Epidural anesthesia: pain-free birth?
A pain-free birth sounds tempting. This is possible with an epidural anaesthetic, or PDA for short. You can find out how it works and what the risks are here.
Epidural anesthesia is a local pain relief during childbirth. A quarter of all pregnant women use an epidural today.
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ToggleHow does epidural anesthesia work?
Before the delivery, the anesthesiologist will inject you with a local anesthetic. He places it between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae. In this way, it reaches and numbs the nerve fibers that are responsible for the sensation of pain in the lower abdomen and legs. Pain emanating from your lower abdomen can no longer be transmitted to your brain. If necessary, the drug can be added.
Does a PDA make sense?
If the medication is dosed exactly, the pregnant woman can still push. If a birth with forceps or suction cups is necessary, this can be carried out without any loss of time, since the pregnant woman is already locally anesthetized. In most cases, an epidural reduces the burden on the baby. The mother can experience the birth more consciously. This also makes breastfeeding easier later on.
Can anything go wrong?
As a result of the epidural anesthesia, the blood vessels can dilate. Your blood pressure then drops and you feel dizzy. The doctor can give you a circulatory supportive remedy for prevention. Sometimes it happens that the epidural relaxes the uterine muscles too much and the contractions are too weak. In this case, the doctor will prescribe you labor-inducing drugs. If the epidural is too high, there may be total insensitivity to labor. The birth often has to be ended with forceps or suction cups.
You can find more information about the process of giving birth with an epidural here.