In this article, we'll discuss pain relief during labour - what you need to know.
Despite being two of the most magical and life-changing experiences of your life, labour and childbirth are painful for most women.
The length of labour, the intensity of the pain, and your reaction to them is unique to everyone, so it's important that you understand the range of medical and non-medical pain management and relief options available to you.
Your pain relief options
You should write down the pain relief options you'd prefer in your birth plan after you've discussed them with your ob-gyn.
It's also important for whoever is going to be with you during your labour to know about the different options, as well as how they can support you.
But please remember to keep an open mind. You may find you want more pain relief than you'd planned, or your doctor or midwife may suggest more effective pain relief to help the delivery.
Pain relief during labour - what you need to know
Labour pain is unique in that it usually occurs in a predictable fashion, and the pain gets increasingly intense as your baby gets ready to enter the world.
While most expectant mothers opt for medical pain management, others choose non-medical approaches like HypnoBirthing.
If you choose, or have no choice but to opt for, medical pain management, there are three main options:
- Gas and air
- Pethidine
- Epidural
Gas and air
This is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide gas.
Gas and air will not remove all the pain, but it can help reduce it and make it more bearable - and you control it yourself.
Unfortunately it doesn't work for all women as it can cause nausea and vomiting.
Pethidine
Pethidine is an opioid pain reliever, injected into your bum or thigh.
It takes about 20 minutes to work after the injection.
The effects last between 2 and 4 hours, so it's not recommended if you're getting close to the pushing stage of labour.
Pethidine can also make you feel sick.
Epidural
Epidural is the most effective pain relief available.
It numbs the nerves that carry the pain impulses from the birth canal to the brain.
Unlike gas and air and pethidine, an epidural shouldn't make you sick or drowsy.
An anesthetist is the only person who can give an epidural, so it would not be available for a home birth.
The cost of this procedure usually limits how many women can access it in the Caribbean.
Epidurals can cause a drop in your blood pressure and it can delay delivery.
Self-help in labour
You're likely to feel more relaxed in labour and better placed to cope with the pain if you:
- learn about labour - this can make you feel more in control and less frightened about what's going to happen; talk to your ob-gyn, and go to antenatal classes
- learn how to relax - stay calm and breathe deeply
- keep moving - your position can make a difference, so try kneeling, walking around, or rocking backwards and forwards
- bring support - bring a partner, friend or relative to support you during labour, but do not worry if you do not have a partner; the hospital will give you all the support you need
- ask your partner to massage you – although you may find you do not want to be touched
- bathe - have a bath. This can help reduce pain and shorten labour.
TENS machines
This stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Some hospitals have TENS machines. If not, you can hire your own machine.
TENS has not been shown to be effective during the active phase of labour, when contractions get longer, stronger and more frequent.
It's probably most effective during the early stages, when you may have lower back pain.
TENS may also be useful while you're at home in the early stages of labour or if you plan to give birth at home.
How TENS machines work
Electrodes are taped to your back and connected by wires to a small battery-powered stimulator.
Holding this, you give yourself small, safe amounts of current through the electrodes.
TENS is believed to work by stimulating the body to produce more of its own natural painkillers, called endorphins.
It also reduces the number of pain signals sent to the brain by the spinal cord.
You can move around while you use TENS.