Labor and Delivery

You can choose from several types of pain relief for childbirth. These include medicine or breathing techniques, as well as comfort measures. You also can use a combination of these choices.

Comfort measures

There are many ways to reduce the stresses of labor and delivery. "Natural" childbirth techniques (without medicine) may help reduce pain and help you feel a sense of control during labor. Consider:

• Reference Continuous labor support. Having a support person with you from early labor until after childbirth has a proven, positive effect on childbirth.^{Reference 1}
• Distraction. During early labor, you can walk, play cards, watch TV, take a shower, or listen to music to help take your mind off your contractions.
• Massage. Massage of the shoulders and lower back during contractions may ease your pain. Strong massage of the back muscles (counterpressure) during contractions may help relieve the pain of Reference back labor Opens New Window. Tell your labor coach exactly where to push and how hard to push.
• Reference Imagery. Imagery is using your imagination to decrease your pain. For instance, to help manage pain, visualize contractions as waves rolling over you. Picture a peaceful place, such as a beach or mountain stream, to help you relax between contractions.
• Changing positions during labor. Walking, kneeling, or sitting on a big rubber ball (birth ball) are good options. For more information see Reference Labor Positions.
• Reference Focused breathing techniques. Breathing in a rhythm can distract you from pain. Childbirth education classes will teach you different methods of focused breathing.
• Reference Laboring in water. Soaking in warm water may help with pain, stress, and sometimes slow, difficult labor.^{Reference 2, Reference 3}

Other techniques without medicine

Other techniques that don't use medicine to control pain include:

• Reference Hypnosis. This is a low-risk way of managing labor pain and anxiety that works for some women.^{Reference 4}
• Acupuncture. Small studies suggest that Reference acupuncture Opens New Window is a low-risk, effective way of managing labor pain for some women.^{Reference 4}

Pain relief with medicine

Your options for pain relief with medicine may include:

• Reference Opioids (narcotics), which are used to reduce anxiety and partially relieve pain. An opioid is less likely than epidural anesthesia to lead to an assisted (forceps or vacuum) delivery.^{Reference 5} But an opioid is usually not used when you are close to delivery, because it can affect a newborn's breathing.
• Reference Epidural anesthesia, which is an ongoing injection of pain medicine into the epidural space around the spinal cord. This partially or fully numbs the lower body.

  Opens New Window Pregnancy: Should I Have an Epidural During Childbirth? Opens New Window

• Reference Pudendal and paracervical blocks. These are injections of pain medicine into the pelvic area to reduce labor pain. Pudendal is one of the safest forms of anesthesia for numbing the area where the baby will come out. It can be helpful with fast labor when a little pain medicine is needed close to delivery.

Some pain-relief medicines aren't the type that you would request during labor. They are used as part of another procedure or for an emergency delivery. But it's a good idea to know about them.

• Reference Local anesthesia is the injection of numbing pain medicine into the skin. This is done before inserting an epidural or before making an incision (Reference episiotomy Opens New Window) that widens the vaginal opening for the birth.
• Reference Spinal block is an injection of pain medicine into the spinal fluid. It quickly and fully numbs the pelvic area for assisted births, such as a Reference forceps Opens New Window or Reference cesarean Opens New Window delivery.
• Reference General anesthesia Opens New Window is the use of inhaled or Reference intravenous (IV) Opens New Window medicine, which makes you unconscious. It has more risks, yet it takes effect much faster than epidural or spinal anesthesia. So general anesthesia is usually only used for some emergency C-sections that require a rapid delivery.

© 1995-2011, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.