Labour Pain Reduced With Narcotics – Good Or Bad?

Prenatal

oi-Gowri Nandini

By Nandhini Devi

Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 18:46

The process of childbirth is a painful, yet one that gives a woman the most happiest moments of her life. The excruciating labour pain often ends, almost immediately after the birth of the child. However, most women are not very confident about whether they can endure the pain.

As for all problems, there are several ways to reduce labour pain. One of the most widely adopted methods (in recent times) is to give the mother narcotics to reduce the labour pain. They are also called as opioids or analgesics. They generally work on the nervous system, so that the pain reduces and the mother-to-be can rest for a while.

Narcotics are injected in the buttocks or on the thighs. Sometimes it is given through an IV tube, which allows the woman to release a small amount whenever she experiences pain. Depending on the way in which the medicine is injected, the pain will be reduced. It works best if it is injected during early labour, as the effect reduces once the cervix gets dilated.

However, as this is an unnatural method, it has its own advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage of using a narcotic is that it reduces pain and does not interfere in the process of pushing the baby. They sometimes also help in reducing anxiety.

But, there are several disadvantages associated with using narcotics for labour pain. Common ones are nausea, itching, dizziness, hypoxia, depression in breathing. If the medication is too strong, it might make the baby and mom too drowsy. It narcotics are not administered at the right time, they might even hamper the breathing and heartbeat rate of the baby.

There other severe side-effects of using narcotics during childbirth and these effect the child most. These include central nervous system depression, change in neurological behaviour, imbalance in body temperature and respiratory problems.

Some of the common narcotics that are used during childbirth are demerol, nubain, morphine, stadol and fentanyl. Consider the pros and cons of using narcotics during childbirth, as medicine-free childbirth is one of the most natural thing that happens to a woman.