Legacy Emanuel Medical Center: Portland, Ore., Hospital Offers Nitrous Oxide to Women in Labor
The hospital is the first in Portland to offer nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, to ease pain during labor.
Nitrous oxide (N.O.), or laughing gas, was used decades ago in the United States as a way to ease the pain of child birth. Up until now the laughing gas birth method was only done is two hospitals–one in San Francisco and on in Seattle. Britain, Canada and some other countries all offer laughing gas for relief of labor pain, but it has practically been abandoned here in the United States.
We tend to favor other options, like epidurals. When an epidural is administered, medication seeps through a tube into a space surrounding the spinal cord in an effort to block pain. An epidural has to be administered by an anesthesiologist, so it can be significantly more expensive than laughing gas. Both however, are covered by insurance. Many nurses and doctors are eager to reintroduce the N.O. for labor purposes, and many mother’s are intrigued by this returning option.
The gas isn’t as potent as what we’d get at the dentist. But it’s totally safe for mom and baby. The mother can walk around and use it in all stages of labor. Cheryl Thiele was the first to receive this gas during labor at the Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. She wanted a natural birth for her second son, Russell. No epidural, no heavy drugs.
There are many women who are great candidates for laughing gas, but for women who absolutely do not want to feel the pain of labor this is not the option for you. Many women want to wait and see what happens, after it’s too late to have the epidural, N.O. can come in and help take the edge off.
The image in this country about N.O. is that it’s old or retro, and has the stipulation that there’s something bad or dangerous about it. Nitrous oxide was therefore eliminated because of higher-tech, more specialized options. It’s important to inform the soon to be laboring mother’s that N.O. will only take the edge off, not eliminate the pain entirely. But, its advocated to be reintroduced for mothers who give birth in small hospital that lack fully staffed anesthesiologists. Nitrous oxide takes effect quickly and can be self-administered, so is a safe alternative to the epidural.