Various Ways to Overcome Labor Pain

Every woman has a different birthing experience. There are women who are able to overcome the pain during childbirth normally without the need for medication. But there are also those who need more treatment, such as medical assistance and simple ways, to overcome them. Pain during labor is basically a reaction from the contraction of the uterine muscles and the normal birth canal that occurs at the time of childbirth. This contraction aims to give birth to the baby and open the birth canal. With medical help, giving birth normally won't feel as painful as you think. Various medical procedures will be taken to provide comfort and also to overcome labor pain that you will undergo.

How to Overcome Labor Pain Medically

The following are ways to deal with pain during childbirth with medical assistance. To overcome labor pain with medication can be given pain medication or with anesthesia.

• Pain medication. This drug can be given to help reduce pain during labor without causing numbness in certain body parts. To reduce severe pain, opioid drugs such as morphine or fentanyl can be given. However, giving this class of drugs need to be aware because morphine can cause side effects such as breathing problems and drowsiness. Other pain medications such as ketorolac, naproxen, and aspirin can also reduce pain well. However, the use of these drugs in nursing mothers needs to be consulted with a doctor.
• Regional anesthesia. This method is most commonly chosen by pregnant women because it effectively reduces labor pain or pain. Anesthesia or anesthesia can make certain parts of the body become numb and immune to pain. There are two types of anesthesia that can be chosen, namely epidural or spinal. However, the combination of the two anesthesia can also be applied.
Epidural anesthesia is different from spinal. With an epidural, the drug will be injected outside the layer that covers the spinal cord. You will feel numb after 10 to 20 minutes later. While spinal, the drug will be injected deeper and closer to the spinal cord. In contrast to epidurals, the effects of spinal anesthesia can be felt immediately after injection and also use drugs in lower doses. According to research, these two anesthetics are safe for you and your baby. Even so, this method has side effects, although it rarely happens, including lowering blood pressure, headaches, mild itching during labor, heavy legs, tingling, and difficulty urinating.
• Local anesthesia. This anesthesia can relieve pain around the birth canal during labor. Local anesthesia is useful when the doctor makes an incision or episiotomy in the perineal area, ie between the vagina and the anus. In addition, it is also useful when doctors sew your vagina after giving birth. Anesthetic medicine is injected into the perineal tissue. Although rare, this method can cause allergies and reduce your blood pressure. This technique is safe, both for mothers and babies.

In addition to the above treatments there are also other ways to deal with pain during labor, namely by giving petidin drugs and entonox gas. But both of these methods are relatively rarely used in Indonesia.

Simple Ways to Overcome Labor Pain

In addition to the medical method, overcoming labor pain can also be done with a simple method as below, although its efficacy is certainly not the same as the medical method.

• Putting a bottle of warm water wrapped in a towel on the painful part of the body.
• Massaging the sick body part. How to deal with labor pain is thought to stimulate the body to release natural painkillers.
• Soak in a tub of warm water.
• Perform relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, listening to soothing music or using aromatherapy.
• Ask to be accompanied by your husband, parents, siblings or friends.
• Sitting on a bed with a stack of pillows supporting your back. Or if your doctor permits, try standing and bending your knees many times while your hands are holding the edge of the bed, or the wall is leaning against the wall.
• Walking every time a contraction is completed can be expected to shorten the time of delivery and overcome labor pain.
• Finally, don't forget to eat energy foods, because labor can take hours.

You can also use the services of a professional delivery companion (doula). A doula has been trained to be able to make pregnant women easier and more comfortable in labor, so that the pain can also be reduced. With the help of a doula, your labor can run faster and more comfortably. The pain during childbirth can be overcome by the above methods. To deal with labor pain that occurs, learn and choose methods that are suitable and that make you feel calm and comfortable.