In today’s age, it is rare for a woman to want to experience natural labor. Instead, it is automatically assumed that there will be an epidural wait at the hospital, where she will be able to give birth without any pain. However, this is seldom the case.
Women choose to give birth with medical intervention because they think they cannot or do not want to deal with the pain associated with childbirth. Even women who have a high tolerance for pain may not consider natural childbirth because the medications used in today’s modern world are so common.
Types of drugs:
• Epidural: The most popular pain reliever used during labor, an epidural is administered through a needle into the area around the spine and usually numbs the mother from her navel to her knees. An antiseptic is used to minimize the chance of infection, and a local anesthetic is injected into a small area in the lower back to numb the spot; A needle is then inserted into the area around the spinal cord in the lower back. A catheter or small tube is inserted through the needle into the epidural space, and then the needle is removed and the medication is given through the catheter by regular injections or continuous doses.
The goal of an epidural is to provide pain relief rather than total numbness; It works by blocking nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments to decrease sensation in the lower half of the body. An epidural is administered by an anesthesiologist, obstetrician, or nurse anesthetist while you are lying on your side or sitting with your back arched, positions that are vital to preventing problems and increasing the effectiveness of the epidural.
• Intravenous narcotics/systemic medications: Intravenous narcotics, also called systemic pain relievers, allow the mother to move more during labor than an epidural, but have higher risks to the baby and mother due to possible side effects. They can be given as tranquilizers or combined with a narcotic and are given through an IV into the bloodstream or injected into a muscle. They affect the whole body rather than just the pelvic area and uterus and can make the mother sleepy but not unconscious.
• Spinal block – Similar to an epidural, a spinal block is delivered directly into the spinal fluid in a single injection, providing quick relief that lasts only a few hours.
• Combined spinal/epidural: Often called a walking epidural, this is a newer technique that offers rapid and continuous pain relief.
Benefits and risks
When medications are used during childbirth, the outcome varies greatly among different mothers. While some women say that their pain is completely relieved with the use of an epidural, others have problems with the effect of the medication and may still feel both pain and pressure as if there were no medication.
Statistics show that a woman who receives medication during labor has a longer labor and more complications than a mother who chooses to give birth naturally. However, there are benefits to using pain relievers during labor.
For example, a mother who is in a very long labor may use pain medicine to get some rest before she needs to push. Pain medication can also help a mother relax her body if it becomes tense during contractions so that her body does not fight labor, and is also helpful in situations where a mother is very anxious or afraid about labor or delivery problems. her past history that can affect how labor progresses.
One of the downsides of epidural anesthesia is that it can cause blood pressure to drop suddenly, resulting in routine checkups to make sure the baby is getting the right amount of blood. You may need to be treated with oxygen and IV fluids because of the sudden drop in blood pressure. Epidurals are also known to cause headaches due to a leak of cerebrospinal fluid, along with chills, ringing in the ears, nausea, difficulty going to the bathroom, back pain, and pain where the needle was inserted.
Because an epidural makes pushing more difficult due to the inability to feel the contractions as forcefully, further medical interventions such as oxytocin, an episiotomy, forceps, vacuum extraction, and a cesarean section may be necessary. Other disadvantages are permanent nerve damage, inability to feel the legs after birth, and problems with the baby’s ability to latch on during breastfeeding, respiratory depression, and an increased fetal heart rate.