alternative. nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. an option that had fallen out of favor until now. shawna gave birth to three children at this hospital. and like so many women says using an epidural first left her feeling too numb. >> i wasn't able to know when i was having a contraction. i didn't know when i should push. i didn't know when i should breathe. >> reporter: by the birth of her second child, she chose a painful natural birth. so by the third she chose nitrous oxide. >> when i had the nitrous oxide, i felt like i could feel the pain but distance myself from it. >> shawna's doctor says that's the idea. >> it does take the edge off and there's a little bit of a i don't care factor, similar to going to the dentist, so a woman who is very anxious, it decreases anxiety. >> reporter: this is gaining popularity among midwives especially and a handful of hospitals are bringing back