Alternatives to Epidurals

Epidurals are popular, but they are not the only means of pain relief during labor. Here are other effective methods, sorted roughly by my own preference:

• Hire a doula! Doulas know many strategies for dealing with labor. They can massage arms and legs and backs and help with breathing, movement and positioning, and emotional support. Their presence reduces the need for additional help.
• Get in the water. My doula trainer said that for fussy children and laboring moms, water always helps. Baths, showers, anything that's available, is usually helpful. Labor pools are sometimes called "wet epidurals" because of the pain relief they can provide.
• Change positions. Sometimes women find a position during labor that feels better than others. While in labor almost anything feels better than laying flat on a bed! Some women prefer to squat or sway or be on all fours, or sit on a birth ball, or a rocking chair...

Apart from getting medication injected into one's spine, there are other pharmacological approaches. I hesitate to mention them, because to me their side effects are unacceptable.
Narcotics (such as Demerol, Sublimaze, Stadol, Nubain, meperidine, Narcan; also called opioids), given by injection to the mother during labor. They do not provide complete pain relief; many people say they take the edge off the pain. They are also relatively short-lived. A quick web search found these results from a study on the effects of narcotics on newborns: "opioids are associated with neonatal respiratory depression, decreased alertness, inhibition of sucking, lower neurobehavioral scores, and a delay in effective feeding." Mothers have also reported feeling groggy, delirious, or goofy, as a result of narcotics during labor. (Note: if, when you are in labor, you are offered a shot to 'take the edge off the pain', it is a narcotic.)

Paracervical block: an injection of Lidocaine directly into the cervix, to numb the cervix and adjoining tissues during the first stage of labor. Its effects are short, but it doesn't require the presence of an anesthesiologist. Its use is associated with infant bradycardia (slow heart rate).

Though I know many women prefer medical management of labor, I feel safer with psychological and emotional support.