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Home arrow Labor Essentials arrow Natural and Conventional Pain Relief During Labor
Natural and Conventional Pain Relief During Labor PDF Print E-mail
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Many women believe that pain goes hand in hand with labor, but there are alternatives to drugs and other painkillers that are potentially unsafe for your baby. Although you should always consult with a doctor before undergoing any treatment during a term of pregnancy, these natural pain relievers should be safe to use in most circumstances.

Natural Pain Relief During Labor


Acupuncture Therapy

As one of the oldest natural remedies, acupuncture is actually scientifically proven to work. The small needles will stimulate your body to release endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. You will most definitely want to consult with your doctor before bringing a therapist into the delivery room, though!

Aromatherapy

In and of itself, aromatherapy may not provide effective pain relief, but combined with relaxing massage, you won't feel the pain so sharply. This can be done quite simply on the shoulders only to leave plenty of room for the hospital workers to perform the delivery.

Reflexology

The nerves in your body connect every part of your body, most ending in your feet or hands. Reflexology is using this knowledge to apply gentle pressure to these points to stimulate the related areas within your body. Reflexology is a natural therapy based on the theory that points on the feet and hands correspond to specific organs and systems in the body. Reflexology promotes deep relaxation and encourages the body’s self healing process. There are reflexologists that are specifically trained to perform maternity reflexology. Again, be sure to consult your doctor to arrange reflexology during labor so there are no complications.

Conventional Pain Relief


Epidural

Painkillers are injected directly into your spinal cord through a catheter in the lumbar. Patients getting modern epidurals generally receive a concoction of local anesthetics and opiates.

Gas And Air

Only twenty percent of women find being given pure oxygen or laughing gas is effective. And of those that do find it effective, it is only effective some of the time.

Pethidine

A fast acting opioid analgesic, commonly known as meperidine or demerol in the United States. Unlike epidural treatments this can be taken in pill form or as a syrup.

Spinal Block

The ultimate anesthetic, a total injection into the fluid surrounding your spinal cord completely makes you feel zero pain. The treatment is not fast acting like pethidine, however, but after 10 minutes it will be in full effect. The other downside of a spinal block is that there is a risk of permanent damage to your nervous system.

TENS

This is an electro-medical therapy. This is not a new concept and basically it works on the premise that our nervous system works by sending and receiving electrical signals. Electrical stimulation known as TENS is approved by the FDA and works on the same principles as acupuncture.
 
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