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Labour Pain Management

Overview

Labour is characterised by rhythmic contractions of the uterus, essential for the cervix to dilate and facilitate the passage of the baby through the birth canal. While labour is a natural process, it can be intense and uncomfortable, varying in experience for each woman. Anaesthesia techniques, such as spinal anaesthesia, which is the injection of an anaesthetic within the cerebrospinal fluid around the vertebrae in the lower spine, and epidural anaesthesia, which is the injection of an anaesthetic within the space around the spinal cord, can be used for labour pain management, ensuring a smooth and comfortable labour. Thus, pain relief strategies and pain management techniques aid successful and relaxed labour. Labour pain management provides pain relief, helps patients stay relaxed, and helps make labour a smoother and happier experience.

Labour pain can be managed either via natural techniques or using medications:

  • Natural ways of pain relief without medication
    • Breathing: To stay relaxed, it is important to pay attention to your breathing. Focus on slow, deep, and patterned breathing.
    • Movement: Activities like walking, squatting, kneeling, or leaning forward can not only ease the pain but also help labour progress.
    • Massage: Massages with circular light strokes and long strokes down the midback to sacrum, massaging the shoulders and neck, and hip squeezes can also provide comfort.
    • Calming or relaxing music: Music can have a calming effect during labour.
    • Other relaxation techniques: Relaxation techniques other than medication (alongside medicated option) can help some people.
  • Medical pain relief options
    • Regional anaesthesia: Labour epidural is the most common and effective pain relief technique performed during labour. Epidural analgesia involves the administration of medication near the spinal cord (epidural space) through a catheter inserted into the lower back. This method provides effective pain relief from the waist down, making it a popular choice for managing labour pain. Epidural can also be used if a caesarean section is required.
    • Combined spinal–epidural (CSE): CSE combines the benefits of both the spinal and epidural anaesthesia techniques. It begins with a single dose of pain medication injected into the spinal fluid for rapid pain relief, followed by the placement of an epidural catheter for ongoing management. This dual approach enables doctors to accurately control the dosage of pain medications.

  • Temporary low blood pressure
  • Spinal headaches
  • Itching
  • Allergic reactions to the local anaesthetic(s)
  • Fever or rare nerve complications 

These risks are carefully monitored and managed by healthcare providers.

Disclaimer:

The information in this Health Library is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional with any questions about a medical condition or before starting any treatment. Use of this site and its content does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. In case of a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or visit the nearest emergency facility immediately.