Abstract
While some people adapt well to pain, others do not. The same applies to coping with labour pain.
Irrespective of the huge technical progress in medicine, a woman's right to pain relief should include the offer of non-pharmacological pain control resources and specific coping strategies. During childbirth women themselves manage pain using a range of coping strategies.
Antenatal education provides an opportunity prior to birth to help women to prepare for an often painful event. But, this is usually carried out with little reference to the literature regarding psychological factors which influence the experience of pain.
This review article seeks to consider how recent developments in psychological knowledge could enhance care. Especially the range of coping strategies and factors influencing their efficacy and implementation.
That is why this article draws on the literature on coping with both acute pain and labour pain.