The return of laughing gas in the delivery room

Laughing gas returning as option for laboring moms
by HOLLY RAMER Associated Press
03:05 AM Feb 14, 2011
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Labor pain is nothing to laugh at. Yet.

The use of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, during childbirth fell out of favor in the United States decades ago, and just two hospitals - one in San Francisco and one in Seattle - still offer it.

But there are signs of a comeback for managing the pain of labor and delivery. Respected hospitals, including New Hampshire's Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, plan to start offering it. Laughing gas is being reviewed by the federal government and after a long hiatus, the equipment needed to administer it is expected to hit the market soon.

Advocates emphasize it's no silver bullet, but they say it should be among the options offered to women because it's easy for women to self-administer, takes effect quickly, and can be used in the later stages of labor.

- AP


My mom said she had it for my brother and was WAY too loopy and for me she did all natural. It was mentioned on the news saturday morning and said mom's can administer it to themselves and do as much or as little as the want and whenever they want to do it. I know there are many anti-epi people who feel that any drug mom takes it goes to the child and if it could cause harm, i wonder about the gas?

Re: The return of laughing gas in the delivery room

I just read this in our paper too!



It seems Canada and Great Britian already do this. Just we got epi-happy. I think if its viable and safe, why not?