Methods of pain relief during labor

During labor, the uterus contracts intermittently, the pressure of the fetus’s head presses on the cervix, bladder, and intestines of the pregnant woman, causing pain. Doctor Duong Viet Bac, Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said labor pain is likened to “breaking 20 ribs at the same time”, with frequency and severity gradually increasing. Below are some pain relief methods that pregnant women can refer to.

Relieve pain with natural methods

Pregnant women relieve pain with relaxation techniques and psychological support such as listening to soothing music to distract attention from the pain. Relax your body, always keep your mouth and chin relaxed, focus on inhaling deeply through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth.

Gentle massage on the back and limbs is also a way to reduce stress. Pregnant women can take a warm bath to relax their bodies and reduce pain. Changing positions regularly such as standing, kneeling, sitting on a yoga ball, leaning against the wall… or moving and exercising gently helps reduce pressure, helping the birth process go easily. The support, comfort, and encouragement of relatives is also a spiritual therapy that helps pregnant women overcome natural pain.

Use medicine

In case labor pain lasts longer and exceeds the mother’s tolerance, the doctor may consider pain relief with medication. Dr. Bac said that some painkillers have effects on the entire body, called central painkillers, and are injected intramuscularly or intravenously. The pain may not completely disappear, and there is a risk of causing side effects such as nausea in the mother and respiratory depression in the newborn, so it is rarely recommended.

Some other medications that can reduce pain by numbing the area below the waist include:

Local anesthesia Helps reduce pain during normal birth. The doctor injects anesthetic into the vaginal area to prevent pain from pushing or performing an episiotomy.

Epidural anesthesia is currently the most effective and popular pain relief technique for pregnant women and fetuses in cases of normal birth or cesarean section. Anesthesia is injected into the epidural space located at lumbar level through a small catheter. This catheter is left in place to drain low concentrations of anesthetic during labor, thereby reducing pain quickly, after about 10-20 minutes of injection. During labor, pregnant women can self-control the use of anesthesia multiple times through an electric injection pump.

Spinal anesthesia is a quick pain relief method, often used during cesarean section. Procedure to inject anesthetic into the subarachnoid or subdural space through a thin needle. The anesthetic mixes with the cerebrospinal fluid, affects the nerve roots, and lasts 2-3 hours.

Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSE) Usually applied in cases where the cesarean delivery time is longer than initially expected or the spinal anesthetic is no longer effective. Thanks to this method, the surgery is not interrupted, the mother receives a reduced dose of anesthesia, avoids the risk of complications and side effects of the drug, and the pain relief effect is prolonged both during and after surgery.

According to Dr. Bac, the method of pain relief during childbirth using anesthetics can have some side effects such as low blood pressure, nausea, back pain, infection… The drug is also contraindicated for people with local infections. injection site, blood clotting disorders, severe heart and liver diseases, spinal diseases such as polio, deformities, kyphosis or spinal deformities, severe anemia…

Anesthesia Mandatory indication in cases of emergency cesarean section. People with anesthetic allergy, infection at the anesthetic needle puncture site, blood clotting disorders, certain maternity diseases (placenta praevia centralis, eclampsia…), acute fetal distress, placental abruption.

Use anesthetic gas

This is a mixture of nitrogen oxide gas (also known as laughing gas) and oxygen gas mixed in a 1:1 ratio. The gas is delivered through a mask or oral tube, causing anesthesia within a few seconds. This method can reduce the intensity of contractions without remaining in the body of both mother and child. However, pregnant women may feel dizzy, nauseous, sleepy or unable to concentrate.

Doctor Bac recommends that pregnant women should maintain prenatal yoga practice to have good health, a comfortable spirit, and a smooth birth. To safely relieve pain, women should improve their obstetric knowledge through prenatal classes to understand details about the birth process such as signs of labor. Consult your doctor to choose a pain relief method suitable for your health condition.