Crippling Labor Pains Fast Pain Relief - Pregnant Women`s Fears About Giving Birth?
Posted: Friday, March 13, 2009
by Kacycarr
http://www.spotthepimple.com
Pain relief in labour and delivery - What do pregnant women and especially more so the first time pregnant woman fears the most. Is it the thought of not knowing what to expect at the time of going into labour. Is it the thought of maybe having to have your legs strapped in stirrups throughout the time it takes to give birth? Could it be the embarrassment of having to bear all, or is it the worry over delivering a healthy baby boy or girl. Well believe it or not it is none of the above mentioned? The most feared factor about the delivery room is the pain involved. If it's any consolation girls if the pain was so bad then I don`t think them women with one baby would ever have had a second. If a natural delivery takes place with no complications then what pain does come is bearable.
Let us look at the most regular pain relief administered or given in the delivery room to the pregnant woman
Entonox - Is what we know as gas and air, it is made up of oxygen and nitrous oxide. It is the most regular form of pain relief used in delivery rooms. Entonox can be used on an as required basis, usually as the contraction (labour pains) begins until it has eased. The woman is usually in control of how much gas and air she takes. It is administered through either a mouthpiece or as a mask and requires the woman to breathe in deeply and exhale. It causes the pregnant woman to feel dizzy and physically unbalanced but this effect is short lived and will subside very quickly resulting in another quick swift intake to get the feel again. Some women swear by the gas and air method for controlling and providing pain relief through their labour and delivery
Epidural – An epidural is an injection given into your back, it consists of a long but very fine needle. The needle is slotted between the spinal vertebras into the space before the protective sheaths of your spinal cord. Using the needle as a guide wire, a fine tube is passed over the shaft of the needle following which the needle is removed. The tube is settled in place using medical tape and fixed to the shoulder. Using a mixture of drugs, akin to local anesthetics, the anesthetist will slowly inject the fluid into the space. An epidural is not a pain relief drug solely used in the delivery room. It is a common process carried out on patients for other type of operations. The effect of an epidural can be almost instant. Loss of pain and often sensation to the lower half of the body is the norm with this method. The amount of drugs given will be administered through the tube, or through a pump that will give a small dose every few minutes (top up.)
Pethidine – Pethidine is a potent drug that acts as a pain killer and an anti-spasmodic which help with relaxation. And of course this is needed in the delivery room. Agitated women can cause problems. I myself have had the experience of this drug with my second child. A needle was given to me in my leg and next thing I knew I was on cloud nine. The affect it had on me was I didn`t care if there was another ten babies to deliver. Pethidine can be given by injection or using a fixed cannula and tube which are linked to a machine that you will have control of. This is called A PCA machine which will continually top-up the drug but will not allow for, overdose. As it can cause nausea and vomiting it is often given with an anti-sickness drug. My experience caused me no side effects like the above mentioned, however because we all differ it does not mean that you won`t.
TENS Machine – Are superb for those who do not want to use drugs or chemicals. Women in today`s society prefer the more natural approach for claiming pain relief during their labour and for the actual birth. TENS represents Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and uses electrical impulses passed through strategically placed pads, which put a restriction on the pain signals to and from the brain thus usually urging release of endorphins which are naturally produced chemicals that make you feel good.
Some women ask can they have a caesarean to avoid the actual pain of child birth. They know with a Caesarean that everything is numbed so as to speak. I ask you ladies does this make it any safer, wouldn`t you like to be aware and feel what is going on with your body.
If it's not viable to give birth to your baby vaginally, then a caesarean will be imminent.
Reasons why a caesarean section might take place
- Labour has gone on too long and isn't progressing fast enough. Or baby`s health is at risk due to lack of oxygen, or fetal distress is detected.
- The placenta is attached on or near your cervix - called (placenta previa.)
- The placenta grows through the wall of your womb and into its muscular layer - called (placenta accreta.)
- Twins or triplets are to be delivered.
- Baby`s in breech position or lying sideways across your womb.
- There is a high risk that you may have heavy bleeding if you have a vaginal delivery.
Specific complications of caesarean section include:
- an infection happening in your womb, urinary system or the wound
- possible complications in other pregnancies
- increased risk of having a stillbirth
About pregnancy? Do you know all there is to know about being pregnant to stay healthy throughout the nine months
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