When many people think of labour, pain is often the first association. But labour pain is unlike any other type of pain. Instead of signalling that something is wrong, these sensations are a sign that your body is doing exactly what it’s meant to do.
Understanding what your body is doing during labour can transform fear into confidence and help you tune into your own intuition and strength. At Elle TENS, we see firsthand how knowledge and the right support can help women feel more grounded, prepared and empowered.
Labour Pain Is Productive Pain
Labour pain is the result of a powerful process: your uterus contracting to thin, open and draw up the cervix so your baby can move downward. Unlike injury pain, labour pain is purposeful. Every sensation has a role in helping your baby make their way into the world.
Many women find that understanding this difference helps them approach labour from a calmer, more informed place. Tools like our Labour TENS support this mindset by giving women a sense of control and helping them work with the rhythm of their contractions rather than feeling overwhelmed by them.
The Uterus: Your Strongest Muscle at Work
During each contraction, the muscles of the uterus tighten and lift. The upper muscles contract, while the lower part softens and stretches. This coordinated movement helps:
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Thin and shorten the cervix
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Open the cervix
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Guide your baby downward
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Build pressure that eventually supports the pushing phase
This is one of the reasons many women choose to begin using a TENS machine early in labour. When used at the start of the process, TENS can ease the intensity of these initial contractions and help you stay mobile and focused as your uterus begins its important work.
Why Labour Pain Comes in Waves
Contractions follow a natural wave pattern: they build gradually, peak, and then release. This rhythm gives your body time to recover between contractions and allows your baby time to adjust to each movement.
These waves also help stimulate endorphins - your body’s natural pain-relieving hormones. When you’re supported, calm and able to move or breathe through each surge, your body produces more of these hormones.
Our Elle TENS machines work beautifully alongside this natural rhythm. Many women describe the sensation as helping them stay anchored during the peak of a contraction, especially in the earlier stages, when staying mobile is important.
Your Emotions Play a Major Role
Labour is both physical and emotional. How supported, safe and heard you feel can directly influence the intensity of your sensations. When you feel calm and cared for, oxytocin rises—the hormone that drives labour forward. When oxytocin flows well, contractions are often more coordinated and manageable.
This is why having tools you trust matters. Using our Elle TENS is a natural, drug-free option that women often report helps them feel more in control. Having something to hold, adjust and rely on can offer a sense of grounding, especially when labour feels big or unfamiliar.
Working With Your Labour Sensations
There are several supportive ways to work with what your body is doing:
1. Movement
Swaying, leaning forward, walking and using a birth ball can help your baby find the best position and often makes contractions feel more manageable. TENS supports this beautifully because it allows complete mobility.
2. Breathwork
Slow, deep breaths help keep your nervous system calm and provide oxygen to your working muscles.
3. Elle TENS
Natural, drug-free pain relief that many women use from the very beginning of labour. TENS offers a controlled sensation that helps you stay focused and encourages your brain to produce endorphins. It’s one of the few pain relief options that keeps you completely upright, mobile and involved in your birth.
4. Warmth and Water
Heat packs or warm water can be soothing, especially in combination with TENS during early labour. Just remember: your TENS can't go into the water with you. Please make sure you take it off, keep the electrode pads covered, and put it back on once you are dry.
5. Mindset and Affirmations
Simple, grounding phrases such as “My body is working with me” or “Each surge brings me closer” can help create a calm internal environment.
Your Body Knows What To Do
Labour pain isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s a sign of progress. It’s your body opening, shifting and guiding your baby forward. When you understand what’s happening physiologically, you can approach birth with more confidence and less fear.
With the right support, the right knowledge, and tools like Elle TENS, women often feel more in control, more connected to their bodies, and more capable throughout their labour journey.
At Elle TENS, our purpose is to support women with warmth and care as they move through pregnancy, labour and beyond. You’re not doing this alone - and your body is well-equipped for the journey ahead.
