Nitrous oxide (N2O), commonly used in dentistry, has made its way back as a form of pain management for labor. It started being used for labor in the US in the 1930s, but was tossed aside in the 1970s when epidural analgesia became the new, popular form of pain relief.
This so-called "laughing gas" is widely used in freestanding birth centers, but even hospitals have started to supply nitrous for their laboring patients. Here are a few things to consider before adding it to your birth plan.
Price
Here in the PNW, insurance typically won't cover the cost of nitrous if you plan to have your baby at a freestanding birth center, so make sure you ask your midwife how much they charge well before your due date. In hospitals, the coverage can vary; some include it in their room fee, where others will bill it separately, and you will need to check your insurance policy for coverage. Nitrous isn't exactly cheap. One example I know personally from a birth center I've worked with is broken down like this: $30 for the gas mask plus $300 for unlimited (within reason and safety) use of the gas. They understand that nitrous may not be for everyone so they allow moms to try it a few times to see if they like it before putting down the $300. If the mom chooses not to continue using it she will only be billed for the now soiled mask. More often than not, most people find this fair and are more than willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get some relief.
Pain Relief
I'm going to be straight. Nitrous doesn't actually make labor pain go away. What it DOES do is take the edge off of the contractions and make you care a little less that they are happening. It's quite a bit like being intoxicated. Thinking about it that way, not many people want to feel those sensations while in labor, but it can actually have an amazing effect on helping you cope with contractions. When my moms are having a hard time deciding on whether or not to try it, I tell them that the people who like it are the kind of people who like a large glass of wine at the end of a long day. I'll be the first to raise my hand to that! This explanation works well for getting someone off the fence of decision making.
What It Does
Without doing a complete pros and cons list, I'll go through the basic things nitrous MAY do for you.
Physically relax your body
Reduce anxiety
Make you sleepy while in use
Produce an insensibility to pain when inhaled
Wear off quickly
Tips
In my time as a doula, I have been able to observe great success with nitrous oxide, but there were some key factors that really helped my mommas get through labor until the birth of their baby. If possible, wait until you are in active labor (6cm dilated) before requesting nitrous. The longer you wait, the longer you give yourself to try all other coping techniques. Nitrous affects people differently, meaning it may be more effective for a longer period of time for some than others. Make sure you take breaks from the nitrous from time to time to get it completely out of your system and try other coping techniques. After coping without it for 30 minutes or so, the time away can make coming back to the nitrous that much sweeter. Movement may be a little more limited so take this time to get into the tub or lie down on the bed to try and rest. This will help your muscles relax even more, allowing your cervix to open up and make room for baby.
However you choose to cope with pain during your birth is completely up to you! Listen to your body when making decisions because everyone deals with pain differently and all you can ask of yourself is to do the best you can.
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