What are some pain medications used during labor?
• There are many different pain relieving medications for labor. However, none are without risk, even the highly touted epidural package insert reads “crosses placenta readily”. Be aware of risks. Consider looking into natural pain relieving options such as water, jacuzzi, movement, massage, accupuncture, and hypnosis. Also consider even if you are sure you want medicinal pain relief, your choices may not be available, and you may find yourself forced into natural childbirth without preparation. Some hospitals give only epidurals for pain relief. Some only narcotics like nubain and stadol. Many women report the narcotics do not reduce the pain, but make it so you don’t care, or more specifically are too stoned to properly communicate the pain you are in. Even if an epidural is available as an option, there may not be time to get one if you have a precipitous birth or if there is no anasthesist directly assigned to the L&D unit. If there is not an anasthesist assigned directly to the un
