Women’s Healthcare of Illinois offering nitrous oxide during labor and delivery

Women’s Healthcare of Illinois, a practice devoted to providing comprehensive and exceptional care to meet the individual needs of patients in the southwest Chicagoland area and Northwest Indiana, is offering nitrous oxide as a pain management alternative during labor and delivery at Advocate South Suburban Hospital.

The practice has an office in Mokena.

“We couldn’t be more excited about what this means for our patients,” Beth Helme Smith, a certified nurse midwife with Women’s Healthcare of Illinois," said in a news release.

"Only a handful of hospitals in the Chicagoland area have this option, and we will be the first practice in our geographic area that offers it. This solidifies our efforts to empower women to make decisions that meet their personal needs.”

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless gas used as an alternative to narcotic and epidural pain management in labor and delivery rooms across Canada, Australia and the UK.

Better known as the “laughing gas” used in dentists’ offices, nitrous oxide can be used safely during all stages of labor and after birth without harming mom or the baby.

Also, unlike its use during dental procedures, nitrous oxide is self-administered under a physician’s supervision and can be easily discontinued.

This empowers the patient to control the amount of medication used and decide if she wants to try a different method of pain relief.

The addition of nitrous oxide pain management is part of a comprehensive midwifery program offered by Women’s Healthcare of Illinois in collaboration with Advocate South Suburban Hospital.

Also, in its efforts to improve the childbirth experience, Women’s Healthcare of Illinois will soon begin offering immersion hydrotherapy as another method of pain reduction and relaxation for women during labor.

About Women’s Healthcare of Illinois

Women’s Healthcare of Illinois serves women throughout their life stages from adolescence through adulthood.

It offers a full range of medical care for women specializing in general obstetrics and gynecology services, urogynecology and midwifery services.

For more information, visit whcillinois.com, call 708-425-1907, or follow Women’s Healthcare of Illinois on Facebook.