THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Karin Apple is about two months from delivering her baby, and since it's not her first, she knows how she wants it to go this time.
“My plan is to labor at home for as long as I can and then come in and hopefully get a little bit of assistance, if needed, with some nitrous oxide and then have a baby,” Apple said.
She's a labor and delivery nurse at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, and when they started using nitrous oxide, she agreed to try it.
Dr. Gregory Eads advocates for this option because he said it gives women a choice, they're still alert and in control. He said it’s a little more of a natural option.
“They can use that as they feel the contractions coming on. It's a demand, so basically they put the mask over their face and it only flows when they breathe in. So, it doesn't flow all the time and they breathe it in through the contractions and then stop after the contractions,” Eads said.
He said this is different from what makes you giggle in the dentist's chair because it's a smaller concentration.
Patients can choose to keep the mask of 50% oxygen / 50% nitrous oxide on the whole time or take it off to really feel the process. Apple knows it will be a painful task no matter what, but that's why she said she's up for the challenge.
“You know, you hear about women who do it and the adrenaline rush and I think it would be the biggest challenge of a woman's life time to actually do it (naturally),” Apple said. “Obviously I didn't… cope well enough with my other two to go epidural-free but I think, I think it's just one of those experiences that would be something to remember. “I feel like this will be my last pregnancy, my last delivery, so maybe go out with a bang!”
She said she's not opposed to epidurals, and one benefit to laboring with nitrous oxide is that you can reverse the decision. If you change your mind during delivery, you can still choose to get an epidural.