Epidural Anesthesia for Painless Delivery: Meaning, Highlights, and Associated Risks

 

Bringing new life to the world is a wonderful journey, but it quite likely entails the fear of pain during labour. For most women, the thought of labour pain can be too much to handle, but cutting-edge medicine provides ways to reduce this fear. One of the most effective and widely used methods is epidural anaesthesia, which is a painless delivery. At Diva Women’s Hospital, we aim to provide secure, caring, and comfortable birth experiences for each mother.  In this blog,  we will learn the term “epidural anaesthesia” by letting know some crucial aspects like what it is, how it works, its usefulness, and the recent findings on its benefits, and lastly, it will warn of likely risks that one might associate with it.

What is Epidural Anesthesia?

Epidural anaesthesia refers to a type of regional anaesthesia treatment used for pain relief in a specific area. For instance, in labour, it is a process of numbing the lower part of the body, mainly the uterus, the cervix, and the birth canal, without total unconsciousness. This means that the mother can stay fully conscious, responsive, and participating in the labor and, at the same time, labour pain is greatly reduced.

Epidural Anesthesia Painless Delivery: Key Highlights

1. Effective Pain Relief: Epidural anaesthesia is one of the most successful options for anaesthesia during childbirth. It gives stable and controlled pain relief during active labour and delivery.
2. You Stay Awake and Alert: Epidurals allow the mother to remain conscious and be playful while at the same time attending the delivery, unlike general anaesthesia, which puts the patient to sleep.
3. Adjustable Dosage: Depending on the stage of labour and the comfort level of the mother, the anaesthesiologist can vary the medication.
4. Safe for Mother and Baby: The medical professionals say that epidural is generally harmless, and as such, it is administered by them in a controlled environment such as Diva Women’s Hospital.
5. Allows for Emergency Interventions: In the case of a need for emergency caesarean section, it is very often that the epidural catheter, together with stronger anaesthesia, can be used instead of general anaesthesia, which results in less need for general anaesthesia.

Associated Risks and Considerations

Even though epidural anaesthesia is a truly painless delivery of newborns and is an essential component of better care, one should not forget, first of all, the possible complications and drawbacks of all the other medical procedures that exist:

(1) Drop in Blood Pressure: The most frequent side effect is a sudden drop in blood pressure, which may result in a temporary wave of an abnormal heart rate in the baby.

(2) Limited Mobility: Epidurals are often the cause of difficulty in the movement or walking of the laboring woman as the lower part of the body becomes insensitive because of the anesthesia dosage.

(3) Prolonged Labour: In some circumstances, the second phase of labour can be a bit longer with epidurals or can be associated with the need for expedited labour using forceps or vacuum in about 25% of all cases.

(4) Backache or Headache: A few women have complained about mild back pain or, very rarely, headaches after delivery. This is due to the needle’s wrong placement.

(5) Rare Complications: Major problems are infrequent but perhaps downright include nerve damage or infection if the procedure is not performed with the necessary precision.

For this reason, it is very important to choose a reputable hospital staffed by specialists with much experience.

Is Epidural Right for You?

Every pregnancy and labour experience is different. If you are considering having an epidural anaesthesia for painless delivery, you need to consult with your obstetrician regarding the following: 

• Your pain tolerance
• Any medical conditions or allergies
• Your labor and delivery plan

At Diva Women’s Hospital, we provide care that is tailor-made for each patient and gives an astute, no-nonsense approach to ensure that pregnant women have information and a suitable course of action that fits their wishes.

Epidural anaesthesia is the tool that makes a painless delivery a new reality. Although it’s not without adverse effects, it has made many a woman’s labour much easier and has helped to bring about a more positive attitude towards it. The primary objective at Diva Women’s Hospital is to give patients maternity care that is led by a compassionate and skilled expert where not only your safety and well-being are guaranteed but also catering to your individual needs. In case you have doubts about epidural anaesthesia painless delivery, the team is here to help you all the way through the process.

Arrange an appointment with our maternity experts today and be confident in an accurate and worry-free delivery.

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