What can I do before I go into labour to help my needs for pain management during labour and birth are met.

You will want to: 

• learn about labour and birth so that you know what is happening when and why
• decide whether you would like to have or avoid medical pain management. Discuss this with your birth partner(s) and make your wishes clear in your birth plan (if you have one). 
• choose a place of birth that supports your preferences. To help with that, you could use Which?BirthChoiceUK which has a lot of information about your local hospitals & birth units, including statistics.
• learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the available medical pain management options.

You might also like to:

• choose an independent midwife or doula to support you. This is not essential, however things might get easier to arrange and go more smoothly if you have a professional birth supporter / partner. Most places (hospitals or birth unit will allow up to 2 birth partners).
• take childbirth preparation classes, in either a one-to-one or group setting. These can help you and your partner understand what to expect during labour and birth and your options.
• read birth stories to find out more about labour and birth.