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Managing Pain During Labor and Delivery


The Basics


Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate � �
How painful is labor and delivery? " � The pain of labor and delivery is different for every woman. It depends on many factors, including the size of your baby and the way he or she is positioned in your uterus. The pain is usually mild early on in labor, but gets worse as you get closer to delivery. � �
Should I make a plan to manage my pain? " � Yes. Talk with your doctor, nurse, or midwife toward the end of pregnancy about how you can manage pain during labor and delivery. There are many ways to manage pain, and no one way works for everyone. The right decision is the one that is best for you. � �
Although its helpful to make a plan before you go into labor, keep in mind that your plan can change. That's because your labor can be more or less painful than you expect. � �
What are the different ways I can manage my pain? " � In general, you can manage your pain with: � �
  • Things you can do on your own
  • Medicines

What can I do on my own to manage my pain? " � To help lessen your pain, you can: � �
  • Change your body position
  • Do relaxation or breathing exercises
  • Take a shower or bath
  • Have someone massage your lower back
  • Put heat or cold on your lower back
  • Listen to music
  • Take a walk
  • Have a "doula " � help you " � A doula is a person who stays with you during labor and delivery to support and reassure you.

What if I want medicine to manage my pain? " � If you want medicine during labor, let your doctor or nurse know. Doctors can use different medicines to help manage the pain of labor and delivery. � �
These medicines work in different ways. Some medicines lessen pain, but still let you feel pressure and other sensations. Other medicines block pain as well as other sensations. The medicines are also given in different ways. � �
Most women can have the following medicines: � �
  • Opioid medicines " � These are strong pain medicines that you can get through your IV or as a shot into your muscle. These medicines lessen pain, but do not make it go away completely.
  • An epidural block " � For an epidural block, a doctor will put a thin tube in your back. He or she will give you medicine through this tube. The medicine can remove all of the pain in the lower part of your body. An epidural block takes 10 to 20 minutes to start working.

What are the downsides of the different medicines? " � Some downsides depend on the medicine itself, while others depend on how your body reacts to it. � �
Some common downsides of an epidural block include the following: � �
  • After you get an epidural block, you will probably need to stay in bed and won't be able to walk around.
  • You might have trouble pushing your baby out, because you won't have as much feeling in the lower part of your body.
  • An epidural block can lower your blood pressure.
  • After the birth, you might have a headache.

Some common downsides of opioids include the following: � �
  • Opioids can cause nausea or vomiting, or make you feel sleepy.
  • These medicines can't be given too close to delivery because they can make the baby too sleepy.

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. � �
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. � �
Topic 16908 Version 3.0 � �
Release: 22.8 - C22.208 � �
� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �

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This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you.The use of UpToDate content is governed by the UpToDate Terms of Use. � �2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �

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