Pain relief options to support your needs in labour
Whether you're wanting a natural or medicated labour there are a number of options available to support you. Choosing …
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Pain Relief in Labour
These days, you have a wide variety of options from drug-based anesthetics to more traditional methods such as heat and water.
What you need to know if you're using massage for labour pain relief
Massage through labour can be a very effective way to avoid medical pain relief... or it can be precisely what drives you to the epidural! It's not the fact that you're being massaged in labour that reduces the experience of pain and discomfort, but …
Taking sides - Pain relief in labour
What a relief by Liz Breslin Childbirth hurts. That much is obvious. But when we get down to talking about how much it hurts and the best things to do about the pain, we come up with an interesting problem. It's unquantifiable, and therefore …
General Anesthetic
General anesthesia is usually only used in situations where an emergency caeserian section needs to be performed and there isn't time to set up an epidural or spinal block. The advantage of a general anesthetic is that you don't feel any pain as you …
Spinal Block
A spinal block is administered in the same way as an epidural, via a needle into the epidural space in your back, but unlike the epidural which can be topped up, the spinal block consists of a single dose of local anesthetic which completely numbs …
Entonox
Entonox is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen which is inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece. It is effective almost immediately, and the effects will peak after one minute, so you need to time the use of the gas to coincide with the …
Heat and Water
Many women find heat and/or water useful for managing pain during labour, particularly during early labour. A wheat bag or hot water bottle applied to your abdomen or lower back can help with the pain of contractions. Conversely some …
Breathing Techniques
It is well known that breathing techniques (similar to those used in yoga) can help you relax and focus your mind on something other than pain. You will probably find that deep, meditative breathing comes naturally to you in response to …
Pain relief: TENS machine
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It consists of four battery powered electrode pads that send small electrical currents into your back. It releases two types of charge: low frequency charges which cause the release of …
Pethidine
Pethidine is a sedating analgesic drug and is one of the more commonly used methods of pain relief during labour. It is administered via either an intramuscular or intravenous injection. The major advantage of pethidine is that while it will …
Epidural
The use of epidural pain relief during labour is becoming more and more prevalent, and it is estimated that epidurals are administered in approximately 25% of all labours in New Zealand. An epidural is a nerve block that goes into the area …