Can a nurse-midwife administer medications in labor for pain relief?
Yes, nurse-midwives working in hospital practices can have access to all of the pain medications that physicians do. This includes narcotics and epidurals. Medications tend not to be used as often by nurse-midwives because other techniques like walking, use of tubs or showers, and supportive presence are often used and provide equivalent or better relief. Women who choose to birth at home or in a freestanding birth center would not have access to epidurals or an extensive list of medications.
