Pain Management During Labor and Birth

Pregnant women usually experience excruciating pain during labor due to contractions of
the uterus muscles and the resulting pressure these muscles and the fetus exert on the cervix. The
pain is often felt as strong cramping in the groin, abdomen, and back. During birth, sharp pains
stem from the dilation of the cervix to allow the fetus to pass through. Ideally, managing pain
during labor and birth is necessary to lower anxiety and stress caused by pain. This allows the
labor and birth processes to progress smoothly and quickly, guaranteeing the safety of the mother
and newborn. Today, pain management can be done through pharmacological and non-
pharmacological methods. The pharmacological approach uses drugs to reduce pain. Contrarily,
the non-pharmacological method uses non-drug-related methods to relieve pain (Boateng, Kumi,
& Diji, 2019). There are multiple options for clinicians to choose from for both pharmacological
and non-pharmacological therapies.
For example, epidural and spinal blocks are commonly used to manage pain during labor
and birth. An epidural block is a pain blocker capable of preventing pain completely during
labor. It uses a group of chemical agents called anesthetics, often injected through a catheter into
an epidural space lying in the lower back and outside the spinal cord. Potential side effects of an
epidural block include postpartum soreness, itchiness, and decreased blood pressure. A spinal
block prevents pain when performing a Caesarian Section (C-Section). Anesthetic drugs are
usually delivered below the spinal cord, not outside. Like epidural blocks, side effects associated
with spinal blocks include postpartum soreness, itchiness, and reduced blood pressure (Yoon,
Do, & Yun, 2017).
Finally, the two examples of non-pharmacological therapies used during labor and
pregnancy are water immersion and acupuncture. Both techniques are employed to significantly

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relieve pain during labor and lower the use of epidural blocks and other analgesics. Acupuncture
entails inserting fine needles into particular points of the mother’s body to relieve pain. Water
immersion has been shown to provide buoyancy, relaxation, and support to pregnant mothers,
making laboring less painful (Boateng, Kumi, & Diji, 2019).

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References

Boateng, E. A., Kumi, L. O., & Diji, A. K. (2019). Nurses and midwives’ experiences of using
non-pharmacological interventions for labor pain management: A qualitative study in
Ghana. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2311-x
Yoon, H., Do, S., & Yun, Y. J. (2017). Comparing epidural surgical anesthesia and spinal
anesthesia following epidural labor analgesia for intrapartum cesarean section: A
prospective randomized controlled trial. Korean Journal of Anesthesiology, 70(4), 412-

419. doi: 10.4097/kjae.2017.70.4.412