Pain Relief Options During Labour

The Department of Perioperative Medicine provides comprehensive care, and pain relief management to women during pregnancy, labour and delivery. Pain relief is available to help you cope with your labour including:

Entonox

Entonox is an equal mixture of two gases (nitrous oxide and oxygen) and is commonly referred to as 'gas and air'. It is widely used for helping women to cope with labour.

Pethidine

Pethidine is a pain relieving drug which is given by intra-muscular injection.

TENS Machine

This is a popular form of pain relief during labour. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is an application of painless electrical impulses through surface electrodes placed on the skin. TENS machines are available for hire or purchase from Medicare Rental & Sales (01 2014900 or www.medicare.ie).

Epidural

An epidural is given by an anaesthetist. This is the most popular form of pain relief and involves injecting a small amount of anaesthetic outside the spinal cord. A very fine, soft, plastic catheter is placed through the needle. Top-up drugs can be given through this as you need them. A pump filled with anaesthetic drugs can be connected to the epidural catheter, which can be activated by a hand-held switch.

Remifentanil Patient Controlled Anaesthesia (PCA)

Remifentanil is a morphine type pain-relieving drug, which acts very quickly, and is broken down rapidly by the body. This is given through a vein by a pump, which you can control yourself by pressing a hand-held switch.