Your pregnancy is progressing, and you can already feel the impending birth just beyond the rotation.
You may have begun to take an interest in purchasing baby equipment and ordering a birth package. The house starts to get organized a little; differently, the stomach is substantial and what remains to be done is to wait patiently until the right moment when your baby or baby decides to emerge.
Today, pregnant women invest a great deal of thought and planning about the course of birth, the baby’s equipment, the behavior before and after, but there is an important point that does not get enough attention and is the subject of anesthesia at birth.
Even if you are planning a natural birth without painkillers, at the moment of truth, as the contractions get stronger and stronger, many of the women turn to the medical staff in the delivery room and ask for something to calm down, because the pain we imagined we would face heroically is not necessarily the pain we suffer at the moment of truth.
Anesthesia at birth – Let’s talk about it for a moment
Usually, the type and material of anesthesia at birth only arise at moments that are just close to delivery, when we are between axis and axis and are engaged mainly in breathing deeply and overcoming.
In those moments, it is hard for us to think about the various effects of anesthesia, what the consequences of the anesthesia on our body, the baby, the speed at which we can return to regular activity, or how this loss of control for a few hours will make our mark sometimes Mentally.
When we reach the moment of truth of birth, the medical staff in the delivery room may be overloaded, and of course busy with other mothers besides us.
In this situation, it is difficult to take the time to explain the differences between the various anesthetics, the different ways they affect the baby and us, and most importantly, which one suits us, our desires, and our medical history.
The mother may also forget important information that should be made clear to the medical staff before birth, so it is recommended that you prepare such report in a clear document, which you will pre-pack in the delivery room bag.
Anesthesia options at birth – Epidural at birth
Today, a woman who is born in normal birth is offered various types of anesthesia that are acceptable in hospitals,
- Epidural anesthesia
- Laughing gas
- PCA pump
- blurring
Choosing the right type of anesthesia and adapting it to the mother and baby increases the chances of a healthy, happy birth.
In addition, the choice of type of anesthesia given at birth has a short- and long-term effect:
In the short term:
Choosing the right anesthetic reduces complications during labor.
Increases the level of satisfaction of the mother and her partner with the birth process by feeling that they are partners and have a choice and control at birth.
Increases the chances of no skin separation.
In the long term:
Choosing the type of anesthesia at birth increases the level of breastfeeding capacity.
Reduces the risk of postpartum depression.
Studies suggest that a relaxed birth affects the mental development of the fetus until adolescence.
Control is in your hands
The process of pregnancy and childbirth causes so many fears and anxieties that stem mainly from our lack of control over the operations taking place in the body.
Let’s face it, we do not have control, and the birth can happen at any moment.
The birth can be short, long, exhausting, sometimes with complications, and in most cases when we arrive at the maternity ward in a busy and busy time, the medical staff is not always patient enough and attentive to detect our inner anxieties and anxieties.
The moment you choose the type of anesthesia and come with knowledge on the subject and beyond – a doctor’s explicit recommendation about the type of anesthesia recommended for you, you will have more security and inner peace that will help the birth process and progress faster, with less pressure and fears.
Many women who have undergone spinal anesthesia or epidural anesthesia tell of helplessness due to lack of sensation in the legs during childbirth, various side effects after birth and even after hospitalization, back pain lasting months and sometimes trauma from the epidural injection itself.
Symptoms that hurt the birth experience and sometimes even left untreated trauma and sometimes prevents them from wanting another pregnancy and this is because no one has prepared them in advance.
To prevent this trauma, it is recommended to examine all the options in advance, check the consequences and reach the delivery room when you know, understand and are ready to choose the solution that best suits you at the recommendation of an expert in the field.
If necessary, if there are different cases of unpredicted cases, even if you are presented with other options, you will be prepared to understand the meaning of every possibility and be more relaxed at birth knowing that you have chosen and you know what is being put into your body.
A preliminary visit to an anesthesiologist before birth helps:
Reducing Anxiety Towards Birth / Cesarean section and through them.
A positive effect on the mother’s satisfaction with the birth process.
Prevention of complications during or after birth or cesarean section.
Pain reduction.
Return to full function after childbirth.
Helps the mother to be an active partner and experience the birth process.