What is Hilary Erickson's stance on pain tolerance during childbirth?

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?