Getting painless labor—does it hurt or not?

Generally speaking, "painless" refers to analgesic labor, which does not mean completely pain-free, but rather a reduction in the intensity of pain. Analgesic labor is an idealized concept that is difficult to fully achieve during childbirth; instead, various methods are commonly used to alleviate labor pain. The details are as follows:

The principle of analgesic labor involves injecting anesthetic medication into the epidural space to block nerve signals and thereby reduce the sensation of pain. Once a woman enters labor, if she finds the pain unbearable, the doctor may administer anesthesia to relieve the discomfort. Although analgesic labor can significantly reduce pain during delivery, it does not eliminate all sensation. The mother will still feel some pain, but at a much lower intensity.

The advantages of analgesic labor include effective pain relief, convenience, long-lasting effects, and safety. However, potential disadvantages include side effects such as headache, low blood pressure, nerve injury, and prolonged labor. Overall, analgesic labor is considered relatively safe and has minimal impact on both the fetus and the mother.

If a pregnant woman is highly sensitive to pain, she may choose to be admitted to the hospital early and actively cooperate with her doctor to use analgesic labor techniques.