PAIN RELIEF DURING LABOR
To make childbirth more satisfying for both parents, several methods of pain relief can be used. The goal of pain relief methods is to provide maximum pain relief with minimal side effects in mother and baby. Requirements for pain relief often change as labor progresses. Seventy percent of first time mothers request medications for pain during labor.
EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA: Epidural anesthesia can provide almost complete relief for all stages of labor and delivery and does not interfere with your level of consciousness or the course of your labor. You are alert and able to participate in the childbirth experience. Epidural anesthesia can also be used for cesarean deliveries. Some women are not candidates for epidural anesthesia. These include women with spinal deformities, back problems, back surgery, active neurological disease and bleeding disorders. Epidural anesthesia is the best pain relief for normal labor and delivery.
FACTORS AFFECTING PAIN DURING LABOR: Reactions to childbirth are individual and varied. Previous experience with pain and especially previous labors can Influence how one handles pain during childbirth. Your view of labor (such as, a happy event or a fearful, dreaded event) can also affect how you handle pain during labor. Women, who are tired, exhausted and/or sleep?deprived have less energy for labor and a decreased ability to deal with pain. Unfamiliarity with the process of childbirth can cause you to be anxious. When you are anxious you can become tenser and can experience more pain.
NON PHARMACOLOGICAL: METHODS OF PAIN RELIEF: (LeBoyer, Lamaze) Education about the process of childbirth can decrease your anxiety and fear of the unknown. Reading about labor, watching films, attending prepared childbirth classes, learning about breathing and relaxation, and taking a tour of Labor and Delivery are all ways you can learn about labor. Ask you clinician about prepared childbirth classes. In addition, most women find it helpful in have a support person present during labor.
NARCOTICS: Medications called narcotics, such as Demerol and Fentanyl can be given in your IV during labor. In 3?5 minutes after receiving a narcotic, you begin to feel the relaxing effects. A narcotic does not eliminate the pain; instead, it dulls your perception of the pain. It allows you to cope better during a contraction, and to rest/sleep between contractions. The relaxing effect lasts from 1 to 3 hours. Since narcotics do cross the placenta they will depress the baby's respirations.
