Labor and Birth Pain Relief During LaborWays to control the pain and discomfort during labor
It is not unusual for women who are in labor to ask for medication to take away the pain and discomfort. There are some women who feel that they are automatically going to have medication. Others feel that the natural method is the best and only ask for pain relief because they realize the pain was worse than they had first thought. Not all women ask for pain medication because each labor is different and every woman is different.
No woman can predict what sort of pain she'll have during labor or how she'll cope with it. While some will manage very well with breathing and relaxation techniques, others will not. Try to keep an open mind about what your needs might be and don't second guess your decision after delivery."
The unfortunate thing is that you are going to have to decide whether or not to take the medication during the first phase of your labor. The pain is not that bad at this time. But if you ask for it when you’re pushing, then it is too late for you.
Options of pain medication
•Systemic medications and Systemic painkillers
Are narcotics that dull the pain you feel but don’t eliminate it. Tranquilizers, by themselves or in combination with a narcotic, to lower anxiety or nausea, they will relax you. Systemic drugs can be administered through your IV line or injected directly in a muscle. They do however; affect your whole body instead of focusing on your pelvic area. You quiet possibly will feel tired, but you won’t be unconscious.
•Epidurals
Many women think they are a blessing. An epidural delivers nonstop pain relief to the lower part of your body and allows you to be fully conscious and awake. This medication is delivered through a catheter. A catheter is a very thin, flexible, hollow tube that is inserted into the space just outside the membrane that surrounds your spine. The medication is a mix of your normal medication and a narcotic. When you mix the anesthetics with the narcotics it gives you the mixture of blocking the pain and blunting the pain at the same time. This leaves for good pain relief without the sensation in your legs that you would normally feel.
•Spinal block
Another option is a spinal block, this is different than the epidural. A spinal block is given directly into the fluid of the spine. Instead of constant flow of pain relief, it is a one-time injection. Relief from this is fast, but only for a few hours of pain relief. Your doctor may give a spinal block if you need pain relief after you have been in labor for a while. They also might do a spinal block if you are quickly getting close to delivery and an epidural is not an option.
•Combination of spinal block and epidural
The final option that you have is a combination of a spinal block and an epidural. This is a technique that offers the fast relief of a spinal block and the continuous relief of the epidural. When you are in the early stages of labor, this option can be like a walking epidural. This is because you are able to walk around instead of having to be bed ridden with only the epidural. Once the spinal block wears off, you have the epidural to give you relief from the pains of labor.
