What unique strategies does Hilary Erickson recommend for pain management during labor?

Education to “turn the light on” – she’s big on reducing fear of the unknown with a solid prenatal class so your brain is calmer and pain is easier to cope with.

Staying home in early labor if it is safe, so you are in your own space, smells, and routines, which often lowers pain perception.

Getting really specific when talking to your team about what hurts, what you have tried, and how it feels, so they can target help instead of using a one‑size‑fits‑all plan.

Having a flexible toolbox: natural options (positioning, heat/cold, breathing, hypnosis, doula support) plus medical ones (IV meds, epidural, nitrous, local anesthetic) and choosing in the moment rather than locking into a single “birth plan.”