Luiza Nowakowska

Natural, functional, variable. Labor pain in the experience of women giving birth without pharmacological anesthesia

2026-04-17

Research subject. The analysis concerns perceptions of labor pain by women who have opted out of its relief by pharmacological means.

Purpose of the research. The study aimed to identify the reasons for reluctance to pharmacological relief of labor pain.

Material and Methods. The study was conducted based on grounded theory methodology (MTU), which is one of the most widely used qualitative methods for discovering healthcare experiences. The material consisted of 52 descriptions of childbirth experiences by women who made the decision to experience labor pain, posted on blogs, discussion forums, websites of organizations supporting natural childbirth, parenting websites and social media. The material was collected during 2024, and the results, in accordance with MTU guidelines, are presented in the form of categories supplemented by quotes from the analyzed material.

Results. Three characteristics of labor pain were identified, due to which the authors of the statements chose not to eliminate it: naturalness, functionality and variability. The claim of its naturalness means that eliminating the pain interferes with the proper course of labor. Functionality, on the other hand, is associated with its positive role in the physiological course of birth – these are catalyzing, signaling and formative functions. The feature of variability concerns its rhythmicity, processuality and plasticity, which allows one to actively enter into cooperation with it. The axis that binds the whole of the narratives carried out is the conviction that pain can be the object of active labor actions, so as to alleviate it and expose its positive impact.

Conclusions. Birth pain is perceived multidimensionally – not only as a physical experience but also as an emotional, spiritual/mystical or identity-forming one. The aspects of it revealed in the analysis can facilitate the construction of a comprehensive and individualized response strategy, where women’s agency is located at the center of medical and social concern, whether it is the desire to use pharmacological methods or to preserve pain as an important part of the birthing experience.

Keywords: grounded theory methodology, labor pain, pain management, self-management, pain perception.

© Farm Pol, 2025, 81(9): 531–540