To explore the influence of nalbuphine combined with sufentanil for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) of women after cesarean section on the maternal stress response, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, curative effect, and safety. Methods: A total of 100 women after cesarean section were selected and were divided observation group (52 cases with sufentanil for PCIA) and control group (48 cases with nalbuphine combined with sufentanil for PCIA) according to the computer randomization method from May 2020 to April 2022.  The levels of norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA) of the women in the two groups before and after operation were observed. The VAS scores and Ramsay sedation scores, the postoperative situation, and the postoperative adverse reactions rate of the women in the two groups at 12h, 24h, and 48h after operation were also observed. Results: The NE, E, and DA levels of the women in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the women before surgery, but which of the women in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the women in the control group (P<0.05). The Ramsay score of the women after surgery and the VAS score in 12h after surgery of the women had no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The VAS score of the women in the observation group in 24h (3.0±0.4 points) and in 48h (2.0±0.2 points) after surgery were significantly lower than those (3.9±0.8 points and 2.7±0.5 points) of the women in the control group. The analgesic satisfaction (96.2%) of the women in the observation group was significantly higher than that (66.7%) of the women in the control group. The time of spontaneous urination (18.5±2.6h) and the time of first getting out of bed (12.1±2.3h) of the women in the observation group were significantly lower than those (26.8±2.0h and 16.4±2.1h) of the women in the control group. The duration of analgesia (41.2±2.2h) of the women in the observation group was significantly longer than that (28.1±2.0h) of the women in the control group, and the total incidence of adverse reactions (5.8%) of the women in the observation group was significantly lower than that (22.9%) of the women in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The application of nalbuphine combined with sufentanil for PCIA of the women after cesarean section can effectively relieve the pain and the stress response, can effectively improve the postoperative recovery, reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions, and improve the postoperative satisfaction of the women.