One of the most thrilling and gratifying experiences in your life will be the birth of your child. This significant event should be made as safe and pleasant as possible for both you and your baby. Your obstetrician, anesthesiologist and nurse want to help you and your partner reach this goal.
Each women's labor is unique to her. The amount of labor pain you feel will differ from that felt by other women in labor. It depends on factors such as your level of pain tolerance, the size and position of the baby, strength of uterine contractions and prior birth experiences. Medical decisions regarding control of your labor pain are dependent on many factors and are made on an individual basis for each woman.
Some women achieve adequate comfort with the breathing and relaxation techniques learned at childbirth classes. Others may find these methods inadequate.
Many mothers are reconsidering the idea that childbirth is "natural" only without medication, and they are choosing to have pain relief during labor and delivery to help them experience a more comfortable childbirth. Several pain relief options are available:
Intravenous "I.V." or Intramuscular "I.M." Medications -
Pain-relieving medications that are injected into a vein or muscle will help to dull your pain but may not eliminate it completely. These medications are usually prescribed by your obstetrician. Because they often make you and your baby sleepy, they are mainly used during early labor.
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Local Anesthesia -
Other pain-relieving medications may be injected in the vagina or rectal areas by your obstetrician at the time of delivery. These medications are local anesthetics. They provide a numbness or loss of sensation in a small area. Local anesthesia is often used to ease the pain of delivery or when an incision (episiotomy) is done to assist the delivery. It does not, however, lessen the pain of contractions.
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Regional Blocks -
Regional blocks can reduce the discomfort of labor and provide either analgesia (is the full or partial relief of painful sensations) or anesthesia (usually considered to be a more intense blockage of all painful sensations). Regional blocks include epidural, spinal and a combined epidural-spinal blocks. They are administered in the lower back by a specialist physician called an anesthesiologist. Local anesthetics and other drugs are used to block pain and other sensations over a wider region of the body. Epidural analgesia may be used for labor and vaginal delivery. An epidural block may be used to provide anesthesia for a cesarean delivery. A spinal block may be used to provide labor analgesia or anesthesia for a cesarean delivery. A combined spinal-epidural block may also be used for labor analgesia and/or anesthesia.
Regional blocks for labor and delivery have become very popular because they are safe and very effective. The epidural block decreases sensation in the lower areas of your body, yet you remain awake and alert. The right time to administer the epidural block will vary from woman to woman.
If you request a regional block, your obstetrician and anesthesiologist will evaluate you and your baby, taking into account your health, past anesthetic experiences, the progress of labor and your baby's status.
To view a presentation on Epidurals, click here.
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