Joint Pain

What are some other types of pain relief during labor other then the epidural?

I was just wondering about some other drugs [not techniques] that help relieve pain during labor but don't make it so a person cannot get up to walk around. What are the side effects and how effective is the relief? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. epidural is the only type of pain relief that i know of. good luck!
2. There is a shot called nubain, it is suppose to relax you during the contractions. I found that it relaxed me between the contractions but not during. I didn't get any other medications and I didn't feel that this worked for my contractions, just between each!
3. You can get narcotic drugs which really only takes the edge off and you can only get that early in labor. Since the drug can pass to the baby, they will not give it to you past a certain point.
4. Demerol is really good, it really takes the "edge" off of things. I had two natural births with NO pain meds and then with my third i went into very active heavy labor at 39 weeks, right after my water broke. Except i wasnt dialating so they needed to do a c-section, well the people who do the epidural couldnt get there right away they gave me some demerol to "take the edge off" while i waited for the epidural. I loved the demerol. I felt so so so good. It was amazing i could ley comfortable, still feel small contractions but it was great!!!!
5. There isn't really any other pain relief besides the epidural. They might give you something to help the pain but it won't numb you like epidural. Pretty much it's either pain or no pain.
6. pain is not too bad, try and see before you go with meds. everything they can give u will require you to stay in bed
7. they gave me fentanyl, it did nothing at all at the max dosage, thank god i had a short labor.
8. there is pethadine which for me did nothing and the gas well i loved it but it can also mak people feel like there going to be sick but i had both but then i had to have an epidural due to high blood pressure and this one numbed all the pain and i could rest and i dilated the full 10cm within 4 hours hope this helps
9. There are analgesics, anesthetics, regional blocks, spinal blocks, the combined or "walking" epidural, and general anesthesia. Analgesics do not numb certain areas, but apply to your entire body, making you feel good. They do not completely erase pain or sensation, and are often used in the earlier phases of labor to allow time for the drugs to metabolize before baby is born. You'll be able to rest during the early parts of labor and take a more active role when the it's close to baby-time. Cons include possibility for dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and sleepiness to you, respiratory difficulties, poor sucking reflex, and other "drugged" behavior for baby at birth. Anesthetics partially or completely numb an entire area of your body. They can use these the numb your perineum and vaginal area for about an hour around the time baby is born. You'd get a shot when baby is crowning, probably, and it will last until you are finished, in most cases. Pros include no known harm to baby or mom. Cons include only having relief in one spot and the short time it works. A regional block is exemplified in the epidural. You asked about others, so I'll assume you already know the pros and cons of this one. There are a lot though, so if you don't, you might want to ask again later. A spinal block is very similar to an epidural in that it's inserted through your back. It completely blocks feeling in the lower half of your body and takes effect more quickly than an epidural. It is usually only used during pushing or cesareans. According to health.discovery.com, "Pros: It works more quickly than an epidural. A much smaller dose is needed than for an epidural. Cons: You may experience a drop in blood pressure, headache, and some difficulty with urination. As your blood pressure drops, oxygen flow to your baby decreases. You'll need to lie flat on your back for four to eight hours after delivery." The cons, then are very similar to those of an epidural. The "walking epidural" is a combination injection given into the epidural space, blocking pain nerves but not motor nerves. Procedure works more quickly than a regular epidural and can be regulated by the mother in most cases. According to health.discovery.com, "Pros: Maternal blood pressure usually doesn't drop. Since less medication is delivered, less is absorbed by the baby. The use of a thin needle reduces risk of headache. This method reduces risk of long-term backache and need for forceps delivery. Cons: It can cause dizziness so you may not feel like walking around." General anesthesia, as you probably know causes one to become unconscious. You are not awake or aware of your birth, nor do you feel any pain. There was once a time when it was common to drug women into unconsciousness or primal forgetfulness in this country, but now general anesthesia is only reserved for emergency situations. All that said, no drugs are good for the baby. All drugs cross the placenta and can cause negative effects to your infant at birth. Many can cause breathing problems, sucking problems, bonding problems, and more. Pain medications are an option, not a necessity, and I truly believe that our culture's obsession with labor as painful is a false conception made to make women feel weak and incapable. The fact of the matter is that labor is not always painful, that women report having orgasmic births, that women are strong, and that interference is risky. Choose wisely what you do to your baby and your body. Do you really want to have a baby born drugged and possibly in physical trouble? Do you really want to be an onlooker at your own transformational passage into motherhood or do you want to be an active participant? I think it's wonderful to educate yourself before you go into labor, which is what you're doing. I don't think it's a good idea to pick which drugs you will definitely use prior to being in labor. Know your options, but don't determine the course of your labor before it starts. Just my opinion.
10. natural is the way to go...its the way it was in the beginning so its can't be that bad... but theres alot of other types... Systemic medications Systemic painkillers such as narcotics dull your pain but don't completely eliminate it. Spinal block A spinal differs from an epidural in two ways: It's delivered directly into the spinal fluid (and not into the space surrounding your spine), and it's a one-time injection rather than a continuous feed through a catheter. As a result, relief is rapid and complete but lasts only a few hours
11. I haven't actually gone through it yet but plenty of my friends and family opted for gas and air and pethedine. The midwives prefer to use pethedine for first borns or during a long labour. Apparently it gives you a feeling of tipsyness and relaxes you but you can still feel to push etc unlike an epidural. The gas and air aparently really helps with contractions. You'd be better asking your midwife for information x
12. Are you having a vaginal or c-section? I had a c-section and I got a Spinal which numbed my body from the chest down and the whole time they would inject morphine in my IV (God bless morphine!!!).
13. I preach the gospel of staidol. However, if you're still good to walk around, you're probably not in enough pain to need drugs. When you've been in labor 6 hours, and need a nap, that's a good time for drugs. The staidol let me sleep through the last 3 hours of my labor, and wore off just as I was finished, so I wasn't groggy when I needed to deliver.
14. You can get IV meds, which will most likely knock u out... they helped relax me alot!
15. I know they can give you shots instead of the epidural..not sure what it is though. I think that if you take any kind of medication they won't let you walk around but that may vary from hospital to hospital. I think I would talk to the hospital you plan on going to and find out their regulations concerning this.