The following methods are designed for use during labour to reduce pain levels. Select the most appropriate one for the individual, to make the labour experience as comfortable as it can be.
Self-Help
Using relaxation, breathing, keeping mobile, having a partner to provide support and massage, and having confidence all help the labour process.
Fear makes pain worse, and many people feel frightened of what they don’t understand or can’t control. Learning about labour from pre-natal classes and the doctor or midwife is an important first step towards coping with the pain of labour.
The following activities are useful in alleviating pain:
- Learning to relax helps to promote calmness
- Antenatal classes place the emphasis on being fit and what choices there are, offering more control in labour
- Position during the birth can also make a difference. Some women like to kneel, walk around or rock backwards and forwards
- Feeling in control of what is happening is important. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or to ask for anything at any time
- Having a partner, friend or relative to ‘lean on’ who can provide support during labour helps. If this is not possible, don’t worry, as the midwife will give support
- Warm water and baths can reduce pain.
‘Gas and air’ (Entonox)
This is a mixture of oxygen and another gas called nitrous oxide. It is breathed in through a mask or mouthpiece. Most people are given the chance to practise using the mask or mouthpiece in a pre-natal class. Gas and air won’t remove all the pain, but it can help by reducing it and making it easier to bear. Many women like it because it’s easy to use and control. The gas takes 15–20 seconds to work, so it is breathed in just as a contraction begins.
There are no harmful side-effects, but it can cause lightheadedness. Some women also find that it makes them feel sick or sleepy or unable to concentrate on what is happening. If this happens, simply stop using it.
TENS
This stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and is offered at some hospitals. It lessens the pain for many, but not all, women. There are no known side-effects.
Electrodes are taped on to the back and connected by wires to a small battery-powered stimulator known as an obstetric pulsar.
TENS works by stimulating the body to increase production of its own natural painkillers, called endorphins. It also reduces the number of pain signals that are sent to the brain by the spinal cord.
Injections to Lessen Discomfort
Another form of pain relief is the intramuscular injection of a pain-relieving drug, usually pethidine. It takes about 20 minutes to work and the effects last between two and four hours. It will help the body to relax, and some women find that this lessens the pain.
However, it can make some women feel very ‘woozy’, sick and forgetful. If it hasn’t worn off when there is a need to push, it can make it difficult. The patient may prefer to ask for half a dose initially to see how it works.
Alternative Methods of Pain Relief
Some mothers want to avoid the above methods of pain relief and choose acupuncture, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnosis, massage and reflexology. Discuss the matter with the midwife or doctor, and make sure that the practitioner used is properly trained and experienced.
Source:
BBC News site
