Mandy Rempfer-Kuncio MScPT, BSc (hons), CD(DONA)

Mandy Rempfer-Kuncio is passionate about the pelvis! She believes the pelvis serves as the foundation for many fabulous things like pregnancy, birth and babies (including 3 of her own). Mandy has been a pelvic + reproductive physiotherapist in Canada for over 15 years, and she is also certified birth doula. Her overarching belief is that healthy mothers/parents go on to build healthy families, which in turn build healthy communities and a better world. Professionally, you can find Mandy supporting mothers, women and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at her clinic, Nurturance Health. In her practice, she addresses concerns such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti, birth injuries, and pelvic pain. You can connect further with Mandy (and her blog) at https://nurturancehealth.ca/, and you can also connect with Mandy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nurtureher1/) and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nurturance.health/.

Session

The Brain, Pain & Birth: Using Pain Science to Help During Labour

The majority of birthers experience pain during labor and childbirth, however not all people experience it in the same way (and some birthers report no pain at all). Is pain an inevitable part of childbirth? Generally, pain is often poorly understood and actively avoided!

However, pain scientists are starting to think differently about pain and its causes. The current evolved understanding of pain is that not only is it complex, but it is an output from the brain. In this presentation, we will discuss the basics of pain science, how we can use it to better support pregnant people, and how pregnant people can use it to better support themselves.

Pain is changeable! Let’s take principles from modern pain science and neuroscience and apply them to the context of birth.