Sedatives do not lessen the pain, but they can help the mother feel less tense or anxious. Regional anesthesia lessens or blocks completely the pain in a specific area of the body. It works like the shot a dentist gives to numb a tooth or the shot a doctor gives to numb a cut that requires stitches. The epidural block is a commonly used type of regional anesthesia. With either narcotic pain relief or regional anesthesia, the mother can stay awake and play an active role in the birth.
General anesthesia is another form of pain relief.
It numbs the whole body and causes a loss of consciousness, which means that the mother is asleep. This type of anesthesia is commonly used for many surgical procedures, but it is not used for pain relief during labor. In an epidural block, pain-relieving medicine is injected into the mother's lower back. Usually a small tube is inserted into this space through the needle. Then the needle is removed.