Every woman copes with the pain of labour differently. Some women want to give birth without medications; others want to have as much medication as they can, as quickly as possible!
This is a completely personal decision. You should never feel pressured to take medication you don't want. We have already discussed positioning, massage and breathing techniques. These techniques can and do reduce pain, but their effectiveness varies from woman to woman. For some women these techniques are enough, other women choose to combine them with medications to reduce the amount of drug they use. If you do choose to avoid or delay medication, it is wise to investigate the medications you might choose if you change your mind.
Medications
There are two main drug options for pain relief:
Which option you use will depend on:
You should talk to the anesthesiologist (a doctor trained to administer pain medication) about any health conditions or allergies you have that might limit your use of medications.
Narcotics
Drugs such as meperidine (Demerol®), nalbuphine (Nubaine®) or morphine can be given in early labour, if the birth is not expected within four hours. These drugs relieve pain, although pain relief may be less complete than the relief achieved with an epidural (see below). These drugs can also make you feel dopey and "out-of-it". Because they do cross the placenta these drugs may slow your baby's breathing after the birth. Your caregivers should be watchful for this side effect, if narcotics are given late in labour. These medications are usually injected into a muscle, but they may be given intravenously by a physician.
Epidural
An epidural uses local anaesthetic (a medication that numbs the area and causes loss of feeling). This medication is injected into the lower back numbing the nerves to the uterus and birth canal. A small dose of a morphine-like drug is often included to reduce the amount of freezing required. An epidural does not make you or your baby sleepy and can be used without slowing labour. Some types of epidural will numb your legs and lower body making walking difficult. Other types of epidurals do not cause weakness or numbing in the legs. These are commonly called walking epidurals. Talk to the anesthesiologist about what type is right for you.
This is a completely personal decision. You should never feel pressured to take medication you don't want. We have already discussed positioning, massage and breathing techniques. These techniques can and do reduce pain, but their effectiveness varies from woman to woman. For some women these techniques are enough, other women choose to combine them with medications to reduce the amount of drug they use. If you do choose to avoid or delay medication, it is wise to investigate the medications you might choose if you change your mind.
Medications
There are two main drug options for pain relief:
- narcotic drugs like morphine given early in labour
- an epidural
Which option you use will depend on:
- your preferences
- where you are giving birth (The medications commonly offered differ in different areas of the country.)
You should talk to the anesthesiologist (a doctor trained to administer pain medication) about any health conditions or allergies you have that might limit your use of medications.
Narcotics
Drugs such as meperidine (Demerol®), nalbuphine (Nubaine®) or morphine can be given in early labour, if the birth is not expected within four hours. These drugs relieve pain, although pain relief may be less complete than the relief achieved with an epidural (see below). These drugs can also make you feel dopey and "out-of-it". Because they do cross the placenta these drugs may slow your baby's breathing after the birth. Your caregivers should be watchful for this side effect, if narcotics are given late in labour. These medications are usually injected into a muscle, but they may be given intravenously by a physician.
Epidural
An epidural uses local anaesthetic (a medication that numbs the area and causes loss of feeling). This medication is injected into the lower back numbing the nerves to the uterus and birth canal. A small dose of a morphine-like drug is often included to reduce the amount of freezing required. An epidural does not make you or your baby sleepy and can be used without slowing labour. Some types of epidural will numb your legs and lower body making walking difficult. Other types of epidurals do not cause weakness or numbing in the legs. These are commonly called walking epidurals. Talk to the anesthesiologist about what type is right for you.
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