Natural Comfort Measures During Labor & Childbirth

There are many different comfort measures that can be used during labor and childbirth.

Birthing ball





  • The ball encourages pelvic mobility

  • Birthing people find it easier to get up and down from the ball than a standard chair or sofa during labor


  • The ball allows the birthing person to shift their weight, rock her pelvis, and find comfortable positions to labor in more easily



Beverages You should stay well hydrated while laboring. Birthing people may have clear liquids such as water, juice, broth, ice, and Popsicles.






Aromatherapy Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils. These can be administered in a variety of ways including in oil during a massage, in hot water as a bath or footbath, a drop in the palm or on the forehead of the laboring woman or a drop on a warm face cloth, or via diffuser. Aromatherapy reduces stress and tension during labor. Beware, however, that birthing people are highly sensitive to smell. Be sure that you use a scent that is enjoyable. Stop any comfort measure if and when it is no longer working.

Hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy during labor (techniques using water) can be emotionally soothing and can also help with pain relief. Many birthing people are comforted by the combination of warmth, water pressure, and the sound of the water. Advocates of hydrotherapy even suggest that immersion in water may accelerate labor, decrease blood pressure, and increase a birthing person’s feeling of control over their birth.




Music Music is used to control pain in labor and childbirth. Many childbirth educators use music in their classes to create a peaceful and relaxing environment and they advocate for its use during labor as an aid to relaxation. Music for pain relief consists of soothing music between and during contractions.


Pressure/CounterPressure This is a type of massage usually used when you feel a great deal of pressure in your lower back. This can happen with back labor or when pushing. Counterpressure is done by your support person to help relieve the pressure and/ or backache. The support person presses the heel of their hand or their fist against you lower back during a contraction. You will need to tell you support person what feels best.

The double hip squeeze is helpful as well. With the birthing person in a comfortable hands and knees position, the labor partner places his hands on both hip bones pointing the thumbs toward the spine. The hip bones should be pushed “in and up” towards the birthing person's body.