Pain relief options
Most women use some form of pain relief in labour. The choice of pain relief is up to you. You should feel confident that, whichever form of pain relief you choose, they are safe for you and your baby.
Nitrous Oxide (“the gas”)
Nitrous Oxide works well and may be all that you need for pain relief in labour. It is important to start breathing on “the gas” at the start of each contraction, rather than starting when the contraction reaches its peak. Your midwife can adjust the strength of the gas that you breathe to control its effect, and will guide you on its use.
Morphine
Many Doctors prescribe Pethidine, but we feel that Morphine is a better drug. We recommend small doses at shorter intervals. It is best to use it earlier rather than later, and often in combination with “the gas” or with remifentanil.
Some people are concerned that Morphine may cause sedation in the baby after birth. Whilst this does rarely occur, it should not be a reason to avoid it. We always prepare for the possibility of sedation in the baby, but rarely have to do anything about it.
Remifentanil PCA (patient controlled analgesia)
Remifentanil (Remi),is a new pain relieving agent which the doctors at Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ballarat make available to women in labour. We are one of the very few practices in Australia with extensive experience in providing Remi for women in labour. It is an ultra-short acting pain reliever with similar effects to morphine. It takes effect, and wears off, extremely quickly, often within the duration of a contraction. It is provided via a drip, and controlled by the woman in labour by pressing a button to release a small dose of Remifentanil.
There is no adverse effect on your ability to remain mobile during labour, but it may slightly sedate you and an IV is required.
In our practice, we have provided “Remi” for more than 400 women and found that about three out of four epidurals can be avoided. In a survey we undertook, the majority of women who used remifentanil in labour thought it was beneficial, safe, and would use it again.
Epidural
Epidural anaesthesia works very well to relieve the pain of labour and is inserted by a specialist anaesthetist who is expert in the procedure. The discomfort associated with having an epidural inserted is much less than the pain of one contraction.
Some women choose an epidural early in labour so that they have a pain free labour. Most however, will choose one if their labour is drawn out and they are tired.
It is true that there is a higher incidence of assisted delivery for women who have epidurals, but this is more related to the reason why they needed the epidural rather than the epidural itself. That is, most women who are progressing slowly in their labour, or have a lot of pain may be having a baby which is larger than average or mal-positioned.
With modern drugs used in epidurals, it is often possible to push very well without pain. The epidural can also be turned down or off. You should feel confident, that if you choose an epidural, it is safe, acceptable and a common form of pain relief.
Stitches
When a woman gives birth for the first time, she has a 4 out of 5 chance of needing a stitches after the birth. This usually happens when the baby’s birth is assisted, but stitches are also often needed after a normal delivery.
Your Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ballarat Obstetrician is experienced in performing a repair after delivery, and will make every effort to ensure that your body returns to normal following your baby’s birth. When stitches are used, they are dissolving, and don’t require removal.
> Assisted Delivery
> Complications of Pregnancy
Most women use some form of pain relief in labour. The choice of pain relief is up to you. You should feel confident that, whichever form of pain relief you choose, they are safe for you and your baby.
Nitrous Oxide (“the gas”)
Nitrous Oxide works well and may be all that you need for pain relief in labour. It is important to start breathing on “the gas” at the start of each contraction, rather than starting when the contraction reaches its peak. Your midwife can adjust the strength of the gas that you breathe to control its effect, and will guide you on its use.
Morphine
Many Doctors prescribe Pethidine, but we feel that Morphine is a better drug. We recommend small doses at shorter intervals. It is best to use it earlier rather than later, and often in combination with “the gas” or with remifentanil.
Some people are concerned that Morphine may cause sedation in the baby after birth. Whilst this does rarely occur, it should not be a reason to avoid it. We always prepare for the possibility of sedation in the baby, but rarely have to do anything about it.
Remifentanil PCA (patient controlled analgesia)
Remifentanil (Remi),is a new pain relieving agent which the doctors at Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ballarat make available to women in labour. We are one of the very few practices in Australia with extensive experience in providing Remi for women in labour. It is an ultra-short acting pain reliever with similar effects to morphine. It takes effect, and wears off, extremely quickly, often within the duration of a contraction. It is provided via a drip, and controlled by the woman in labour by pressing a button to release a small dose of Remifentanil.
There is no adverse effect on your ability to remain mobile during labour, but it may slightly sedate you and an IV is required.
In our practice, we have provided “Remi” for more than 400 women and found that about three out of four epidurals can be avoided. In a survey we undertook, the majority of women who used remifentanil in labour thought it was beneficial, safe, and would use it again.
Epidural
Epidural anaesthesia works very well to relieve the pain of labour and is inserted by a specialist anaesthetist who is expert in the procedure. The discomfort associated with having an epidural inserted is much less than the pain of one contraction.
Some women choose an epidural early in labour so that they have a pain free labour. Most however, will choose one if their labour is drawn out and they are tired.
It is true that there is a higher incidence of assisted delivery for women who have epidurals, but this is more related to the reason why they needed the epidural rather than the epidural itself. That is, most women who are progressing slowly in their labour, or have a lot of pain may be having a baby which is larger than average or mal-positioned.
With modern drugs used in epidurals, it is often possible to push very well without pain. The epidural can also be turned down or off. You should feel confident, that if you choose an epidural, it is safe, acceptable and a common form of pain relief.
Stitches
When a woman gives birth for the first time, she has a 4 out of 5 chance of needing a stitches after the birth. This usually happens when the baby’s birth is assisted, but stitches are also often needed after a normal delivery.
Your Obstetrics & Gynaecology Ballarat Obstetrician is experienced in performing a repair after delivery, and will make every effort to ensure that your body returns to normal following your baby’s birth. When stitches are used, they are dissolving, and don’t require removal.
> Assisted Delivery
> Complications of Pregnancy
