There are a range of pain relieving options available to you while giving birth

• self-help methods that help you to manage the pain and reduce your perception of it. These include massage, reflexology, positions, breathing, aromatherapy and warm water
• drug-based methods that relax you and reduce your perception of pain including entonox, pethidine and diamorphine
• methods that block the pain messages from reaching your brain - eg. epidural anaesthetics.

Some methods involve relaxing and 'working with the pain' to make use of your body's own coping mechanisms. Other methods are pharmacological and stop or dull the pain messages before they reach your brain. Creating the right atmosphere to experience labour and maintaining a positive approach is important. Feeling happy and supported by your friends makes real difference, because it encourages your body to release its own pain-relieving endorphins. Endorphin levels rise and they continue to do so during labour, peaking between the first and second stage when contractions can be most painful.

Endorphin levels remain high to help you push the baby out during the second stage of labour. If you are stressed or frightened, your body produces adrenalin, which slows labour down. It helps to have constant support during labour from someone you trust and to be in an comfortable environment. If you're having a home birth, you can arrange your surroundings for yourself, but in hospital you might need to bring things like extra pillows with you. Switch off the overhead lights if it's night time and leave only the examination lamp on, facing away from you. More of the labour-fueling hormones are produced when the environment is dark and peaceful.