Generally comfort measures are something we talk about a lot when discussing unmedicated birth, however I like to remind my clients who are seeking an epidural that there will likely be some time before they are actually able to get their epidural where they will be laboring and will need comfort measures to some degree. 

Trust me, I’ve personally been blindsided by this. When I attended my hospital-led birthing class while pregnant with Avery, I remember thinking “Well, I’m having an epidural so I’ll be fine.” I was in labor for HOURS before I was able to get an epidural. I wasn’t familiar with comfort measures, or what “normal” labor felt like and it was VERY challenging. I’ve had clients who felt the same, and I wish I had been more proactive with them about comfort measures for early labor. 

These are useful tools no matter what type of birth you’re planning! 

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