How We Help You Deal With Labor Pain at Lowell General

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How We Help You Deal With Labor Pain at Lowell General

There are several ways to reduce your pain during labor and to help comfort you during the birth of your child. Pain is subjective; meaning only you can tell us if and how much pain you are having. The list below will explain to you the types of pain management we offer at Lowell General. Once you decide on a level to start with, you can move up (or down) as you move through your labor. As always, your physician, nurse or certified nurse midwife is there to answer any questions you may have.

If you have any questions about pain management or your care, please feel free to ask your physician, nurse midwife or labor nurse.

Level 1 - Comfort Measures

During any part of your labor, you may try warm packs, deep breathing, birthing ball, walking, using a rocking chair, massage, shower or a Jacuzzi bath to ease your labor pains and help you relax.

Level 2 - Analgesics

Analgesics are strong medicines that are injected into your muscle or your IV line to reduce pain. This provides rapid partial pain relief for a limited period of time. These medicines often make people feel "fuzzy." Some people do not like this feeling, while others find this feeling helps them to relax. This is a good medication to try if you are not sure what will work for you or what is most helpful. This medication can be given every few hours. Some patients find this medication can get them through to the delivery. Others choose a higher level of pain management.

Level 3 - Epidural Anesthesia

An anesthesiologist (a doctor who specializes in pain medicine) will put a narrow soft plastic tube through the skin into the space next to the spinal cord (the epidural space). Pain medicine passes through this catheter continuously. This will slowly reduce the pain of labor for a long time. You will be fully awake. Your legs may feel warm and tingly. You may also have difficulty lifting them. Before you can have an epidural anesthesia, you must have some lab tests done and receive IV fluid. This can take about 45 minutes.

During epidural anesthesia, you must stay in bed. You may have your blood pressure and oxygen levels watched. You may have trouble urinating and need to have your bladder catheterized (a tube put in). Sometimes, an epidural must be replaced if it has moved out of the correct space.