Friday, August 1, 2008

How to cope with pain relief

Many women are worried about how they will cope with labour. There are a number of choices available to women in Singapore - we can help you find your way through the maze.

Some women know that they want pain relief from the moment they discover they are pregnant. Some like to know what their options are and leave it open and others know that they don’t want pharmaceutical methods of pain relief (drugs) and choose natural methods to help them cope with childbirth.

Epidurals are the most common form of pharmaceutical pain relief used in childbirth today and to some women an epidural can be a blessing. However, there is no perfect option for coping with labour. Some of the risks that accompany epidurals are:

Confinement to bed
Continual monitoring
Nausea
Uncontrollable shaking
Increased difficulty with breastfeeding
Increased risk of assisted delivery with forceps or ventouse (vacuum extraction)
Increased risk of episiotomy (a cut to the skin surrounding the vagina when the baby is being born)
Increased risk of having a caesarean

Whilst epidurals are popular, there are a number of other options available. What do you think is the right method for you? Are you familiar with the pros and cons that can accompany pain relief?

What is a cascade of intervention?

Good childbirth classes or discussions with your Doula can help you decide what is right for you. ParentLink's childbirth classes and Doulas are able to let you know what all of your options are in terms of pain relief so that you can make an informed decision. What might have been a "blessing" to some may not necessarily be the same for you. Learn how you can make the right choice for you.

Cited from Parentlink

Labels: advice, drugs, pain, parentlink