Sometimes, using more neutral words—or words that don't impose a specific interpretation—can allow us to experience labour a little differently. Maybe the contractions feel powerful, big or rolling, rather than being filtered through an assumption of pain.

Of course, if contractions feel painful to you, it's absolutely okay to call them painful. That is an accurate description for many people.

The point isn't to find a more cheerful word and pretend labour isn't difficult. Labour is intense, no matter what words we use. The point is simply to recognize that there is more than one way to describe and understand what is happening.