Some women don’t want to deliver their baby using an epidural like their moms did, or they don’t want to use painkillers or they’re just too afraid of needles. But once the first contractions start kicking in they often change their mind.
“Virtual reality treats the pain by distracting a patient,” explained Dr. Ralph Anderson, OB-Gyn at Crystal Run Healthcare. He’s been using VR on pregnant women for a while now and believes this technology is going to become a major player in the childbirth sphere. With the current opioid crisis in America, he wants to look at other ways to treat pain.
Women in labor can put on a VR headset and watch beautiful dream scenes, like a peaceful landscape with a purple tree or a calming beach. A voice talks to them to help them breathe and relax. The patient’s brain is focused on one thing and forgets about the pain a little bit.