Pain Control in Childbirth – Pain Control Methods and Techniques

The closer the delivery date the greater the excitement. Pregnancy is an unique experience but every pregnant woman is looking forward of the day she will be able to hold her baby in her hands. The day of childbirth is by many considered as the best day in their lives but many women are terrified of the pain during labor.

The vast majority of women experience intense pain before and during the labor. Reported pain levels greatly vary from woman to woman, while those who claim having a painless labor are in a very small minority. For that reason many women choose some type of pain control which is either non-medical or medical. Non-medical pain control usually features psychological preparations, mediation, Lamaze method, hypnosis, water birth and different pushing positions such as sitting position, crawling position, squat position and side lying position. Mentioned pain control methods do not include analgesic medications and do not represent any risks for the mother nor for the baby but have varying degrees of success. Medical pain control – usually epidural analgesia provide immediate pain relief and more or less painless labor. Pain relief using analgesic medication is generally safe for both the mother and the baby but side effects and complications are not impossible.

You should be very well informed about the advantages and disadvantages of different childbirth pain control methods and techniques as well as about potential risks for the baby before choosing one. All the necessary information including eventual complications can be found in literature as well as online but you are highly recommended to disguise about different options with your health care provider.