Not all women want an epidural to help manage labor pain, and there are alternatives like lying in a warm tub, stretching on a birthing ball, or puffing on laughing gas that can ease contractions. But Wisconsin-based doula Jen Davel recently shared one method we’d never heard of and it involves squeezing a comb.
In a Facebook post Davel says that fine-tooth combs have been used by birth workers for years and that she always has one in her doula bag. So how does it help? She explains that when you grip the comb in your hand, it can help hit acupuncture points.
"It also plays into the gate control pain theory," the post continues. "This theory states that the brain can only focus on a select number of sensations. Because the nerve endings are closer on your hands they reach your brain faster. Helping your body forget about the contractions."
Davel says the key is to let the comb hit at the base of the fingers and across the palm of the hand. She says many women find it helps immediately and some grateful moms swear by it now. Her post has been shared over 21,000 times and has 23,000 comments so far, mostly from people whose minds were also blown by this hack and wish they knew it when they were in labor.
I remember being worried about labor pains when I was pregnant with my son...which is why I was totally fine about getting an epidural. In the end, I never had a single contraction. My doctor had to perform a C-section because my amniotic fluid was too low a week before my due date.
Source: The Stir