Pain relief

If you are writing a birth plan, also include your wishes for pain relief. The various methods of pain relief include:

Breathing and Self-Help

Some women choose to use no pain medication at all during their labor and delivery, relying instead on breathing techniques and relaxation exercises to cope with the intensity of the contractions.

The various breathing and relaxation techniques include:

Many women find these techniques extremely helpful even if they choose to use medication as well.

Hydrotherapy

Being in water can relieve some of the pain of contractions. If your water has broken you will probably be advised not to soak in a tub, but it will still be okay to have a shower. Some hospitals are equipped with birthing pools, so you should ask your doctor ahead of time if that option will be available to you. Under some circumstances - such as when you or your baby require continuous monitoring - hydrotherapy will not be possible.

Gas and Air (Entonox)

This method does not remove all the pain but it does help to make it more manageable, thereby helping you focus on breathing and allowing you to relax. Gas and Air is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen, which is delivered through a mask or a mouthpiece that you will be in control of. As a contraction starts, you breathe the gas and air in, so that the effects coincide with the strongest part of your contraction.

Although many women report feeling lightheaded, there are no side effects to you or your baby that you need to be concerned about when using gas and air. Because you are in control of the mask, you can choose to stop using this method if you feel it is not helping.

Injections

If and when you feel the need for pain relief medication, you can choose to have an injection. The needle will be injected into your buttock or thigh muscle. Common drugs include diamorphine and pethidine, both of which are intended to help you to feel less pain.

Injections take approximately 20 minutes or so to work and the effects can last up to four hours. Some common side effects include nausea and dizziness. Injections for pain relief will not be given too close to delivery as they can make it harder for you to push, interfere with your baby’s breathing and can also hamper breastfeeding.

Epidural Anesthesia

This method involves using a local anesthetic that will be injected into your back, near the nerves that are responsible for carrying the pain sensation. This numbs the nerves and greatly reduces or eliminates the pain of your contractions. It can only be given by an anesthetist and cannot be used during a home birth.

Some side effects include: heavy legs, longer second stage of labor, increased risk of assisted birth devices, headaches and a sore back afterwards.

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)

TENS is often used during the active stage of labor. It is most effective early in labor when lower back can be very uncomfortable for a woman. It can be used at home or in the hospital and some hospitals have their own machines.

This method involves taping electrodes to your back. These electrodes are connected to a battery powered stimulator by wires that deliver safe amounts of currents to your back. These currents are thought to help your body produce natural painkillers and to reduce pain signals that are transmitted to your brain. There are no side effects and you can continue to move around while using TENS.

Alternative Pain Relief

Many women choose to try alternative methods of pain relief including: acupuncture, hypnosis, massage, reflexology and aromatherapy. Most of these are not offered by a hospital, but you can discuss your wish with your doctor or midwife and in most cases you won’t find a conflict.

Many of these methods help you to relax and be better equipped emotionally to handle the pain.

The important thing to remember is that every woman is different, so what works for you may not work for someone else and vice versa.