Painless labour: how far have we travelled?

Almost every woman in their lifetime bears the pain of parturition since the birth of mankind. The belief that bearing the pain of parturition and delivering a healthy baby makes a woman 'complete' in all aspects is a myth. Given a chance, every woman experiencing the dynamicity of childbirth will want to get rid of the labour pain as soon as possible. History is full of myths and controversies regarding the relief of pain in labour. The concept of modern labour analgesia was born in the early nineteenth century when a woman was administered ether during childbirth by Dr. James Young Simpson. The concept of regional anaesthesia for painless delivery came into existence during mid-twentieth century when the first report for continuous caudal analgesia for childbirth was published by Edward and Hugson1. The true perspectives of painless labour came into existence with advancements over the last three decades as the birth of obstetric anaesthesia as a sub-speciality has cemented a permanent place in the field of obstetrics and anaesthesia.