Pain Relief Options During Labor

There are several options for pain relief to cope with the pain of contractions during labor.

Most mums-to-be will have done their research well before going into hospital, including checking what will be available at their hospital, and will have decided what they want - or don't want. But in the heat of the moment all those plans could change, so it's good to know what is available...

TENS

Trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation involves a gentle electrical current being passed through pads attached to the body. TENS is considered to be extremely effective in the early stages of labor and some women manage with just TENS throughout the delivery.

Epidural

This involves an anesthetic being injected via a catheter into the lower part of the spine to numb the nerves and therefore the pain. This catheter administers drugs throughout the delivery and can be topped up in stages. It can be used at any stage but takes 40 minutes to start providing pain relief. Once working it is very effective.

Side effects include numb legs, headache, backache, nausea and low blood pressure. It can also lessen the urge to pee so a tube may have to be inserted into the bladder to drain the urine.

Breathing techniques

Breathing calmly in long deep breaths increases the oxygen flowing to your muscles and can lessen the pain of contractions.

Warm water

Some maternity units now encourage mums in labor to relax in a warm bath once in established labor. Sitting or lying in the bath has been proven to help ease the more intense contractions. But it can slow labor down if used too early.

Pethidine

This is a popular painkiller from the same family as morphine. It's usually administered via an injection in the thigh or bottom. The effects take about 20 minutes to kick in and last around two to three hours. Pethidine causes mum to feel drowsy and pain is muffled. However, side effects can include slowing down the labor and (if the pethidine crosses the placenta) it can affect the unborn baby's breathing. Sometimes mum needs a boost of oxygen to "wake her up" again.

Gas and air

This is a popular method of pain relief involving breathing in a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide (entonox) through a mask. The gas builds up in the blood, relaxing muscles as the contractions build. Some women don't like it, however, as it can make them feel drunk and nauseous. It does not take the pain away, but makes it more bearable if used at the right moments.

Alternative therapies

Aromatherapy uses concentrated essential oils to improve mood and well being.Reflexology involves massaging key points on the feet that correspond to the areas of pain.Hypnosis is a very popular trend for pain relief and there are hypno-birthing classes held throughout the UK.Acupuncture uses needles placed - by an expert - in specific points of the body to help reduce the pain.Debra Aspinall is an experienced journalist and the editor and leading writer for the Emma's Diary website, one of the UKs foremost pregnancy and baby websites. Debra writes on pregnancy related topics such as signs of early labor, symptoms of labor, first signs of labor and etc. She also writes on women's health and beauty issues and contributes travel articles to glossy magazines in London and the Home Counties.

Pain Relief Options During Labor

There are several options for pain relief to cope with the pain of contractions during labor.

Most mums-to-be will have done their research well before going into hospital, including checking what will be available at their hospital, and will have decided what they want - or don't want. But in the heat of the moment all those plans could change, so it's good to know what is available...

TENS

Trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation involves a gentle electrical current being passed through pads attached to the body. TENS is considered to be extremely effective in the early stages of labor and some women manage with just TENS throughout the delivery.

Epidural

This involves an anesthetic being injected via a catheter into the lower part of the spine to numb the nerves and therefore the pain. This catheter administers drugs throughout the delivery and can be topped up in stages. It can be used at any stage but takes 40 minutes to start providing pain relief. Once working it is very effective.

Side effects include numb legs, headache, backache, nausea and low blood pressure. It can also lessen the urge to pee so a tube may have to be inserted into the bladder to drain the urine.

Breathing techniques

Breathing calmly in long deep breaths increases the oxygen flowing to your muscles and can lessen the pain of contractions.

Warm water

Some maternity units now encourage mums in labor to relax in a warm bath once in established labor. Sitting or lying in the bath has been proven to help ease the more intense contractions. But it can slow labor down if used too early.

Pethidine

This is a popular painkiller from the same family as morphine. It's usually administered via an injection in the thigh or bottom. The effects take about 20 minutes to kick in and last around two to three hours. Pethidine causes mum to feel drowsy and pain is muffled. However, side effects can include slowing down the labor and (if the pethidine crosses the placenta) it can affect the unborn baby's breathing. Sometimes mum needs a boost of oxygen to "wake her up" again.

Gas and air

This is a popular method of pain relief involving breathing in a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide (entonox) through a mask. The gas builds up in the blood, relaxing muscles as the contractions build. Some women don't like it, however, as it can make them feel drunk and nauseous. It does not take the pain away, but makes it more bearable if used at the right moments.

Alternative therapies

Aromatherapy uses concentrated essential oils to improve mood and well being.Reflexology involves massaging key points on the feet that correspond to the areas of pain.Hypnosis is a very popular trend for pain relief and there are hypno-birthing classes held throughout the UK.Acupuncture uses needles placed - by an expert - in specific points of the body to help reduce the pain.Debra Aspinall is an experienced journalist and the editor and leading writer for the Emma's Diary website, one of the UKs foremost pregnancy and baby websites. Debra writes on pregnancy related topics such as signs of early labor, symptoms of labor, first signs of labor and etc. She also writes on women's health and beauty issues and contributes travel articles to glossy magazines in London and the Home Counties.

Epidural Pain Relief for Labor

An epidural is a popular pain relief option offered to women during labor.

It is medication (usually a combination of a local anesthetic and a sedative) administered via a thin, flexible hollow tube (a catheter) inserted into the epidural space outside the membrane surrounding the spine.

It delivers pain relief to the entire lower part of the body while the woman remains fully conscious. The amount it decreases the sensation and feelings can vary. Most women say it numbs most of the pain without deadening the feelings.

What does it involve?

An epidural is administered by an anesthesiologist. The woman has to lie curled on her side (or sometimes sits on the side of the hospital bed). The lower spinal area is cleaned and injected to make it numb for the needle and catheter to be inserted. This is often painless but can give a momentary pain as the needle enters.

The needle is removed and the catheter is taped in place so medication can be controlled. Once it is in place the woman can lie on her back again if she wants to.

The numbing effect kicks in after about 10 minutes (sometimes slightly longer).

An epidural will usually be given so that it lasts for the remainder of the labor - so your medical team will probably wait until the woman is at least 4 or 5 centimeters dilated with regular contractions, but it can be requested at any stage.

Women having epidurals will be connected to an IV of fluids to prevent a drop in blood pressure.

Advantages of an epidural

An epidural provides very effective pain relief.

The anesthesiologist can control the epidural's effects by adjusting the type, amount, and strength of the medication.

Mum is still fully awake and alert during the labor and birth and if the contractions are more bearable it may help her conserve some energy for the final push.

Only a tiny amount of medication reaches the baby from an epidural.

Disadvantages of an epidural

The woman has to sit very still while the epidural is administered and then the effect is not felt immediately.

The woman may lose some sensation in her legs and then be unable to stand or move around the labor room. This depends on the amount of medication given.

An epidural can make the final, pushing stage of labor longer as it lessens the woman's bearing-down reflexes. Some women find they have little or no urge to push.

Some woman find that the medication in an epidural causes side effects like itching or nausea.

Some women may need to be catheterized (have a catheter inserted into the urethra) to urinate.

Roughly one percent of women who have an epidural get a headache which lasts for several days. This is caused by a leakage of spinal fluid - which rarely happens if the woman manages to stay very still while the epidural is administered.

Debra Aspinall is an experienced journalist and the editor on Women Health topics, but he is a specialist in Pregnancy information write-ups. Debra writes on various matters such as symptoms of labor, early signs of labor , first signs of labor and etc. He has been appreciated for his quality work by many reputed health magazines.