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Pain Relief during Labour
Funnily enough, it wasn’t the thought of what I was going to do with a tiny baby 24/7 that kept me up at nights, it was the dread and fear I had over giving birth. We have all spent our lives hearing horror stories about how painful labour will be, and many of us delay having children for this simple reason alone. It is the complete fear of the unknown that scares us silly.
Many of us, may not let the stories concern us when we decide to start a family, though once you are pregnant, no matter how brave you are, there will always be a part of you that will be thinking about what labour will be like, how painful it will be, if you will cope, and what there may be available to help you.
Many of us, may not let the stories concern us when we decide to start a family, though once you are pregnant, no matter how brave you are, there will always be a part of you that will be thinking about what labour will be like, how painful it will be, if you will cope, and what there may be available to help you.
Obviously things have changed since our Grandmother’s day, and we no longer have to ‘suffer in silence’ or in excruciating screaming pain, we now have lots of options available to us, from the more natural pain relief options like hypnotherapy through to the Rolls Royce of pain relief the epidural.
Some women will want to explore all their options and decide on a birth plan long before they feel their first contraction, whilst others are happy to go with the flow on the day, and see what happens. I was one of the later, and was happy just to use natural pain relief options in the early days, and look at stronger pain relief if and when I needed it. I had no real opinion one way or the other, I was just happy to let my body and my doctor guide me on the day.
So what are your pain relief options during labour?
Natural Labour Pain Relief Options
Many women like the idea of a natural birth, and choose to undertake the whole labour without any drugs, whilst others use natural therapy in the early stages of labour and move on to assisted pain relief later on. So what are some of the more natural options:
Water
Warm water can be, and is, a wonderfully soothing and natural way to help relief pain, and stress within the body. Whilst it may or not help you in the later stages of labour, unless you are choosing to have a water birth, using water as a way to cope with contractions in early labour is definitely a recommended option for most women.
Some women choose to soak in a deep bath or warm water, whilst others use a directed shower head to enjoy the benefits of water therapy. Getting your partner to direct the shower head onto your back during contractions whilst sitting on a fit or birthing ball can be very beneficial for many mothers.
TENS - Pain Relief
TENS is a relatively new natural therapy in Australia, though it has been used overseas, particularly in Europe for decades.
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, and it is basically a machine that is attached to your back in the form of small stick on electrodes, which send small electronic signals up your spinal cord and into the brain. These signals tell your brain that you are experiencing lots of extreme pain which, in turn tricks your body into releasing natural pain relieving endorphins, which helps the user better manage their pain.
It can take up to an hour for your body to build up an effective release of hormones, so your TENS machine should be used from the early onset of labour and during each contractions. The machines come with adjustable signal strength and a quick response on/off button so that the mother can control its use with ease.
There are no side effects to using a TENS machine and the signal is not deep enough to affect the baby. So this can be a very good alternative pain relief for many women. The only down side is that the unit cannot be used in the bath or shower, and is not as effective in the later stages of labour.
Some hospitals provide a unit in the delivery ward, though if they are not available in your hospital they can be hired for around $90 for 5 weeks, or purchased for around $200 -250. As they can also assist people that suffer from back pain, purchasing your own unit could assist various members of your family.
Hypnotherapy
We all know that the brain tells us when we are in pain, so the idea behind using hypnotherapy is that you can train your body to reduce pain through stress management, relaxation and visualisation.
There are courses that can be undertaken in hypnotherapy or you can purchase CD’s to listen to daily in the weeks before labour as well as on the day.
Massage
Some women find massage a wonderful drug free pain relief. Basically you lay on your side or sit and lean forward on a chair or birthing ball and have your birth partner firmly and consistently rub you lower back during each contraction.
Some women can use this technique throughout the labour whilst for other’s it only gets them through the early stages of labour.
Assisted Labour Pain Relief Options
Whilst many women want to try to have a natural drug free birth, there are no awards given for suffering through the labour drug free, and no-one is really going to care, or remember, whether or not you managed to get through the birth with or without any help.
Labour is an extremely painful, and exhausting experience, and there is nothing wrong with or, nothing to be ashamed of, when it comes to asking for pain relief. In fact trying to ‘soldier on’ is sometimes detrimental to both you and your baby, as your exhaustion can increase the risk of an emergency caesarean. So don’t be try to be a hero, if you feel you need help, just ask, that’s what it’s there for.
Gas
The gas is actually a 50/50 mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen, and is the mildest and safest option of all assisted pain relief.
The gas is administered to the mother via a mask or mouthpiece during a contraction. And quickly passes to the mother’s bloodstream providing some pain relief. The gas actually alters the brain’s perception of pain, so is more about reducing and taking the edge off the pain rather than removing it all together.
The gas only works whilst the mother is breathing it in. Once she stops breathing in the gas, it is out of her system within a few minutes, and it has little to no affect on the baby.
Gas can be a good option during the early parts of labour, though some women find its use restrictive, particularly if the gas pipe is attached to a wall. Some women also experience some mild side effects such as nausea, light-headedness and dizziness.
Many women use gas in the earlier stages of labour before moving onto stronger pain relief like pethidine or an epidural, whilst some women are able to use gas in conjunction with other natural pain relief options such as water therapy and massage to help get them through. Everyone is different.
Pethidine
Pethidine is a narcotic drug that is usually injected into your leg to assist with pain relief. The drug is highly effective and fast acting, though it can leave you feeling drowsy, and only lasts a couple of hours.
Whilst it does offer good pain relief it can have some side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness, and in some cases even hallucinations.
If administered too close to delivery, the drug can cross over into the placenta and enter the baby’s blood stream. Whilst there are no serious side effects for your baby it can cause them to be drowsy during the hours after birth, and in some cases affect their breathing and feeding, which for some women is completely unacceptable.
Pethidine is a good option for quick and short lasting pain relief; however mothers should discuss the drug with their Doctor to ensure that they fully understand all aspects of its use.
Epidural
The epidural is affectionately known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of pain relief, and is considered the best form of pain relief during labour. It is also used to assist women suffering from high blood pressure during the labour or women who are experiencing extreme stress and exhaustion during the birth.
An epidural is basically the term used to describe the injection of local anaesthetic into the epidural space of the spinal cord. The epidural is actually a pain blocker and is extremely effective in eliminating most, if not all pain in a matter minutes. (10-15 minutes).
Epidurals are very effective in around 85% of women, whilst around 10% may have some break through pain and need a top up, and an unlucky 5% may find that the epidural fails to work as hoped, and they may still feel some or all the pain associated with the labour.
Epidurals have the least affect on your baby, though they can result in a higher risk of a vacuum or forceps delivery, and can slow down the delivery.
Whilst epidurals do provide the mother with the absolute best in pain relief, it does come with some associated risks. Side effects can include, shivering, shaking and a drop in blood pressure, as well as some tingling and numbness in the legs and a bad headache once the drug wears off.
In some rare cases there can be some permanent nerve damage ranging from temporary feelings of pins and needles through to the more serious result of temporary or permanent paralysis. Whilst this result is very rare, it is important to discuss all aspects of this procedure with your Doctor or anaesthetist.
If you suffer from severe pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) or have an increased risk of bleeding such as haemophilia, an epidural may not be suitable for you, and you will need to discuss other pain relief options with your Doctor.
Whatever you do choose – do what is best for you and your baby.....
For me – I didn’t start out with any kind of plan, I wanted to try to go as long as I could with natural therapies, but knew that at some point I would probably need some assistance, as my pain threshold is normally pretty low.
I had thought about an epidural, but was like many, a little frightened by the risks involved, no matter how low. So I aimed to avoid one if I could, or for at least as long as possible.
From the time my waters broke to the moment my daughter was born was a total of about 15 hours. I started out, just using breathing, stretching and walking exercises, then moved onto a TENS machine, followed by a fit ball in the shower and finally an epidural. Once I had the epidural, my pain, stress and tiredness were instantly alleviated and I was able to relax and be a part of the experience.
Some women will want to explore all their options and decide on a birth plan long before they feel their first contraction, whilst others are happy to go with the flow on the day, and see what happens. I was one of the later, and was happy just to use natural pain relief options in the early days, and look at stronger pain relief if and when I needed it. I had no real opinion one way or the other, I was just happy to let my body and my doctor guide me on the day.
So what are your pain relief options during labour?
Natural Labour Pain Relief Options
Many women like the idea of a natural birth, and choose to undertake the whole labour without any drugs, whilst others use natural therapy in the early stages of labour and move on to assisted pain relief later on. So what are some of the more natural options:
Water
Warm water can be, and is, a wonderfully soothing and natural way to help relief pain, and stress within the body. Whilst it may or not help you in the later stages of labour, unless you are choosing to have a water birth, using water as a way to cope with contractions in early labour is definitely a recommended option for most women.
Some women choose to soak in a deep bath or warm water, whilst others use a directed shower head to enjoy the benefits of water therapy. Getting your partner to direct the shower head onto your back during contractions whilst sitting on a fit or birthing ball can be very beneficial for many mothers.
TENS -
TENS is a relatively new natural therapy in Australia, though it has been used overseas, particularly in Europe for decades.
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, and it is basically a machine that is attached to your back in the form of small stick on electrodes, which send small electronic signals up your spinal cord and into the brain. These signals tell your brain that you are experiencing lots of extreme pain which, in turn tricks your body into releasing natural pain relieving endorphins, which helps the user better manage their pain.
It can take up to an hour for your body to build up an effective release of hormones, so your TENS machine should be used from the early onset of labour and during each contractions. The machines come with adjustable signal strength and a quick response on/off button so that the mother can control its use with ease.
There are no side effects to using a TENS machine and the signal is not deep enough to affect the baby. So this can be a very good alternative pain relief for many women. The only down side is that the unit cannot be used in the bath or shower, and is not as effective in the later stages of labour.
Some hospitals provide a unit in the delivery ward, though if they are not available in your hospital they can be hired for around $90 for 5 weeks, or purchased for around $200 -
Hypnotherapy
We all know that the brain tells us when we are in pain, so the idea behind using hypnotherapy is that you can train your body to reduce pain through stress management, relaxation and visualisation.
There are courses that can be undertaken in hypnotherapy or you can purchase CD’s to listen to daily in the weeks before labour as well as on the day.
Massage
Some women find massage a wonderful drug free pain relief. Basically you lay on your side or sit and lean forward on a chair or birthing ball and have your birth partner firmly and consistently rub you lower back during each contraction.
Some women can use this technique throughout the labour whilst for other’s it only gets them through the early stages of labour.
Assisted Labour Pain Relief Options
Whilst many women want to try to have a natural drug free birth, there are no awards given for suffering through the labour drug free, and no-
Labour is an extremely painful, and exhausting experience, and there is nothing wrong with or, nothing to be ashamed of, when it comes to asking for pain relief. In fact trying to ‘soldier on’ is sometimes detrimental to both you and your baby, as your exhaustion can increase the risk of an emergency caesarean. So don’t be try to be a hero, if you feel you need help, just ask, that’s what it’s there for.
Gas
The gas is actually a 50/50 mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen, and is the mildest and safest option of all assisted pain relief.
The gas is administered to the mother via a mask or mouthpiece during a contraction. And quickly passes to the mother’s bloodstream providing some pain relief. The gas actually alters the brain’s perception of pain, so is more about reducing and taking the edge off the pain rather than removing it all together.
The gas only works whilst the mother is breathing it in. Once she stops breathing in the gas, it is out of her system within a few minutes, and it has little to no affect on the baby.
Gas can be a good option during the early parts of labour, though some women find its use restrictive, particularly if the gas pipe is attached to a wall. Some women also experience some mild side effects such as nausea, light-
Many women use gas in the earlier stages of labour before moving onto stronger pain relief like pethidine or an epidural, whilst some women are able to use gas in conjunction with other natural pain relief options such as water therapy and massage to help get them through. Everyone is different.
Pethidine
Pethidine is a narcotic drug that is usually injected into your leg to assist with pain relief. The drug is highly effective and fast acting, though it can leave you feeling drowsy, and only lasts a couple of hours.
Whilst it does offer good pain relief it can have some side effects, such as nausea, vomiting and dizziness, and in some cases even hallucinations.
If administered too close to delivery, the drug can cross over into the placenta and enter the baby’s blood stream. Whilst there are no serious side effects for your baby it can cause them to be drowsy during the hours after birth, and in some cases affect their breathing and feeding, which for some women is completely unacceptable.
Pethidine is a good option for quick and short lasting pain relief; however mothers should discuss the drug with their Doctor to ensure that they fully understand all aspects of its use.
Epidural
The epidural is affectionately known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of pain relief, and is considered the best form of pain relief during labour. It is also used to assist women suffering from high blood pressure during the labour or women who are experiencing extreme stress and exhaustion during the birth.
An epidural is basically the term used to describe the injection of local anaesthetic into the epidural space of the spinal cord. The epidural is actually a pain blocker and is extremely effective in eliminating most, if not all pain in a matter minutes. (10-
Epidurals are very effective in around 85% of women, whilst around 10% may have some break through pain and need a top up, and an unlucky 5% may find that the epidural fails to work as hoped, and they may still feel some or all the pain associated with the labour.
Epidurals have the least affect on your baby, though they can result in a higher risk of a vacuum or forceps delivery, and can slow down the delivery.
Whilst epidurals do provide the mother with the absolute best in pain relief, it does come with some associated risks. Side effects can include, shivering, shaking and a drop in blood pressure, as well as some tingling and numbness in the legs and a bad headache once the drug wears off.
In some rare cases there can be some permanent nerve damage ranging from temporary feelings of pins and needles through to the more serious result of temporary or permanent paralysis. Whilst this result is very rare, it is important to discuss all aspects of this procedure with your Doctor or anaesthetist.
If you suffer from severe pre-
Whatever you do choose – do what is best for you and your baby.....
For me – I didn’t start out with any kind of plan, I wanted to try to go as long as I could with natural therapies, but knew that at some point I would probably need some assistance, as my pain threshold is normally pretty low.
I had thought about an epidural, but was like many, a little frightened by the risks involved, no matter how low. So I aimed to avoid one if I could, or for at least as long as possible.
From the time my waters broke to the moment my daughter was born was a total of about 15 hours. I started out, just using breathing, stretching and walking exercises, then moved onto a TENS machine, followed by a fit ball in the shower and finally an epidural. Once I had the epidural, my pain, stress and tiredness were instantly alleviated and I was able to relax and be a part of the experience.
Once the pain had stopped, I wondered why I had tried to be a super hero on my own for so long. I know now why it is called the Rolls Royce of pain relief because once the pain stopped, my blood pressure dropped, I relaxed, rejuvenated, and was able to be more aware, and in control of my experience during the final stages of labour. I was more focused on the birth and what was happening around me than concentrating on the pain. Whilst it is a personal choice, for me it was the right thing to do. And I would definitely use it again.....
Send us any advice you may have on labour pain relief options, or send us your own birthing stories and experiences, we would love to hear from you....
