All
Mom-to-be’s are aware that labour is usually painful to
a greater or lesser degree, so if you know
the different methods of pain relief, you can think about it
and discuss them before it starts.
Most women who take childbirth preparation classes
learn various breathing methods and
relaxation techniques to cope with the pain and discomfort during
childbirth. The decision
to use pain medication and what type to use, cannot be really
made until labour is
under way and is usually left to the doctor’s discretion.
EASING DISCOMFORT
Can be done by
breathing and relaxation techniques or ask someone (could be
your partner) to massage
and firmly press your lower back. Frequent changes in position
and trying to relax in between
contractions helps. Keep your mouth moist by sucking on ice-chips.
SYSTEMIC
ANALGESIA
Relieving pain without total
loss of consciousness. These could be intramuscular or intravenous
injectable drugs, which take about 20 minutes to work and
the effect can last for 3-4 hours. The disadvantages are that
they could make you feel sick or sleepy, so that you cannot push
effectively when you need to.
PUDENDAL ANESTHESIA
An injection given shortly
before delivery to block pain in the perineum region before episiotomy
(cut given in between the
vagina and rectum in the perineum to assist delivery) considered
to be one of the safest forms of anaesthesia with minimum side
effects.
PARACERVICAL
BLOCK
Relieves pain in the cervix
to allow the head to descend into the birth. Not used often, as
it has effect on foetus’s
heart rate.
EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA
It is a special type of local
anesthesia, which causes loss of feeling in the lower half of
the body by blocking
the nerves, which carry the feelings of pain from the uterus cervix
and vagina to the brain.
It also eases the pain of an episiotomy and can even be used for
a caesarian section allowing the mother to remain conscious for
the birth.
* Method:
Lie on your side with your back curved at the edge of the
bed. A needle is injected between
the bones of the spine. A plastic tube is threaded down the needle
into a place outside
the nerves of the spinal cord, the needle is then removed and
the tube is held in place at
the back, by a sticky tape. The anesthetic solution is injected
down the tube and it takes about
15 minutes to work.
* Disadvantages:
The Mom-to-be cannot change position without help.
As contractions
are not felt the urge to push is missing and you will have to
be told when to do so,
by checking contraction on a monitor. |
