Labor Pain Management

Stay focused and comfortable during labor and delivery.

Helping you manage childbirth pain

Labor and delivery pain feels different for every person. The experts at UW Medicine’s birth centers can help you find the most effective pain relief options during labor and birth.

We encourage you to talk with your provider early to discuss any questions you may have. For patients with high-risk conditions, we have a dedicated anesthesia clinic available for consultation any time during pregnancy.

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Labor pain management options

We offer a variety of modern labor pain management options at UW Medicine. These include non-medicated comfort techniques and pain-relieving medication therapies. Our team will talk you through options so you can make the choices that are right for you.

Non-medicated techniques

We offer non-medicated comfort techniques such as music, sitting on a birthing ball, visualization, walking, ice packs and warm compresses. All of our labor rooms have private soaking tubs.

You can use these techniques on their own or with medicated techniques.

Medicated techniques

  • Epidural analgesia: This is a common anesthetic technique. It involves the injection of pain medication into the lower back to relieve labor pain. Doctors called anesthesiologists perform this procedure in which they will place an epidural catheter (small plastic tube) to provide numbing medication. 
  • Spinal block: Like an epidural, a spinal block numbs the area between your waist and toes. A spinal block is used primarily for cesarean delivery but can also be combined with an epidural for labor pain relief. Doctors deliver a spinal block via a medication injection in your lower back.
  • Pudendal block: Numbing medicine is injected directly into the pelvic region to numb the pudendal nerve.
  • Analgesics: Analgesia medications are delivered through an intravenous (IV) line. This is a small tube placed into a vein through which medication is given.
  • Nitrous oxide: Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is inhaled by holding a small mask to your mouth.