©Pregnancy bliss 2008
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Sumary overview of pain control options in labor
There are essential facts that any pregnant woman anticipating labor needs to know.
Ø Methods that do not use any kind of drugs are available. They are usually only really effective in the latent and early stages of labor. The TENS machine is the most common and well known.
Ø Entonox gas works fast and the effect wears off rapidly. It has to be used continuously to be really effective. It makes you sleepy and its effectiveness is limited and, for most, inadequate in established labor.
Ø Injection (systemic) painkillers such as Diamorphine and Pethidine are the most widely used painkillers in labor. Virtually all cause some degree of nausea and/or vomiting. They are also quite sedating. Opinion among women differs widely on their effectiveness; many find them adequate and others think they are almost totally useless.
Ø The epidural is by far the most effective method of pain relief in labor. In most
cases it renders the woman completely pain-free. Drawbacks include being confined
to bed and it may prolong the second stage of labor. It is extremely safe with occasional
temporary side-effects. In a very few instances it doesn't work. It is also not suitable
for everybody and there are medical conditions that contra-indicate its use.