Dr Denis Walsh, associate professor in midwifery at Nottingham University, said pain was a "rite of passage" which often helped regulate childbirth. It helps strengthen a mother's bond with her baby, and prepares her for the responsibility of motherhood.
He said epidural rates had been rising over the last 20 years, despite the fact that alternative, less invasive ways to manage pain in labour were available.... pain in labour was known to have positive physiological effects, such as helping to establish a rhythm to childbirth.
(Pain) also triggers the release of endorphins which helped women to adjust to pain.
