Narcotics
Sylvia Wood, RN, CNM, MSN
In the United States, about one-third to one-half of women in labor receive narcotic drugs, such as Stadol, Demerol and Nubain. These drugs act on your central nervous system to alter how you experience pain. Narcotic drugs can be injected with a needle or given intravenously. You should begin to feel some relief within 5-10 minutes after you receive the drugs. Studies show, though, that narcotic drugs don't seem to be as effective as easing pain as an epidural.
An advantage of narcotic drugs is that they won't affect your labor like an epidural or spinal block. Women treated with narcotics tend to have shorter labors, fewer vaginal deliveries using instruments, and less use of oxytocin than women who receive an epidural. However, narcotics do cause side effects in the mother, including:
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Breathing difficulties (rarely)
These drugs are often used early in labor (sometimes before an epidural) because they can cause breathing difficulties and slowed reflexes in the newborn if they are used near delivery. Occasionally, a baby who is having breathing problems due to these drugs must be treated with another drug to reverse the effects of the narcotic.
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