Made from splinter-free, sustainable peach wood, complete with travel pouch and accompanying instructions and information. The “gate” refers to your nervous system that either allows pain signals into your brain or denies pain messages into your brain. Gas and air: This is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide gas which you can breath through a mask or mouthpiece.

A birthing comb can be used in conjunction with other natural pain management techniques, such as hypnobirthing, breathing exercises, and visualization.

It claims this is down to the brush activating 'acupressure points' in the creases of the palm, distracting from pain and sparking the release of feel-good hormones. It had to suspend the use of Entonox, or gas and air, in July owing to concerns about the effects on midwives from prolonged exposure caused by poor ventilation. It also plays a part in the gate control pain theory, nerve endings in your hand send messages to the brain and distract it away from the sensations of contractions. For these same reasons, holding a comb can help you deal with pain in other circumstances as well, such as a toothache, cramps in your legs or chronic pain in your body.

Details about how the Birth Comb works, and how to find the Lao Gong acupressure point are included with each Birth Comb purchase. It is recommended that you start off with a lighter grip and as the contractions build you gradually increase your grip into the peak. The RustiK Labour Comb is made from sustainable, waterproof, splinter free peach wood and can be used during childbirth, an operation, at the dentist, whilst getting a tattoo or even a cosmetic treatment and many more occasions that you would need a distraction.The trust delivers maternity services at East Surrey Hospital and Crawley Hospital, helping to deliver about 5,000 babies a year. Milli Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book, said “more natural approaches to pain relief such as the comb” needed to be part of a wider support and care package that “gave women the very basic ingredients they need to have the best chance of a straightforward birth”.