Pain relief and anaesthesia choices during labour
Labour can be painful. It can help to learn about the pain relief options available to you. The main methods fall into two groups: with medication and without medication. Your anaesthetist will guide you through your options.
Gas and air
A gas mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that you breathe in. It helps make your pain more manageable.
Gas pain relief
Opioid injections
Opioids commonly used on labour wards include morphine, pethidine, and diamorphine.
Injection information
Epidurals
Local anaesthetic and a painkiller are given through a fine tube in your back to numb your nerves.
About epidurals
Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia
A way to manage pain where you give yourself small doses of pain relief through a drip, as required.
Intravenous analgesia
Pain relief methods without medication
TENS machine
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) provides pain relief by passing a gentle electrical current through pads on your back.
TENS pain relief
Water pool
Giving birth in a water pool can assist with pain relief by helping you to relax. It can also improve back pain and feelings of pressure.
Water births
Complementary therapies
Therapies such as acupuncture or hypnotherapy can help to reduce backache or pelvic pain.
Alternative options
Compare different pain relief methods
Understanding your pain relief options can feel overwhelming. Our comparison table can help you see the different choices and how they are differ from each other.
Other information related to labour pain relief
Pain relief for giving birth if your baby has died
If you are going to have a baby, it's normal to have questions about the risks of epidurals, spinals and general anaesthetics.
Learn about your options
Environmental impact of pain relief for labour
Before choosing pain relief, you may want to find out about its environmental impact.
Find out more
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