On this page, you’ll learn about common ways to manage pain during labour, including their benefits and risks.
Pain is a normal part of labour and birth, but every person feels it differently and may choose different ways to handle it. You might use natural comfort methods, pain medication, or a combination of both. The main types of medical pain relief are analgesics, which reduce pain but don’t numb it completely, and epidural anesthesia, which blocks pain.
Analgesics: These medications lessen pain without causing numbness. Examples are Morphine and Fentanyl.
Epidural Anesthetic: This medication is injected near the spinal cord to relieve pain from the waist down. It affects only part of your body, so you stay awake and alert. However, it might not be suitable if you have certain medical conditions.
Other Types of Medical Pain Relief:
- Spinal Block: Like an epidural but often used for planned c-sections or quick pain relief during some deliveries.
- Local Anesthetics: Numb a smaller area compared to regional anesthetics like epidurals.
- Nitrous Oxide: Also known as laughing gas, it reduces labour pain and is available in some hospitals and birthing centers. It’s inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece.
Talk to your health-care provider about the risks, benefits, and availability of these pain relief options at your birthing location. You can download this resource to help you remember questions to ask your provider and consider making a birth plan.
Services related to this information:
- Contact your Public Health Nurse for immunizations and other prenatal support.
- 811 HealthLine (Newfoundland & Labrador) – Call 811 or 1-888-709-2929 / TTY 1-888-709-3555
Eastern Zones:
