Sterile Water Injections for Back Labor
Recently Sterile Water Injections have been in the spotlight after it was added to the UK NICE Guidelines. Let’s learn more about this option for women in labor - at home or in hospital.
What Are Sterile Water Injections?
Sterile water injections are a unique form of pain relief administered just under the skin on a woman's back, creating small blister-like bumps. These can be given by trained professionals and have no side effects for you or your baby (but there can be a stinging sensation for about a minute after).
Key Facts:
Also known as sterile water blocks or papules.
Involves 2-4 injections using an insulin syringe, with 0.1-0.15cc of sterile water injected into specific points on the sacral area.
Offer several advantages over epidurals and narcotics: quick, cheap, no impact on mobility or baby's well-being, and no need for additional monitoring.
The main downside is intense stinging pain for 30-90 seconds during and after administration, with a small risk of local infection or inflammation.
Effectiveness:
Particularly helpful for back labor pain, which is pain felt mainly in the back rather than the uterus and doesn’t subside between contractions.
Women often report significant relief starting 2-3 minutes after the injections, lasting up to a couple of hours, and the injections can be repeated if necessary. This could help a mom who was struggling to avoid medications or an epidural if that was her preference. It’s a simple, low cost intervention that can be very helpful for some women.
Research and Controversy:
While many studies show positive results, some OBs argue the evidence isn't robust enough, citing the need for larger, higher-quality studies.
Despite these criticisms, many midwives and women find sterile water injections to be a valuable, low-risk pain relief option.
In a nutshell, sterile water injections provide a non-pharmacological pain relief option that is quick, cheap, and effective, particularly for back labor pain. While not everyone agrees on it’s use it’s a choice that more moms should have access to.
