Pain Management For Labor and Delivery Tips
Read these 10 Pain Management For Labor and Delivery Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Child Birth tips and hundreds of other topics.
Ending up with Epidural
If you have planned for an all-natural birth and in the end submit to an epidural don't feel guilty. In all honesty you won't know how you'll react to labor until it happens. Leave room for change in your birth plans and just concentrate on a healthy baby.
Epidural Block
Epidurals are used for pain relief in laboring moms. A needle is placed in the lower back in the epidural space between the spinal cord and the outer membrane. The epidural numbs the pelvic area and most of the times the legs too. The medication can be given and stopped easily - to allow the laboring mom to push more effectively. Blood pressure has to be monitored and IV fluids given in conjunction with the epidural. It takes about 2 hours after the epidural has been removed to regain all feeling in the lower half of the body.
HypnoBirthing
HypnoBirthing assists women in deep relaxation, fear release and self-hypnosis techniques to promote a calm, healthy pregnancy and birth. Women all over the world are birthing their babies through educated, empowered choices that return childbirth to the natural experience that it truly is.
Pain Relief During Childbirth
There are varying degrees of pain relief management for childbirth. Medically there is the epidural, spinal, intrathecal injection of narcotics, narcotics given through an IV and the pudendal block. Naturally there are childbirth classes that teach methods of breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and focusing to alleviate the pain during labor and birth.
Spinal
A spinal is much like an epidural - except that the medication is given in one single dose in the lower back. The lower half of the body is usually numbed. Nausea and vomiting are possible side-effects as well as a drop in blood pressure. A spinal patient must lay flat on their back for about 8 hours. Few patients experience a post-spinal headache.
IV Pain Medication
Pain relief medication during labor can be given in shots or through an IV. Analgesics such as Demerol and Stadol won't necessarily make the pain go away - but will help the laboring mom to relax more. Tranquilizers such as Phenergan or Vistaril can be given in conjuction with the analgesic and also has a calming effect and also helps to alleviate the side-effect of the analgesics - nausea and vomiting. Small amounts of these drugs do pass on to the baby - which will cause the newborn to be sleepy and sluggish.
Epidural/Spinal Combination
Epidural-spinal combinations are usually used with cesareans. They are a combination of the epidural with the spinal narcotics - all injected into the lower back. This type of pain relief is quicker acting. The side effects vary - as with a spinal - a headache is a possibility as well as nausea.
Intrathecal Injection of Narcotics
An intrathecal injection of narcotics is a type of spinal - only less strong. It is given in one injection in the lower back. With an intrathecal you maintain minimal feeling in the lower half of the body but are numb enough to have pain relief. Possible side effects are itching and nausea and vomiting.
Pudendal Block
A pudendal block is known as a regional nerve block. It is used to relieve the second-stage pain during a vaginal delivery. It is administered through a needle inserted into the vaginal area while the laboring mom is on her back, feet up in stirrups. This reduces vaginal and cervical pain - but not uterine discomforts. It is frequently used in conjunction with Demeral or Stadol.
Subcutaneous Water Block
A subcutaneous water block is an injection of saline into the lower back to help relieve back labor. This technique works best for the first part of labor. A doctor or an experienced nurse can give the injection. The initial injection is painful like a bee sting - but the pain is blocked. The injection lasts about 90 minutes and can be repeated. There are no known side-effects from the saline injection.
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