Is there any other pain medication for labor besides an epidural?

Question

Is an epidural the ONLY option for pain relief? I really don't want one. I want to do it naturally, but if I have to I will take some pain medication (if it's an option)...what are the other options?

Answer 1

There are several options for pain medication. I have listed them all, but it depends on which methods are administered in your area. I have also listed the advantages and disadvantages of each. Hope this information helps to make your choice easier.

Systemic painkillers such as narcotics dull your pain but don't completely eliminate it. You may also be given a tranquilizer — alone or in combination with a narcotic — to reduce anxiety or nausea, or to relax you. Systemic drugs are either delivered through an IV line to your bloodstream or injected into a muscle, and they affect your entire body rather than concentrating pain relief in the uterus and pelvic area. They may make you feel sleepy, but unlike the general anesthesia that's often given for surgery, they won't make you unconscious.

Advantages:
• Systemic pain relief may help if you can cope with some pain but need something to take the edge off and help you relax.
• Women using systemic medication are less likely to end up needing Pitocin or being delivered with forceps or a vacuum than those who get an epidural.

Disadvantages:
• In the doses commonly used for labor, systemic medication is much less effective than an epidural or a spinal block for pain relief. (The dose must be relatively small, because these drugs cross the placenta and can affect your baby.)
• Sometimes, especially if they're given too soon, narcotics slow labor.
• Systemic narcotics may make your baby less alert at birth and may cause him to nurse less effectively early on, making your first attempts at breastfeeding more difficult.

An epidural delivers continuous pain relief to the lower part of your body while allowing you to remain fully conscious. Medication is delivered through a catheter, a very thin, flexible, hollow tube that's inserted into the epidural space just outside the membrane that surrounds your spine. The medication is usually a combination of a local anesthetic and a narcotic. Local anesthetics block sensations of pain, touch, movement, and temperature, and narcotics blunt pain without affecting your ability to move your legs. Used together, they provide good pain relief with less loss of sensation in your legs and at a lower total dose than you'd need with just one or the other.

Advantages:
• An epidural provides a route for very effective pain relief that can be used throughout your labor.
• The anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist can control the effects by adjusting the type, amount, and strength of the medication. This is important, because as your labor progresses and your baby moves farther down into your birth canal, the dose you've been getting might no longer cover the pain, or you might suddenly have pain in a different area.
• Since the effect of the medication is localized, you'll be awake and alert during labor and birth. And, because you're pain-free, you can rest if you want (or even sleep!) as your cervix dilates. As a result, you may have more energy when it comes time to push.
• Unlike with systemic narcotics, only a tiny amount of medication reaches your baby.

Disadvantages:
• Depending on the type and amount of medication you're getting, you may lose some sensation in your legs and be unable to stand. Sometimes, particularly in early labor, so little anesthetic is needed to make you comfortable that you have normal strength and sensation in your legs and can move around without difficulty. (This is called a "walking epidural.") Still, many practitioners and hospitals won't allow you to get out of bed once you've had an epidural, whether you think you can walk or not.
• An epidural requires that you have an IV, frequent blood-pressure monitoring, and continuous fetal monitoring.
• An epidural can slow your labor, in which case you may need Pitocin to get it back on track.
• An epidural often makes the pushing stage of labor longer. The loss of sensation in your lower body weakens your bearing-down reflex, which can make it harder for you to push your baby out. You may want to have the epidural dose lowered while you're pushing so you can participate more actively in your baby's delivery — but it may take time for the pain medication to wear off enough that you can feel what you're doing, and there's no evidence that reducing the epidural dose actually shortens this stage of labor.
• Having an epidural makes it more likely that you'll have a vacuum extraction or forceps delivery, which in turn increases your risk for serious lacerations.


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. Your practitioner may order a spinal block if you decide you want pain relief late in labor or if you're progressing so rapidly that delivery is likely to be sooner rather than later and you can't wait for an epidural.

Advantages:
• Complete pain relief kicks in after only a few minutes.
• In contrast to systemic narcotics, only a tiny amount of medication reaches your baby.

Disadvantages:
Same as the epidural.

A combined spinal/epidural block is a newer technique that offers the rapid pain relief of a spinal and the continuous relief of the epidural. In early labor, this technique can work like a walking epidural because you rely primarily on the narcotics in the spinal injection for pain relief for the first hour or two (which allows you to continue to walk around). Then you have the epidural to fall back on once the spinal starts to wear off. In more active labor, you may opt for a combined spinal/epidural so you get immediate relief from the spinal while you're waiting for the epidural to work.

Advantages:
• Complete pain relief kicks in after only a few minutes.
• You can get up and walk around during the early part of labor.
• The epidural provides a route for very effective pain relief that can be used throughout your labor.
• Unlike with systemic narcotics, only a tiny amount of medication reaches your baby.

Disadvantages:
Same as the epidural.

Answer 2

If I were you, I would sign the papers for an epiduaral when you pre-admit yourself to the hospital. That way, if you decide you DO want one, you can have one without a hassle. You should deffinately discuss your options with your doctor. There are several "medical" ways to relieve the pain. There are also many ways to ease the pain naturally. My sister used a birthing ball the entire time she was in labor! She said that the rocking helped a lot. Walking can help labor progress. If you give that a shot, take someone with you. Walk the halls, and during a contraction lean on them and sway back and forth. Music can help too! Take a portable CD player and your favorite CD's.

Anything they put in your IV, runs the risk of making baby drowsy. Which in turn runs the small risk of breathing problems. I know lots of women are scared of the idea of an epidural. I've had three, and they're not bad. They're acutally really nice. I just told them flat out, I do NOT want to see the needle. The doctors will tell you you'll feel a little pinch, like a bee sting. I never felt a thing. The most uncomfortable moment during an epidural for me is a toss up between my second and third. With my second, my mother in law was in my way, so I wasn't bent over as far as I should have been and the doctor did a lot of pushing (with his fingers) on my back. The second was with my third one, my foot jerked. It didn't hurt, but felt REALLY weird!

I suggest that you sign the paper work, in case yu decide during your labor that you want to go that route. Try anything and everything to ease pain and if it still gets to be too much for you call the nurse. Be sure to inform them, that although you've signed the consent form that you're really hoping to be able to do this without the epidural. They'll understand! And don't let anyone talk you into something you don't want to do, or something you're not ready to try. (Don't let someone convience you to go for the epidural, if you want to try walking first, or the birthing ball first...ect.)

Good luck! and congrats!!

Answer 3

Most, (not all) of the other options will make your baby drowsy. Demmoral (sp?) is given through the IV, so it goes directly into your blood stream (and babys). There are 2 different kinds of "epidurals", there is the epidural and the spinal block. One is stronger than the other. Neither of those will make baby drugged. There are also a couple of "on site" injection type pain numbers, but I would suggest steering away from those because they cannot control when they wear off, and you may need another shot at a very inconvient time.

Good luck and ask your dr for info on all of that.

Answer 4

Demerol, stadol and nubain are some narcotic types of pain relief...you also have the option of a saddle block which numbs your perineal area but they usually don't do this until the baby is about to crown or for an episiotomy...I had my first 3 w/o pain meds and the next two epidural and I can't say enough good things about it...I already have it planned with my doc to have one again but of course it's a personal decision...

Answer 5

Labouring in water is a wonderfully effective way to relieve pain. It's the only method of pain relief I've used so far, and I've had 3 babies in the last 5 years.

Answer 6

yes, My sister-in-law had 3 types. Epidural, and morphine are the 2 I remember. Epidural is probably the safest for the baby which is why they use that most often.

Answer 7

The Painless Childbirth Audio Program utilizes self-hypnosis birthing techniques to empower you and give you control over your labor experience. The worries of “what do contractions feel like?” or “will labor hurt?” will be removed if you follow this program. Self-hypnosis is simply a state of extremely focused concentration that allows the mind and body to relax. Studies show that children delivered in stress-free, trauma free, painless natural childbirth environment have higher IQ’s and fewer problems both physically and mentally in their lives. JAMA



- See more at: http://whatdocontractionsfeellike.net/#sthash.QjpiB1Ts.dpuf

Answer 8

yes there is a shot but I cant remember the name of it but it doesnt work. It only make me feel drunk with alot of pain. Epidural works wounderfully

Answer 9

I used a tens machine, it send electric currants to the brain to stop the pain. It really works. this machine is totally safe to use and you don't have to buy one as you can rent one in boots. Good luck in your labor

Answer 10

I had demerol...the nurse said it was like 100 tylenols.