Today, during childbirth, different methods of pain relief are used. One of the most popular methods is epidural anesthesia. Feedback on this procedure must be considered before making a decision. This type of anesthesia has its advantages and disadvantages. This procedure will be described in detail below.
general characteristics
Today you can find many reviews of those who gave birth with epidural anesthesia. This procedure is extremely popular in the West. In our country, this type of anesthesia is done more and more often. This procedure involves the administration of an anesthetic at the level of the lower back. A needle is inserted between the membranes of the spinal cord. This allows you to block the nerve roots. They are responsible for pain in the body, including during labor.
During childbirth, a woman does not feel pain. Although she feels the contractions. The woman in labor is conscious. She can speak with medical staff and fully understands what is happening. This type of anesthesia does not affect consciousness. The whole process of childbirth is almost a natural way. However, the woman does not feel pain.
Also, a similar procedure is used if a woman needs to have a cesarean section. She will not feel any pain. In this case, even in this case, the woman in labor remains conscious. She can see her baby right after his birth, hear his first scream. Reviews about epidural anesthesia for cesarean section in most cases are positive.
Anesthesia is injected into the body as soon as painful contractions begin. This must be done before the start of the attempt. The medical professional calculates the amount of pain medication very carefully. The effect of the drug should cease by the time the attempt begins. In some exceptional cases, anesthesia also works during attempts. This is necessary if a woman is diagnosed with heart defects, myopia.
Features of the procedure
Many pregnant women are interested in reviews at the cost of epidural anesthesia during childbirth long before they occur. This question is very relevant today. In different maternity hospitals, the cost of the procedure can vary greatly. It ranges from 4.5 to 11 thousand rubles. The price is affected by the policy of a medical institution.
In all clinics, the procedure is the same. A woman is punctured between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebra. A catheter is then inserted. It is set using a stylet. This is a special device that allows you to perform the procedure efficiently and correctly.
Through a catheter, an anesthetic is injected into the body. It is served at intervals of every half hour. Painful sensations disappear 20 minutes after the administration of the drug. Using this method, a woman is anesthetized in the antenatal period. However, the catheter remains in place until the birth process is completed. If after this the woman in labor will have tears, she is also sutured under this anesthesia.
Considering the reviews of doctors about epidural anesthesia, it can be noted that there are two types of such effects. At the first woman should not walk. Also, do not lie on your back. This is a common epidural analgesia. The second option is called mobile epidural analgesia. In this case, a woman can sit down or move around.
The condition of a woman and her child is constantly monitored by an anesthetist. It controls the pressure, the heartbeat of the woman in childbirth. If necessary, if the dose of the drug was insufficient, the painkiller is reintroduced.
Sensations
There are various reviews of epidural anesthesia. It hurts to cease to be in 10-20 minutes. A couple of minutes after the drug is administered, a feeling of weakness appears in the legs. Further, the woman feels numb throughout the lower body. Also, patients note the appearance of a sensation of warmth.
Contractions cease to be painful. A woman feels pressure in the lower abdomen. It can also act on the rectum. When contractions begin, the effect of the drug passes. This allows the woman in labor to control the strength and duration of the attempts. During childbirth, gaps often appear. They are sutured after the baby is born. This operation is also performed under anesthesia. This makes the process less painful.
The effect of the drug lasts about 2 hours after the administration of the pain medication. During this period, a woman may feel stiffness in her movements. Sometimes the hands tremble. When the effect of the drug stops, everything returns to normal. Often women feel chills after childbirth and catheter extraction. This is due to the powerful release of adrenaline into the blood. Therefore, you need to warm yourself in the usual way (wrap yourself in a blanket).
Reviews about cesarean with epidural anesthesia are mostly positive. In this case, the woman feels almost the same symptoms. However, in this case, the amount of drug administered through the catheter is increased. This allows you to anesthetize the internal organs to perform an incision. Mom will be able to see her baby when doctors get him into the light. Therefore, this type of anesthesia for cesarean section is more popular.
Who is indicated for pain relief
Reviews of doctors about epidural anesthesia during childbirth are mostly positive. However, doctors say that this procedure is not shown to all women in labor. There are a number of conditions in which this type of anesthesia is a real salvation.
Doctors themselves may recommend similar anesthesia if the woman has a very low threshold. In this case, a person perceives even minor pain as very severe. In such a situation, there can be certain problems without pain relief during childbirth. The doctor will definitely recommend anesthesia.
Reviews about epidural anesthesia for cesarean section suggest that this is the best type of pain relief in this case. Therefore, during childbirth in a similar way, a woman may be recommended to perform this type of anesthesia. This will allow the doctor to monitor the state of the woman in labor, to communicate with her if necessary.
Doctors also recommend a similar procedure for slow or uneven opening of the cervix. If a woman has high blood pressure before giving birth, this type of anesthesia helps to lower it. Therefore, the drug can also be recommended by doctors.
The procedure allows you to reduce the burden on the heart during labor. Therefore, women with serious diseases of the cardiovascular system are also often given such anesthesia. Also, this procedure is indicated for kidney diseases, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus.
Contraindications
Reviews about epidural anesthesia are mostly positive. However, there are certain contraindications to this type of pain relief. Every woman should know about them.
The procedure is not performed for women in labor who have any blood pathology. This, for example, may be poor blood clotting or a tendency to bleed. Therefore, a woman, even when she is registered in the antenatal clinic for pregnancy, undergoes a full examination.
It is also forbidden to perform a similar procedure for patients with diseases of the spinal cord. Pathologies of the central nervous system are also a serious contraindication.
At low pressure or arrhythmias, this procedure is also not carried out. The drug in this case is unsafe. It reduces pressure. If it is already low, it can be dangerous during childbirth.
Before starting the procedure, a test for allergic reactions is mandatory. If the drug is intolerable to the body, for obvious reasons, it is not administered. Also, you can not enter the drug in the presented way, if at the site of the alleged puncture there are any pathologies of the skin.
Contraindication is also obesity of varying severity, as well as curvature of the spine.
Pros of the procedure
There are certain pros and cons to epidural anesthesia. The reviews of doctors and patients indicate that it is very important to consider this issue from two sides. The advantage of the procedure is the reduction in the period of cervical dilatation. This contributes to the smooth advancement of the child through the birth canal.
Many women note that the indisputable advantage of the procedure is the complete absence of pain with complete clarity of consciousness. This allows you to relax in the antenatal period, when debilitating, painful contractions begin. When the cervix opens, the woman has a lot of strength for the further stage of childbirth.
Anesthetic practically does not get into the blood of a child. The concentration of the drug in the baby's body usually does not adversely affect its condition. However, there are exceptions (you should always remember this). It is also worth noting that this is one of the few types of anesthesia that a woman can do if inhaled anesthesia is contraindicated.
For women in labor with hypertension, the use of the epidural method of analgesia can significantly reduce the risk during labor. Blood pressure decreases, reducing the likelihood of various complications.
Cons of the procedure
Those who gave birth with epidural anesthesia leave mixed reviews. Although this procedure has a lot of undeniable advantages, there are certain disadvantages. They must be taken into account when making a decision. Although the cervix opens faster when using the presented method of anesthesia, the period of expulsion of the fetus becomes longer. This often causes prolonged labor. At the same time, the probability of ruptures and the use of obstetric devices increases.
As already mentioned, the presented procedure has a number of contraindications. It cannot be used for women with low blood pressure. In this case, a similar procedure is strictly contraindicated. Other contraindications may also make the application of this technique impossible.
The introduction of a special drug into the body can have a number of negative consequences. In this case, various side effects are not ruled out. They arise both in the process of labor and after it.
Moreover, as doctors say, negative consequences can occur in rare cases in a child. They can be both insignificant (headache, chills), and quite serious (allergic reaction, etc.).
Effects
Reviews and consequences of epidural anesthesia are of interest to many expectant mothers. It is worth considering that this procedure cannot be completely safe. There is always a risk of certain complications. Serious consequences occur every 80 thousand births. However, there is still a certain probability of deviations.
Most often, a woman after childbirth is tormented by severe headaches, including due to a decrease in pressure. These symptoms can occur for about 2-3 days. Chills or sudden fever may appear. The drug acts on the intercostal muscles. This can lead to difficulty breathing.
It is extremely difficult to urinate after childbirth. Therefore, women after a similar procedure put a catheter. Also, such a procedure increases the likelihood of various obstetric interventions, for example, the use of forceps or a vacuum extractor. This increases the likelihood that the child will suffer a birth injury.
Sometimes the body temperature of a woman after childbirth with the use of the presented type of anesthesia rises to 38 ° C. Pain appears in the back that does not go away for several weeks or even months.
For a long time, numbness or weakness in the legs is felt. To avoid this negative manifestation, during labor, a woman should lie on her side. This will reduce the flow of blood to the internal organs.
Consequences for the child
Reviews about epidural anesthesia are left by doctors. They argue that you should not resort to additional pain relief without direct indications to this. The fact is that in some cases negative consequences are possible not only for the mother, but also for the child. Before it separates from the mother, all drugs can penetrate the baby's body through the placenta.
Due to such a procedure, the heart rate may decrease significantly in a child. This figure drops to 40 beats per minute. In this case, it may be necessary to perform an unscheduled cesarean section.
Also, after childbirth, the baby's breathing rhythm may be impaired. In this case, immediate help from the anesthetist is required. The risk of encephalopathy is also increased. As a result, the child will have increased muscle tone, and the sucking reflex may be impaired. Some babies can cause fever for no reason. They often get sick. These children are more likely than others to be subsequently prescribed antibiotics.
Therefore, you should definitely think about whether it is necessary to do such anesthesia if there are no serious indications for this.
Women's reviews
According to statistics, reviews after epidural anesthesia are mostly positive. 63% of women were satisfied with this procedure. Another 17% of mothers leave positive feedback about the procedure as a whole, but they have complaints about the quality of the anesthesia performed. They also note negative consequences after the procedure.
Claims on the quality of anesthesia, as well as negative reviews about the consequences for both the mother and the child, are left by 14% of the women surveyed. 6% of the patients surveyed give sharply negative reviews about the procedure. In a small group of women, headaches and soreness in the back are determined after it. Of course, it is worthwhile to inquire before the birth of the opinion of those who gave birth with epidural anesthesia. Reviews are an important nuance. No matter how many positive opinions, negative also occurs. So, some women in childbirth, even if they are few, talk about the grave consequences for their body and for the child.
Having considered the features of epidural anesthesia, reviews about the procedure of doctors, mothers, you can make the right decision about the need to perform such anesthesia during childbirth.