Massage & Counter-Pressure (& Rebozo!)

Often used in conjunction with movement, massage and counter-pressure work in various ways to reduce pain perception during labour. For example, massage can help you to relax tense muscles and release any stress or tension you may be holding in your body - great for more oxytocin and allowing your body to do what it needs to do!

Counter-pressure is particularly good for pain relief during “back labour”, but it’s important to think about longer-term solutions to this is it’s being caused by baby being in a less-than-ideal position for birth. The below IG reel on movement shows a rebozo-shake - the one where her hips are being held in the rebozo like a hammock - which can be helpful for this, as can other rebozo techniques. Think about changing positions (listen to your body as to what feels right) and stay mobile; your body’s contractions may feel really intense, but they’re trying to move baby into a better position if you let them. Counter-pressure can be a great coping tool to help, used alongside other methods in your personal coping toolkit.