How can I handle my labor pain?
You can expect some pain. But
how much can be difficult to predict. All different. And even if you've
experienced it before, it might be different this time. A lot happens, from
muscle tension to pressure on the body, when the baby comes out of the vagina.
You will have a choice.
Discuss this with your doctor so he knows what you want and so you know your
options. Keep in mind that your choice may change when labor begins - it could
be a difficult labor or something different than you and your doctor expected.
It's good to have a plan, but you can also change it if you need to.
Drug-Free approaches
One of the best things you can
do while pregnant is to stay active (as long as your doctor approves). You will
become stronger and more resilient, which can be important if labor lasts a
long time.
You can also check out Lamaze.
This encourages women to feel confident before childbirth. This is a natural
and healthy process. Lamaze includes relaxation and breathing exercises that
can help reduce your perception of pain and also teaches you how to use
distraction or massage from a supportive coach.
There is also the Bradley
method, in which another person (often the baby's father) acts as the birth
coach. He encourages drug-free work, unless drugs are absolutely necessary.
This method focuses on nutrition, exercise, relaxation and breathing techniques.
But they usually do not discuss work issues. You can discuss this with your
doctor so that you are prepared.
When labor comes, some women
also use other methods to relieve pain, including walking, massage, trying to
relax, bathing or showering, changing body positions, and listening to music.
When there is time to try to relax, these methods can help.
Medications
There are two types of
medicines that can relieve labor pain:
- Painkillers reduce pain, but you may still feel something.
- Anesthetics cause numbness. They can block pain and all other sensations.
Some painkillers work on the
whole body. Others may relieve pain in small areas such as the vagina, vulva,
and perineum.
Other painkillers or
anesthetics reduce or block pain in large areas of the body. During childbirth,
these medicines can dull or numb pain below the waist. These include epidural block, spinal block, and combined spinal-epidural block.
- Epidural: Often referred to simply as "epidural", this is the most common type of pain medication used during childbirth. You can get it during a vaginal delivery or cesarean section. The doctor injects medicine into the lower back. The job takes about 10-20 minutes.
An epidural usually relieves
pain during childbirth while keeping you alert. This may lower your blood
pressure, which may slow your child's heart rate, although this is unlikely. In
addition, it can also affect your ability to urinate, so you may need a
catheter. Other side effects include:
- Fever
- Itching
- (Rarely) a bad headache in the days after you give birth
- Spinal block:
Doctors may use a spinal block before a cesarean section (less commonly, it is
used during vaginal delivery). It's a shot in the lower back. It usually starts
working within a few minutes and lasts 1-2 hours. Side effects are the same as
for epidural anesthesia.
- Combined spinal epidural: Combined spinal epidural combines the benefits of an
epidural and a spinal block for quick and short-term pain relief. You can get
the same level of pain relief with a combined spinal epidural as with an
epidural, but with a lower dose of medication. It is sometimes called a
"walking epidural" because you can still walk a short distance after
it is given. In this way, you will be able to use the toilet with assistance
(if it is allowed in your hospital or maternity hospital). The risks are the
same as with epidural anesthesia.
- Tranquilizers:
These drugs are not usually used during childbirth, but can sometimes help
reduce anxiety when injected into a muscle or intravenously. They last
approximately 10-20 minutes and can help you relax for 3-4 hours. They can make
you drowsy and forget about some of your work, and they won't make you
completely pain free. They can also affect your baby by making him very drowsy
and slow at birth.
- Narcotics:
Your doctor may give them intravenously to reduce labor pain. They usually work
within a few minutes and last from 2 to 6 hours. They do not completely
eliminate pain and may cause drowsiness. They can also affect your breathing or
your child's breathing. These drugs can be given to women who do not want an
epidural but want pain relief during childbirth.
- Pudenal block: This is an injection that can block pain between the vagina and the anus (perineum). It takes about 10-20 minutes to work and rarely has any negative effects. But it may not work for some people and cause an allergic reaction or even an infection. It can also lower your blood pressure. Currently, this method is used less frequently.