Pain relief options in labour.....

Labour can be a painful and stressful experience - but there are lots of ways you can help to ease the pain. Every woman will experience labour and pain differently, so it's important for you to find out about all your available options in order to work out which treatment will be best for you.

Each type of pain relief has pros and cons, so make sure to discuss these with your midwife and birth partner, before your labour begins. Some of your pain relief options during labour are shown below. ...


TENS machine
A TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine works by blocking pain signals and stimulating your body's production of endorphins (the body's natural pain-killing substances). The machine delivers small amounts of electrical current through a number of pads which are placed on your back. You can control the strength of the current using a hand-held device.


Gas and air
Also known as Entonox, gas and air is a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide. You inhale the mixture of gases through a mask or mouthpiece during painful contractions. This type of pain relief works very quickly, and shouldn't cause you or your baby any side effects.


Epidural
An epidural is a local anaesthetic which is injected into your spine to help block the pain signals which are being passed through your nerves to your brain. It is one of the most effective treatments for labour pain. You will still be able to move around, and it will not stop you feeling the pushing sensations during the final stages of your labour.

Epidurals can cause side effects, such as headaches and a drop in your blood pressure, so it's important to discuss this treatment with your midwife to see if it will be suitable for you.


Medication
If you're experiencing intense pain during your labour, you may wish to use a pain-killing medicine, such as pethidine. Unfortunately, no pain-killing medicines are entirely 'risk-free' and there is always a small chance that either you or your baby will experience side effects, such as nausea, drowsiness and shallow breathing.

You normally won't be able to have pethidine if you're in the final stages of labour, because this is when the medicine is most likely to cause side-effects in your baby.


Water
Being in water can also help to ease the pain of labour. If you choose to go through labour in water, the temperature will be closely monitored by hospital staff. Guidelines state that the water temperature must not exceed 37.5C (99.5F).

The cleanliness of birthing pools and baths will also be closely monitored by the microbiology department within the hospital.

The warmth and feeling of being in water can help to relax you, and ease your muscles during labour. Water may also reduce the severity of your contractions, meaning that you do not need to rely on painkillers as much.


Complementary therapies
Some women chose to use complementary therapies during their labour, often in combination with more conventional treatment (such as medication). Many women find therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and reflexology help them to relax. Practising breathing, relaxing and visualisation techniques can also help.

The research into the effectiveness of complementary therapies during labour is limited, but it is important to remember that what relaxes you is a personal choice.

i had the epidural with jason it made my blood prease really high. after 5 hrs of having it done i started to feel the pain
naw its been 16 months i still get really bad bach ache right where the tube was.
just thought id share this litle info
xxxxx

I dont really know what I'm going to do yet, think I'm just gunna see how damn painful it is lots of my friends have had strict views on pain relief and its all gone out the window on the day, so think it's gunna be better to go in open minded and just shout "GIMME EVERYTHIN UV GOT!!" xx