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Pain management and preparation method

How you plan to handle labor pain, from a planned epidural to preparing for an unmedicated birth with a method such as Lamaze, Bradley or hypnobirthing.

How do we want to manage pain in labor?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Planned epidural; See how it goes; Planned unmedicated with a method (Lamaze, Bradley, hypnobirthing); Unmedicated out of hospital. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
During pregnancy
Part of
Pregnancy to first birthday

Pain management and preparation method: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Planned epidural

    You plan to have an epidural, an injection in the back that numbs the lower body.

  2. 2. See how it goes

    You have no fixed plan and decide during labor.

  3. 3. Planned unmedicated with a method (Lamaze, Bradley, hypnobirthing)

    You prepare to labor without pain medication, using a taught method of breathing, movement or relaxation.

  4. 4. Unmedicated out of hospital

    You plan an unmedicated birth at home or in a birth center.

Pain management and preparation method: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

Reviews of epidurals find no increase in cesarean rates and ACOG says the same, so the main trade-offs are practical, such as mobility, monitoring and timing. A Cochrane review of hypnosis (nine trials, 2,954 women) found less use of drug pain relief including epidurals and more spontaneous vaginal births, but says conclusions about pain itself may change with better trials. Evidence for Lamaze and Bradley as named methods was not retrieved

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Options range from an epidural, which removes most pain, to techniques that help you cope without medication. Many people plan one way and change their minds in labor, which is normal. A childbirth class can teach coping methods whichever way you lean.

Questions to ask each other

  • How do you feel about pain, and what do you imagine wanting during labor?
  • Is there a class or method we would both like to learn?
  • How will you tell me you are changing your mind, and how do I respond?

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First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.