Pain Relief Options During Childbirth: Embracing Serenity

Introduction:

Childbirth involves the process of giving a baby birth via the birth canal. During delivery, the baby advances through the cervix (the opening of the uterus entrance into the vagina) to the vagina. Pregnant women, during labor and vaginal childbirth, may undergo pain and discomfort, though a woman's body is designed in such a way as to cope with the requirement of vaginal baby birth. Vaginal birth is the most typical, cost-effective method of delivering a child, with around 70 percent of women giving birth via the vagina. However, it is helpful to have pain relief options during labor and childbirth. It may make it easier for pregnant women undergoing labor to stay calm and feel relaxed, which can help make childbirth easier. If the women in labor feel stressed and tense, their contractions during labor may feel more painful.

What Are the Pain Relief Options During Childbirth?

The amount of pain pregnant women experience during labor and delivery is diverse for every woman. Pain level depends on many factors, such as the position and size of the baby, the level of comfort of a pregnant woman with the process, and the strength of the uterine contractions.

Two available ways may provide relief from pain during labor and delivery:

• Use of medications.

• Use of non-medical methods.

Some pregnant women choose one way or another, while others rely on a combination of the two. Pregnant women may get help by discussing many aspects of labor with their healthcare provider before labor initiation to ensure that they understand all of the options, benefits, and risks of pain relief during labor and childbirth before making a decision.

What Are the Medical Pain Relief Options for Childbirth?

There are three main available medical pain-relieving options for labor and childbirth includes,

Epidural Anesthesia:

Epidural injections are the most commonly utilized and effective medical pain-relief method during childbirth. They are used for both vaginal births and cesarean-section delivery because they allow the pregnant woman to remain awake and alert during childbirth.

In this method, the doctor will administer an anesthetic agent into the spinal cord on the back, making pregnant women feel numbness from the waist down. The doctor will continuously monitor the heart rate of the baby. An epidural injection does not raise the span of the first stage of labor, increase the probability of a Cesarean section, or cause long-term backache.

However, there are several possible side effects and complications that may occur with epidural anesthesia, including,

• The anesthesia may not be adequate, and the women may still experience some pain which may cause the requirement of repetition of the procedure.

• After the insertion of an epidural, the women's blood pressure may drop, causing them to feel faint and nauseous, which may cause stress to the unborn baby. The doctor will correct the blood pressure by giving intravenous fluid.

• An epidural injection often causes muscle weakness in the legs. Hence women may be confined to bed.

• The absence of feeling in the lower body will take away the ability to know about passing urine. Hence, there is a need to insert a urinary catheter in most cases.

• Epidurals can prolong the second stage of labor.

• The probability of normal vaginal delivery is reduced.

• If the woman cannot push effectively because of altered sensation and decreased muscle strength, the doctor may have to deliver the baby by forceps or vacuum cups.

• Few women, around one percent, experience headaches immediately after the epidural procedure.

• Some women may experience itchiness after epidural injection. Antihistamines can usually treat this issue.

• Some women may also experience pain or tenderness at the epidural injection site.

• Few women experience ongoing numbness in the back in the area of the injection site.

• Some rare complications, such as infection, blood clots, or difficulty breathing, may also occur.

Nitrous Oxide:

It is also known as laughing gas. The doctor mixes nitrogen oxide with oxygen and administers it to the laboring women through a tube held in the mouth or a face mask. Laughing gas takes a few seconds to initiate its function, so taking a breath from the mask as the uterine contraction starts for effective pain relief is essential.

However, nitrous oxide does not stop contraction pain entirely but helps reduce each contraction's intensity. The nitrous oxide pain relief method allows women to directly control the pain as they can hold the mask themselves and take deep breaths whenever they feel the requirement. In addition, nitrous oxide does not interfere with uterine contractions and does not stay in the body of the woman or the newborn baby.

However, several possible problems may occur when using nitrous oxide during childbirth, including:

• Confusion and disorientation.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Claustrophobic sensations from the face mask.

• Insufficiency of pain relief.

Pethidine:

It is a potent pain reliever. Usually, the doctor will inject it directly into a muscle of the buttock or intravenously (directly into a vein). The effects of pethidine last from two to four hours, depending on several factors. Pethidine can make the individual feel nauseated, so the doctor will usually give anti-nausea medications simultaneously.

However, there are several possible problems of pain relief with pethidine for pregnant women, including,

• Giddiness and nausea.

• Respiratory depression (reduced breathing).

• Disorientation and altered perception.

• Lack of pain relief in some cases.

Possible problems using pethidine for the baby include:

• The fetus is exposed to the drug through the umbilical cord. Thus the unborn baby may encounter respiratory depression at birth, especially if several doses are administered, or the baby's delivery occurs soon after a pethidine injection. However, This effect is reversible by giving an injection to the baby.

• The sucking reflex of the newborn may also be depressed along with other normal reflexes. Hence, debate persists over the consequences of pethidine on newborns.

What Are the Non-medical Pain Relief Options for Childbirth?

Using non-medical methods may not provide relief from pain effectively but may help reduce stress and help women feel calm. These include,

• Exercising gently and regularly throughout the pregnancy.

• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• Breathing techniques help to cope with each contraction.

• Having a support person near (trusted friend, partner, or loved one) during labor.

• Use of distractions like music.

• Having a massage, Hot or cold packs application, a warm shower or immersion in a bath, and keeping active.

• Hypnosis, acupuncture, or acupressure.

• Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The machine attached to the back sends a small electric current throughout the body.

Conclusion:

Management for pain relief during labor can have different ways, as described above. Pregnant women may combine any medical method with other non-medical pain relief methods to relieve and soothe pain during labor and childbirth. These pain control methods are commonly safe and effective.