Question
What is Hilary Erickson's stance on pain tolerance during childbirth?
1 answer · 0 votes
Hilary Ericksonpain tolerancechildbirth
Answer
From Hilary Erickson0 votes
I talk a lot about this in my episode on pain in childbirth. My stance is that pain in labor is less about some fixed tolerance you’re born with and much more about:
- Duration over intensity – It’s usually how long the pain goes on, not just how strong it is, that makes it hard.
- Mindset and coping skills – Breathing, relaxation, and good education make a huge difference.
- Flexibility with pain relief – You don’t have to “prove” anything. You can start unmedicated, use coping tools, and still choose an epidural later if you want; you can change your mind at any time.
- Staying in the present – I encourage people to take it contraction by contraction and focus on “How am I managing this one right now?” instead of worrying about hours from now.
So I don’t think of pain tolerance as a pass/fail trait. I think of it as something you support with preparation, options, and realistic expectations.
Are you mostly wondering what your own pain tolerance might mean for your birth plan?
