Pros and cons of childbirth with medications over natural childbirth

In today’s age, it is rare for a woman to want to experience natural childbirth. Instead, it is automatically assumed that there will be an epidural waiting in the hospital, where you can give birth without any pain. However, this is rarely 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 medications:

• Epidural: the most commonly used pain reliever during labor. An epidural is administered through a needle in the area around the spine and generally numbs the mother from the navel to the knees. An antiseptic is used to minimize the possibility of infection, and a local anesthetic is injected into a small area of ​​the lower back to numb the area; Then a needle is 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 A catheter or small tube is inserted through the needle into the epidural space, and then the needle is withdrawn and medicine is given through the catheter by periodic injections or continuous doses.

The goal of an epidural is to relieve pain rather than cause a total lack of sensation; It works by blocking nerve impulses in the lower spinal segments to decrease sensation in the lower half of the body. The 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 be more mobile during labor than an epidural, but have higher risks to the baby and mother due to possible side effects. They can be given as a tranquilizer or combined with a narcotic and are given through an IV into the bloodstream or injected into a muscle. They affect the entire 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 is delivered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid in a single injection, providing quick relief that lasts for only a few hours.

• Combination Spinal / Epidural – Often called an outpatient 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 between different mothers. While some women swear that their pain was completely relieved with the use of an epidural anesthetic, others have trouble with the effect of the medication and can still feel both pain and pressure as if there were no medication.

Statistics show that a woman who receives medication during delivery has a longer labor with 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 in very long labor may use pain relievers to get some rest before she has to push. Pain relievers can also help the mother relax her body if she tenses up during contractions so that her body is not fighting labor, and is also helpful in situations where the mother is very anxious or afraid of the delivery. or problems related to childbirth. your past that can affect the way 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 correct amount of blood flow. Intravenous oxygen and fluid therapy may be necessary due to the sudden drop in blood pressure. Epidurals are also known to cause headaches due to a leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, along with chills, ringing in the ears, nausea, difficulty using the bathroom, back pain, and pain at the needle insertion site.

Because an epidural makes pushing difficult due to the inability to feel the contractions as strongly, further medical interventions such as oxytocin, an episiotomy, forceps, vacuum extraction, and a cesarean section may be necessary. Other disadvantages are permanent nerve damage, the 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.

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