Child Development

This is mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide gas does not remove all the pain, but it can help to reduce it.

Mothers breathe in the gas and air through a mask or mouthpiece which they hold themsleves- this give them a sense of control. It works within about 20 seconds, so a deep s;pw breath will be talen as a contraction begins.

They may be a light-headed sensation, and some mothers decide to stop using it as they may feel sick, sleepy or unable to concentrate.

A painkilling injection cna be given alongside if this pain relief is not suffcient.

This is given by an injection. It quickly makes the mother feel relaxed because it causes the muscles to relax. This makes the pain more tolerable, but it does not take it away altogether.

Used in early labour, it can help the mother settle and rest. It cannot be used too close to birth because the mother might not be sufficiently alert and it could also cause the baby to become sleepy. This could adversely affect feeding and even breathing.

Pehtidine can cause some mother to feel sick or disoriented.

This is a local anaesthetic that numbs the nerves that carry the pain impulses from the birth canal to the brain. It can provide total pain relief, but it is not always 100 per cent effective. 

It is often used when a mother is experiencing a very long or painful labour or when a mother becomes distressed. An epidural can only be given by an anaesthetist in hospital. 

The mother lies on her side or sits curled up, local anaesthetic is used to numb the back, then a neddle is inserted. A tube passes through the needle into the back, near the nerves that carry pain impulses from the uterus. Drugs, usually a mixture of local anaesthetic and opioid, are administered through this tube. It takes about 10 minutes to administer an epidural and up to another 15 minutes for it to work. It does not usually cause sickness or drowsiness, but the mother's contractions and the baby's heart rate will need to be continuously monitored.

Possible side effects include:

• Legs feeling heavy
• Blood pressure dropping (this is rare)
• Prolonged second stage of labour as contractions may not be felt, leading to increased lilelihood of assisted dleivery
• A headache (this can be treated)
• A sore back for a day or two afterwards

This stands for 'transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation'. A TENS machine is a small device that has leads conenected to sticky pads called electrodes. Small electrical impulses are delivered these give a tingling sensation. They reduce the pain signals going to the spinal cord and brain, relieveng pain and relaxes muscles. 

For most people TENS carries no side effects (there are special pads for people with allergies), but it should not be used:

• If the mother has a pacemaker or another time of electrical or metal implant
• If the mother has epilepsy or a heart problem
• In some cases early in pregnancy

Water can help a mother to relax, and this in turn makes contractionsmore bearable.

The water should be kept at a comfortable temperature but not above 37.5 degress celcius. The mother's temperature will be monitored throughout. This is because a raised maternal temperature increased the oxygen requirment of the baby, which may not be able to meet an increased oxygen need.