your individual approach to birth. The best way to do this is to educate yourself before labor, knowing the right therapy at the right time makes a positive difference.

The following factors can help you in making decisions about pain management in labor:

Desire: Each woman's experience of how she wishes to labor will be different. If you highly desire to labor using specific comfort therapies, you will be more likely to do so. Most women are surprised by the power of their labors and the empowerment they feel as they work through their labor.

Childbirth Preparation: Classes provide answers and information to help you decide the best way to birth, and they focus on a variety of comfort therapies. Your values and self-image, along with the facts about benefits and risks of each intervention, help you make your individual decisions.

Emotional Support: You need competent and caring support from your loved one and from the professional staff assisting you. Labor is a time when a woman is highly perceptive of either positive or negative attitudes of those around her. Spend time thinking about how you want to communicate with those helping you during labor.

Flexibility: An uncomplicated labor does not need medications for safety; it is important, however, to prepare for unexpected circumstances for which medications may become medically necessary. Make choices that are right for you, but remain flexible since the course of labor can never be predicted.