Pain Management

1. 10 Responses to “Other effective methods of pain relief for labor and delivery that won’t affect my ability to push?”

2. By bluekrys20 on May 18, 2009 | Reply

   not being able to push with an epidural is bs anyway. I had one and I still felt my bottom just not the intense pain. but anyway try the hypnobirthing and lamaze stuff. They also have regular pain meds they can give you.

3. By ~ SweetPartyChick ~ on May 19, 2009 | Reply

   I am a the biggest woosy when it comes to pain. I mean big woosy. Well guess what, I did an all natural birth with a midwife, I had no drugs what so ever! I got in the tub for a little extra pain relief, it felt good but once the contractions were coming like really close together, I had to get out because I was getting to hot. What really helped me was a Doula, you can ask the midwife to have one there for you. I was at a birthing center and would have never asked for a pain relief, I just bared through it, and I’m so glad that I did, it was a great experience for my husband and I. I got lucky enough, that from the time my water broke until I had my baby girl, it was only a 5 hour labor. For you being at a hospital with a midwife, you will have the option of gettting pain meds, they don’t look down upon you.

4. By jttigger on May 22, 2009 | Reply

   i had a local pain killer given through an iv. i could feel everything but alot less. did this twice, one with epidural. i highly remomend just the local if the pain does not bother you. i tried water with my first born and didnt’ like it, got out. but just experiment with what works for you good luck and congrats.

5. By Juju on May 22, 2009 | Reply

   Anything besides the epidural you will still feel some pain. Depending on what you view of effective is there may be some other options. The can give you narcotic pain meds to take the edge off. Water birth is probably the least effective but good if you want a natural delivery. I had epidurals and had no problems pushing. So if you don’t mind some pain then other options would be worth a try.

6. By Melissa B on May 23, 2009 | Reply

   My local hospital didn’t offer an epidural, so they have shots to help with the pain. My labor is a hard one to tell you from…they put me on pitocen…it helps speed the labor along, I labored 34 hrs. and I wasn’t in much pain until the pitocin. I think I could’ve gone the entire labor without pain meds. For me the pain wasn’t that bad. Everyone makes it sound worse than it is.

7. By Amethyst on May 25, 2009 | Reply

   well they can give you a shot of demerol (not how it is spelled.) It will make you feel kinda high or out of it, but it wont effect the pain too much cuz its designed more to get your mind off of the pain.
   If you are going natural then the best thing to do is focus on something else and staying the most relaxed you can get. They usually dont put you in the water until your ready to push because otherwise it could slow your labor down by being in warm water and the contration part is the most painful part, its acually less painful when you start to push. So, practice staying relaxed and focused and you wont need pain relief. I had a epideral with my first and I felt like i missed something, so this time i want to do it natural, and these are some of the things ive found out. Good luck!

8. By blissbaby on May 28, 2009 | Reply

   A doula is a great source of comfort and really helps you get through the contractions…and a water birth may help. I was in the tub for part of my labor, but they only let you have the water so hot, and it feels lukewarm, so it was uncomfortable for me. You can have someone put pressure on your back for back labor, and bouncing softly on an excercise ball may help. For other meds, there is Nubane, which I only used for my first birth and it allowed me to sleep between contractions. It made my baby very lethergic though, and it was tough to get him to latch on the night he was born, so I opted not to use it again. It is true that some people still feel to push, but a friend of mine couldn’t feel anything, and ended up having a c-section because she couldn’t feel what muscles to push with and the babies heart rate was dropping. Do what’s right for you, and ask your doctor about pain releif methods ahead of time so you’re prepared when the time comes. Good luck!

9. By nzwunder on May 30, 2009 | Reply

   I had 2 births .. one with and one without an epidural …

   In the States there is a drug called an innerthequil ( sorry, I never learnt how to spell it). All it does is numb your uterous and not any other part.

   But to be honest, either with or with out works. I’m a weeney when it comes to pain, and I wanted an epidural straight after my first contration. My midwife siad “noooooo there’s TONNES of time yet, we;ll give you one in a few hours when you get closer - otherwise it will wear off before you need it”.. well, 7 mins later my daughter was born - without any epidural. And, honestly - if I had of knowen earlier how the contractions felt like, I wouldn’t have bothered with the epidural with the first.

   I’m not a natural freak at all, but I have to say .. in this case, I happen to agree. Unless there’s problems ( like your in birth for half a day or something ) natural is fine.

10. By Sarahbeth J on May 31, 2009 | Reply

    I definitely suggest a water birth. I plan on delivering in water in August. Although, my baby will be born at home, and not in a hospital. I’ve been told that really helps with pain. I’ll find out in several months!!

11. By Catherine on Jun 2, 2009 | Reply

    There are a whole host of pain relief options that don’t include medication. They can be just as effective as medications without any side effects or potential risks to you and the baby as with IV meds and epidurals.

    You’re very lucky that you have access to waterbirth as it has been shown to be the most effective form of natural pain relief.

    Some others include:

    Counter Pressure/Massage
    Use of Water (tub, shower, etc)
    Visualization
    Vocalization
    Movement (Remaining upright & mobile)
    Use of Birthing Aids (Birth Ball, Kneeler, Birth Stool etc)
    Deep Relaxation Techniques (including Hypnosis)
    Effective Breathing Patterns (not talking about hee-hee-hoo breathing)
    Environmental Conditions
    Emotional Support (Research has shown the use of a trained labor support person such as a doula has shown to reduce the incidence of c-section by as much as 50%)

    Unfortunately, many people think that it’s a choice between an epidural and suffering through birth, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not an all-or-nothing event.

    When you choose a drug-free birth, it can be a comfortable, enjoyable process.

    I’ve had two natural births and they were both wonderful - nothing I couldn’t handle. But I knew what natural methods to use to first of all prevent pain so that there was nothing left to manage.

    I suggest you invest in a good series of natural childbirth classes (NOT the ones offered by a hospital which prepare you for nothing) but independent classes like Bradley, Hypnobabies or Hypnobirthing. You’ll learn the natural techniques to make your birth comfortable and safe.

    There is also the option of IV narcotic medications, such as demerol, nubain and stadol. However, the disadvantage of these is that they enter your bloodstream and reach the baby very quickly, increasing the the risk of complications such as a decreased fetal heart rate or breathing problems at birth.

    Also, they do not eliminate pain but are designed to change your mental perception. Some women complain that it makes them feel out of focus, disoriented and confused rather than relieving pain.

    Good luck!

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