Coping with Labor Pain

Anesthesiologists have long known that accidental puncture of the dural membrane during epidural administration causes severe postpartum headache. They believed, however, that once the woman [...]

A new study links epidurals for labor pain with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis in the child. Should you be worried? How believable is this finding? How concerned should you be? How [...]

Back pain in labor can be excruciating, and it may not let up between contractions. For women hoping to avoid an epidural, a labor that’s a pain in the back can put paid to that plan. A large [...]

“One of the most influential biases in the acquisition of evidence is choice of the question, and the best evidence in answer to the wrong question is useless.” Menticoglou & Hall 2002 Making [...]

Popping up on the internet from time to time are announcements that hospitals are offering nitrous oxide (N2O), a.k.a. laughing gas, as a new option for relieving labor pain. Used for dental [...]

Medpage Today reports on a study contradicting the rationale for delayed pushing, or “laboring down,” with an epidural. Analysis of the hospital records of 21,000 1st-time mothers concluded that [...]

EurekAlert reports on a trial finding that giving 1st-time mothers more time to push out their babies cuts the cesarean rate for prolonged second stage in half. The American College of [...]