Nitrous Oxide, Popular Childbirth Pain Relief, Now Available In Northwest Arkansas

The Family Birth Place at Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville is first in Arkansas

SPRINGDALE, Ark. (Nov. 30, 2018) — A popular childbirth pain relief option is now available at a hospital in Northwest Arkansas. The Family Birth Place at Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville (NMC-Bentonville) began offering nitrous oxide as a pain relief option to women in labor on November 18, making it the first hospital in Arkansas to do so.

The addition of nitrous oxide as a non-pharmacological option for pain management during labor is part of the hospital’s overall low intervention birthing program which also includes personal aromatherapy inhalers, TENS units for back pain, shower hydrotherapy, birthing bar, balls and wireless fetal monitoring for facilitated movement and positioning during labor.

The nitrous oxide delivery system is a pneumatically-driven gas mixer designed to deliver a 50 percent oxygen and 50 percent nitrous oxide mixture to patients for the relief of pain and anxiety in a medical setting. The patient-controlled apparatus allows patients to stay awake, alert and actively participate, while helping to ease their pain and anxiety. While the use of nitrous gas has been around in dentistry and in the general medical field, using a 50/50 mixer is relatively new in the U.S. during labor and delivery.

The Family Birth Place at NMC-Bentonville is a 24-bed Labor and Delivery/Couplet Care unit with an 8-bed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The new system was added as requests for alternative methods of pain relief began steadily climbing, according to Whitney Tolbert, director of the Family Birth Place.

“We want to provide maternity care that meets the needs and expectations of our patients,” Tolbert said. “Childbirth is one of the most beautiful and memorable times and we want the very best experience for the families we serve. Understanding our patients’ preferences and providing a tailored labor and delivery plan is part of what helps us ensure the very best experience. We are very excited to be able to offer nitrous oxide as an alternative pain relief measure during labor and delivery.”

Women who are interested in the low intervention birth program or any other the maternity services or education programs are invited to schedule a tour of the Family Birth Place or a meeting with the OB Nurse Navigator by calling (479) 553-1266 or visiting NorthwestHealthBabies.com.

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