DODOMA, Oct. 4 -- FOR many women, the excitement of meeting a newborn is accompanied by another thought: The pain of labour. As contractions intensify and the baby moves through the birth canal, discomfort can become severe.

Medical advances are giving women options for managing labour pain. One is epidural analgesia, which reduces pain while allowing a mother to remain awake, feel pressure and participate actively in childbirth.

At Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) in Dodoma, epidural analgesia is being introduced as an option for women having vaginal births. Specialist anaesthesiologist Dr Lugano Wilson said the procedure does not stop labour. Instead, it blocks pain signals from reaching the brain.

“The mother continues to experie...