Working with Childbirth Pain, with Julie Bonapace

What are the 4 components of pain? Does pain equate suffering? If the signal doesn’t make it to the brain, is it pain? And how can you (and your partner!) change that signal before it arrives? Pain specialist Julie Bonapace has answers. Check it out!

To listen here, click the play button on the player above, or click the button below to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Play.

What we talked about:

• Pain is not the same as suffering
• The 4 components to pain
• Activating the neurophysiology of pain
• How medical interventions can increase pain
• Gate Control Theory
• Fear-Tension-Pain cycle
• Making birth pleasant
• Changing the signal
• Avoiding medicalizing emotions
• Working with your partner-polarity to strengthen intimacy
• Postpartum benefits to involving your partner
• Acknowledging sexuality in birth

Resources and links*:

• “Trusting Birth with the Bonapace Method: Keys to Loving Your Birth Experience”, Julie’s book
• Modern Ideas: The Gate Control Theory of Chronic Pain, from Spine Health
• Grantly Dick-Read Childbirth Method, and the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle
• Beyond Fear, Tension and Panic: Helping Men Enjoy the Birth Experience, from Midwifery Today
• Childbirth Without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth, book by Grantly Dick-Read
• Michel Odent on “love cocktails” in birth, (video)
• orgasmicbirth.com, by Debra Pascali-Bonaro
• The Try Guys Try Labor Pain Simulation, (video) or what happens when you don’t have endorphins, movement, labor support… just straight pain, while you lay on your back. 🙂

Related Birthful episodes:

• The Purpose of Childbirth Pain, with Rhea Dempsey
• Your Birth Hormones, with Dr. Sarah Buckley

Courtesy of Julie Bonapace

About Julie Bonapace

Julie Bonapace is a pain specialist and the main author of the Canadian Pain Management Guideline for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC). She is a researcher and childbirth educator who helps parents and health care professionals gain a better understanding of pain management mechanisms and techniques to work with the sensations of childbirth.

Her experience of giving workshops around the world to midwives, physicians, nurses and obstetricians and her work with thousands of expectant mothers and fathers have convinced her of the important resources women have to give birth both by trusting themselves and the process of birth. She is convinced of the value of the midwifery model of care and advocates for midwives throughout different countries, and has been teaching her pain management and birth preparation method since 1989. She’s also the author of “Trusting Birth with the Bonapace Method: Keys to Loving Your Birth Experience”

She holds both a master’s degree in Education as well as bachelor’s degrees in social work and social sciences, and has extensive experience training health care professionals throughout the world on natural methods to help parents experience pleasure, satisfaction and safety in birth.

Learn more at Bonapace.com.
 

Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).

Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).