The main reason for using Pethidine during labour is to help relieve labour pain, usually at the request of the woman. It could also be used for other reasons at the suggestion of the caregiver. The following are the main reasons pethidine could be used during the labour.
Pain relief
Prelabour
Anxious or concerned
Pain relief
Pethidine tends to be used as a medical form of pain relief for labour, if the
gas has not been effective and the baby is not expected to be born for a few hours yet (and the woman does not want - or wishes to delay - an epidural).
Your caregiver may discourage the use of pethidine if the labour is progressing rapidly and / or the baby is expected to be born within the following couple hours (although this can sometimes be difficult to predict). This is because the pethidine could suppress the baby's ability to take a breath at birth, especially if given 1 to 5 hours before the birth.
Pethidine may also be given if the woman is in pain due to complications such as a
placental abruption. The caregiver would also need to consider the health of the baby and the timing of their birth, especially if a Caesarean appears likely.
Occasionally a caregiver may prescribe an injection for a woman after a vaginal birth if she has strong afterpains. This is more common for woman having subsequent babies, rather than a first baby.
Prelabour
Pethidine can sometimes be offered to the woman if she is experiencing a prolonged prelabour phase. The aim of giving the medication at this stage of the labour is to allow the woman to have a break from the discomfort of the prelabour and relax or rest. In some cases (if the woman's body is ready) it can encourage the cervix to relax and dilate more efficiently and progress into the active phase of 1st stage.
If you have an injection of pethidine you will be required to stay in the hospital (at least until it wears off, for about 4 hours). An alternative is to use
natural methods