Our hospital provides anesthesia to relieve pain during labor.

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This test is for pregnant women 37 weeks or older, and there are two methods:

• Painless childbirth using epidural anesthesia (currentlyLimited to multiparous women, by induction of laborPlanned birth)
• Pain relief during labor using intramuscular injections of petilorphan (mainly for the purpose of rest)

Planned painless childbirth with epidural anesthesia

It began in February 2024, and 22 women underwent planned painless childbirth in 2024.

Epidural anesthesia is a method of relieving pain by inserting a thin, soft tube (catheter) through a gap in the spine and injecting local anesthetics and painkillers outside the membrane (dura mater) that covers the spinal cord. Anesthetic treatment is carried out in cooperation with an anesthesiologist. If the anesthesia is too effective, the woman's pushing strength may decrease and labor may not progress smoothly, so the goal is not to achieve complete painlessness, but to adjust the pain to about half. Pain relief effects vary from person to person.

You will be admitted to the hospital before labor begins, and the next morning we will perform the following procedures: "procedure to dilate the cervix," "insertion of an epidural tube," and "administration of labor-inducing medication." Once labor begins, local anesthetics and painkillers will be injected into the epidural space through the tube. If labor does not begin by the evening, labor will be induced again the following day.

Currently, we do not provide pain relief treatment at night or on holidays. We also limit the number of patients we can accommodate per month, but we are gradually increasing the number of patients we can accommodate.

*There is a limit to the number of people who can undergo painless childbirth using epidural anesthesia, so please let your doctor know as soon as possible if you wish to do so.

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Those who cannot give birth under epidural anesthesia

• Those with lumbar deformity or a history of spinal surgery
• Those with thrombocytopenia or bleeding disorders
• Twins or more multiple births
• Obesity, etc.

Pain relief during labor with intramuscular injection of petilorphan

Petilorphan is a drug that is used for painless childbirth and has pain-relieving and calming effects.

If labor is prolonged and the mother feels at her limit due to pain and fatigue, giving her an intramuscular injection into her arm can help relieve the pain somewhat and have a relaxing effect, which may make labor go more smoothly.

Possible side effects

• The mother may become drowsy or dizziness, so careful management of the mother is required for 4 hours after administration.
• In rare cases, newborn babies may experience effects such as poor feeding (not being able to drink breast milk or formula properly) or poor oxygenation (a lack of oxygen in the blood), so their breathing and vitality are carefully observed for the first 48 hours after birth. Also, to reduce these risks, the drug is generally administered only once.

• If you wish to give birth at our hospital, please see this page