Girls,

While we all are still having fun with labor, let's continue with Fetal Monitoring & Pain Control.

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Chances are good that you’ll go through labor and delivery without any need for a fetal monitor for baby or pain-relief medication for yourself. However, it’s a good idea to know in advance when and why these issues may arise.

Fetal monitoring
If your baby’s delivery is likely to be at greater risk than normal–for example, if your blood pressure is high or if your baby will be delivered prematurely–the fetus most likely will be monitored. In fact, some hospitals routinely monitor every labor continuously. Others use an intermittent system in which the baby is monitored during and after a contraction every 5 to 15 minutes, depending upon the stage of labor. Monitoring can detect if the baby is in distress and can measure the strength of your contractions to see if they are of sufficient intensity for labor to proceed. The methods that are used to monitor baby can be either of the following:

• The external monitor. A beltlike device that is placed on your abdomen over the uterus to measure contractions.

• The internal monitor. An electrode attached to the unit also attaches to the baby’s scalp. Sometimes, a catheter also is inserted into your uterus to measure the strength of contractions. This method is most often used in high-risk pregnancies.

Your pain-relief options

Your labor coach can use a tennis ball to help ease the backaches that occur during early labor by applying firm gentle pressure to the ball while rotating it over your lower back.

When it comes to handling the pain associated with labor, there are a good many options. You probably will want to discuss them with your doctor and decide which ones the two of you want to consider. If your breathing and massage techniques from childbirth classes aren’t enough, you can choose treatment that includes medication or drug-free pain control. Here is a quick rundown of your pain relief options.

There are four basic options to consider:
• The epidural. This is the most common anesthetic used in labor and delivery. Here, the doctor threads a catheter through the vertebrae and into your lower back. Then, moderate doses of anesthetic are injected about once an hour. The anesthetic blocks both your motor and sensory fibers. The sensory nerves are easier to numb than the motor nerves, so you may, for example, be able to move your legs a little bit but you won’t feel them very well. So, when it’s time to deliver, you can’t feel your contractions and don’t have a sense of when to push, which is a drawback.

• The continuous epidural. This newer version solves that problem. As with the epidural, a catheter is inserted, but now only small amounts of anesthetic are administered by a pump so your nerve fibers are continuously bathed in anesthetic, rather than overwhelmed with one large dose. As a result, your sensory nerve fibers are blocked, but not your motor nerve fibers, so you’re able to push.

• The walking epidural. This newest option allows you to remain mobile. Ask your doctor about this new one.

• Analgesics like Demerol and Stadol. If you’re given either of these medications through an IV or as an injection, they can take the edge off the pain of contractions. While they are narcotics, addiction is not a problem because the medications aren’t used for days at a time.

Drug-free pain control
In addition to the pain-relief options that include medication, you also may consider the following:

• Hydrotherapy. If your hospital has a whirlpool spa, you can spend the most intense part of your labor letting the warm water jets massage your aching back. Perhaps even more importantly, the water will let you relax and ride through the pain and work with your contractions. Today many hospitals include spas in their maternity unit for this very purpose. If your water has broken, you may not be able to take advantage of this therapy. Check with your doctor about any limitations that may be necessary.

• Self-hypnosis. This allows you to focus on a pleasant image while relaxing your body.

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Have you girls thought about your pain control option, I know some of you are courageous enough to do without it. But, I've decided to go for epidural.

Vindhya Vindhya replied. Are you going for hydrotherapy? Did you get an appointment?

Hope you don't have the groin pain anymore.

Vindhya Arshiya replied. Yeap, as soon as I go to the hospital and I am 3 to 4 cm dilated, I am definitely going to ask for it.
I don't want even try without it, I know I won't be able to bear the pain anyway. Avi replied. that what's I am going to say when they ask me whether or not I want an epidural...
I would prefer a walking epidural but my hospital doesn't offer it as an option....