One of the most exciting parts of being pregnant is packing your hospital bag so it's ready come d-day .
Inside, it's a real mix of sweet, dinky baby gear and less cute, more practical items - think breast pads, nipple cream and what are essentially adult nappies.
But did you know that one must-have for your bag is a simple comb?
A little-known pain relief tip has absolutely taken Facebook by storm after being shared by the Fox Valley Birth and Baby page.
"When gripped in your hands," the advice reads, "a comb can help hit acupuncture points in your hands.
"It also plays into the gate control pain theory. This theory states that the brain can only focus on a select number of sensations.
"Because the nerve endings are closer on your hands they reach your brain faster. Helping your body forget about the contractions."
As for how to best hold the comb, mums-to-be should have the comb hit at the base of the fingers (across the palm of your hand).
But does it work?
As all mums-to-be know, no topic invites more "old wives' tales" than pregnancy and childbirth.
The feedback under the post, however, suggests that holding a comb does in fact lessen the pain.
"I do this when I get a tattoo! Totally works!" Kendall Watts wrote.
"I used combs!" added Nichole Baumbach.
Kara Edwards commented "I keep a new pack of combs in my doula bag for each birth!"
In fact, so effective did other mums say this method was, that many women said they were either going to try it - or they wish they'd known about it for their births.
