Comfort Measures for Labor

Comfort measures are tools and techniques that can help you cope with contractions, stay grounded, and feel more supported during labor. They do not make labor painless, and they do not replace medical care, but they can make the experience feel more manageable.

Some comfort measures are physical, like movement, massage, counter-pressure, heat, or water. Others are emotional or environmental, like dim lighting, calm voices, breathing, music, and reassurance.

The best comfort measures are usually simple, flexible, and responsive to what feels helpful in the moment. What works beautifully for one contraction may feel annoying ten contractions later. That is normal. Labor support often involves trying something, adjusting, and moving on.

Why Comfort Measures Matter

Labor is intense physical work. Comfort measures can help reduce tension, support coping, and give the laboring person something to focus on during contractions.

They can also help the support team know what to do. Instead of standing nearby feeling unsure, a partner or doula can offer specific support: a sip of water, a position change, counter-pressure, a cool cloth, a hand to squeeze, or quiet reassurance.

ACOG lists non-medication coping options such as relaxation and breathing techniques, massage or firm pressure on the lower back, changing positions often, shower or bath if permitted, warm compresses, ice packs, and cool cloths.

Breathing and Relaxation

Breathing does not need to be complicated. The goal is not to breathe perfectly. The goal is to avoid holding your breath, tightening your whole body, or panicking through contractions.

Helpful breathing approaches may include:

Slow inhales through the nose
Long exhales through the mouth
Low vocal sounds
Counting the breath
Relaxing the jaw and shoulders
Breathing with a partner or doula
Returning to the breath between contractions

A simple option:
Inhale slowly. Exhale longer than you inhale. Relax your jaw, shoulders, and hands.

NICE advises that breathing exercises may reduce pain during the latent first stage of labor. Mayo Clinic also suggests breathing and relaxation techniques during early labor.

Movement and Position Changes

Movement can help many people feel more comfortable during labor. It may also help them feel less trapped or tense.

Positions to try may include:

Walking
Slow swaying
Sitting on a birth ball
Leaning over a counter, bed, or partner
Hands and knees
Side-lying
Lunging with one foot elevated
Kneeling over pillows
Rocking hips forward and back
Using a peanut ball in bed

Mayo Clinic recommends using a variety of labor positions and staying flexible because the position that works best may change during labor.

A useful rule: change positions before you feel desperate. If something is working, stay with it. But if contractions become harder to manage, a position change is often one of the first things to try.

Birth Ball and Peanut Ball

A birth ball can help with gentle movement, upright positioning, and hip mobility. Some people like sitting on the ball and rocking their hips during contractions. Others prefer leaning over the ball while kneeling.

A peanut ball is often used in bed, especially when someone has an epidural or needs to rest. It can help support side-lying positions and keep the pelvis more open.

Cleveland Clinic notes that birthing balls may ease pressure in the back, pelvic area, and tailbone, and can help keep the hips and back mobile.

Ask your hospital or birth center what tools are available and whether you need to bring your own.

Counter-Pressure

Counter-pressure is firm, steady pressure applied to an area of discomfort, often the lower back, hips, or sacrum. It can be especially helpful for people experiencing back labor or intense low back pressure.

Common counter-pressure options include:

Firm pressure on the lower back
Double hip squeeze
Sacral pressure
Partner pressing with hands, fists, or forearms
Tennis ball or massage ball against the back
Leaning into pressure during contractions

For back labor, Cleveland Clinic describes counter-pressure as having a partner massage the lower back with their hands or a firm object.

Counter-pressure should feel helpful, not painful in a bad way. The laboring person should guide the support person: harder, softer, higher, lower, stop, or keep going.

Massage and Touch

Massage can help some people relax between contractions or feel supported during labor. It may include light touch, firm massage, shoulder rubbing, hand massage, foot massage, or slow strokes down the back.

Some people love touch in labor. Others suddenly hate it. Both are normal.

Helpful options:

Shoulder massage between contractions
Lower back massage
Foot massage
Hand massage
Light touch on the arms or back
Hair stroking
Firm hand-holding

NICE advises that massage may reduce pain during the latent first stage of labor.

The support person should ask simple questions:

“Do you want touch or no touch?”
“Harder or softer?”
“Keep going or stop?”
“Same place or different place?”

Water: Shower, Bath, or Tub

Water can be one of the most helpful comfort tools for labor when it is available and appropriate. A warm shower can help with relaxation, back discomfort, and privacy. A bath or tub may help the body soften and rest.

Water may help by:

Relaxing tense muscles
Reducing pressure
Creating warmth
Providing privacy
Helping contractions feel more manageable
Giving the laboring person a place to rest

ACOG includes water therapy among common coping options for childbirth without pain medication. NICE advises that a shower or bath may reduce pain during the latent first stage of labor and says women should be offered the opportunity to labor in water for pain relief when appropriate.

Check with your provider or birth location about when water is appropriate, especially if your water has broken, monitoring is needed, or there are medical concerns.

Heat and Cold

Heat and cold are simple tools that can be surprisingly useful.

Heat may help with:

Low back discomfort
Tight shoulders
Abdominal cramping
General relaxation
Tension between contractions

Cold may help with:

Feeling overheated
Nausea
Back discomfort
Sweating
Grounding during intense contractions

Options include:

Warm compress on the lower back
Heating pad, if permitted
Warm rice sock
Cool cloth on the forehead or neck
Ice pack on the lower back
Cold drink or ice chips, if allowed

ACOG includes warm compresses, ice packs, and cool cloths as non-medication comfort options.

Sound, Music, and Environment

The labor environment can affect how safe, calm, and focused someone feels. Small environmental changes can make a difference.

Consider:

Dim lights
Quiet voices
Calm music
White noise
Fewer visitors
Minimal phone distractions
A familiar pillow or blanket
Encouraging words
Privacy when possible

ACOG notes that music and calming smells may help with relaxation during labor.

The environment does not need to be perfect. But reducing unnecessary stimulation can help some people cope better.

TENS Unit

A TENS unit is a small device that sends mild electrical pulses through pads placed on the skin, often on the back. Some people use TENS during early labor or back labor as part of their comfort plan.

TENS does not work for everyone, and availability may vary. Some doulas are trained to support TENS use, and some hospitals or providers may have policies about when it can or cannot be used.

If you are interested in using a TENS unit, ask your provider ahead of time:

Is TENS allowed at my birth location?
When can I use it?
Are there reasons I should not use it?
Should I bring my own unit?
Who can help me place it correctly?

Do not use a TENS unit in water.

Hands, Comb, and Grounding Tools

Some people like having something to hold, squeeze, or focus on during contractions.

Options include:

Holding a partner’s hand
Squeezing a comb
Holding a stress ball
Gripping a towel
Using prayer beads or grounding objects
Pressing feet into the floor
Counting tiles, sounds, or breaths

These tools can give the body a place to direct intensity. They are simple, inexpensive, and easy to pack.

If using a comb, the teeth are usually placed against the palm or fingers and squeezed during contractions. It should feel intense but not injuring.

Food, Drinks, and Energy

Labor takes energy. Depending on your provider’s instructions and hospital policy, you may be allowed to eat or drink during early labor or parts of active labor.

Helpful options may include:

Water
Electrolyte drinks
Ice chips
Honey sticks
Applesauce pouches
Crackers
Toast
Broth
Fruit
Light snacks

Ask your provider ahead of time what is allowed. If eating is restricted during labor, your partner or support person should still pack snacks so they can stay present and helpful.

Partner Support During Labor

A partner does not need to know everything. They need to stay calm, responsive, and willing to help.

A partner can support comfort by:

Offering water between contractions
Reminding the laboring person to relax their jaw and shoulders
Applying counter-pressure
Helping with position changes
Timing contractions when useful
Protecting a calm environment
Encouraging rest
Asking simple yes/no questions
Communicating preferences to the care team
Staying close without crowding

Cleveland Clinic describes labor support as including comfort, advocacy, anticipating needs, and helping communicate with the care team.

Simple phrases often work best:

“You’re doing this.”
“One contraction at a time.”
“Relax your jaw.”
“Drop your shoulders.”
“I’m right here.”
“This one is almost done.”

How a Doula Can Help With Comfort Measures

A doula brings experience with labor support, positioning, partner guidance, and coping tools. She can suggest options, watch for signs that something needs to change, and help the support team stay steady.

A doula may help with:

Position ideas
Breathing support
Counter-pressure
Partner coaching
Environment setup
Movement suggestions
Comfort tools
Emotional reassurance
Questions to ask the provider
Helping the family adjust when plans change

A doula does not replace nurses, doctors, or midwives. She supports the emotional, physical, and informational side of labor while the medical team manages clinical care.

A Simple Comfort Measures Checklist

During labor, try rotating through simple questions:

Can I change positions?
Do I need water?
Do I need to pee?
Would heat or cold help?
Would counter-pressure help?
Do I want touch or no touch?
Are the lights too bright?
Is the room too loud?
Do I need encouragement or quiet?
Can I rest between contractions?
Should we call the provider, hospital, or doula?

This checklist can help the support team stay useful without overwhelming the laboring person.

Final Thoughts

Comfort measures are not about doing labor “the right way.” They are about finding small things that help you cope, rest, and feel supported.

Some tools may help for hours. Others may only help for a few contractions. Some may not help at all. That is fine. Labor support is flexible. The goal is to keep responding to what the body needs in the moment.

The most helpful comfort plan is simple: stay calm, try one thing at a time, and keep support close.

Educational Disclaimer

This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always follow the guidance of your doctor, midwife, hospital, or medical care team.