So you’re about to have a baby. You want to skip the epidural, but you’re terrified of the pain? Have no fear, laughing gas is here! That’s right, mamas. According to NPR, laughing gas (or, more scientifically nitrous oxide) is making a comeback for moms who desire fewer drug interventions while delivering their babies.
Yes, really.
Usually administered as an oxygen and nitrous oxide combo, laughing gas will help you relax — which I think we can all agree is super important during the whole giving birth process. It serves as both an anxiolytic (a drug used for anxiety relief) and an analgesic (a drug used for pain relief). This is especially appealing to moms in labor, as the anxiety of birth often prevents them from relaxing their bodies and letting the labor progress.
And believe me, few things are more frustrating than having a nurse tell you to “RELAX!” while you’re pushing out a cantaloupe-sized human from your you-know-where. Using laughing gas may help you do just that, because if you can’t relax, you often can’t push properly.
And hey, maybe then you won’t yell four-letter words back at your sweet nurse who will be cleaning you up in an hour.
Here’s how it works: The gas is administered via a mask held over the mother’s mouth. The best part is that you (the patient) control the mask, how often it’s administered, and when to stop. After you’ve stopped taking it, the effects diminish within five minutes. That means you’re quicker to become alert again, and are able to get up and walk around both during labor and after baby arrives.
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And now to answer your next question: Is it safe?
According to the American Pregnancy Association, using laughing gas during labor is totally safe for mom and baby:
“By not disrupting the release of oxytocin, nitrous oxide does not affect infant alertness during the early bonding period between a mother and her newborn. It does not affect breastfeeding. It does not increase the need for neonatal resuscitation.”
Although it hasn’t exactly been popular in the U.S. since the advent of the epidural, several countries with high standards for health care — such as Canada, Sweden, Australia, Finland, and the United Kingdom — still routinely use a blend of 50% oxygen and 50% nitrous oxide to treat pain during labor.
Are there downsides? Nitrous oxide will not mask your pain as narcotics will. You may experience nausea, dizziness, or drowsiness, as is the case with many medications. Also, the gas may make you less aware during your labor — which might be unappealing to some moms. After all, an epidural numbs your lower half and keeps you bed-ridden, but your mental faculties aren’t affected. Nitrous oxide, on the other hand, might cause a disconnect as you channel your inner 1960s Jenny from Forrest Gump.
But oh, how relaxed you’ll be.
So, moms: If the idea of an epidural scares the crap out of you, but you’re not sure you can handle the hell-fire marathon that is natural childbirth, laughing gas might be for you. You’ll care less about the pain caused by pushing a real live person out of your lady parts. You’ll also feel less anxious — and maybe even laugh a little bit! You ARE bringing a human into the world, after all. It’s a good day.
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