7 common questions about anesthesia in normal birth

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It is common for there to be pain in normal childbirth, as the woman's body undergoes great changes so that the baby can pass through the birth canal. However, in most cases, it is possible to relieve pain by performing epidural anesthesia shortly after the onset of contractions, in which small amounts of anesthetics are administered and, therefore, in this case this type of anesthesia can also be used. be known as analgesia.

In some women, the epidural, in addition to completely taking away the pain, can also change the sensitivity to contractions and, therefore, the doctor can use a device to indicate when the pregnant woman is having a contraction, so that she can push and help the baby to be born.

Here are some questions about anesthesia during childbirth:

1. What anesthesia is given in normal delivery?

The anesthesia that is administered to pregnant women during normal delivery is the epidural, which is applied to the lumbar region, in the vertebral space, in order to reach the nerves in the region, providing analgesia there and from the waist down. Learn more about epidural anesthesia .

2. How is anesthesia performed?

Epidural anesthesia is given with the pregnant woman sitting or lying on her side, with her knees and chin tucked. The anesthetist opens the spaces between the vertebrae of the spine by hand, and inserts the needle and a thin plastic tube, called a catheter, which passes through the center of the needle, which is where the doctor injects the anesthetic medicine.

3. How do I know the anesthesia is working?

When the anesthesia starts to take effect, the pregnant woman begins to feel a progressive loss of sensitivity, heat, a feeling of heaviness in the legs and tingling. However, the anesthetist will check the level of anesthesia to see if the pregnant woman is ready for delivery.

4. How long does the effect of anesthesia last?

The effects of anesthesia can last one to two hours after the baby is born, which is when the catheter is removed, and the woman may feel numbness in her lower limbs.

5. Does anesthesia have contraindications?

Epidural anesthesia is contraindicated for women who are allergic to the anesthetic drug, who have spinal prostheses, who have clotting disorders, who are taking anticoagulants, who have back infections or a low level of platelets in their blood.

In addition, it should not be administered if the doctor cannot detect the epidural space, or if delivery takes place too quickly, which makes it impossible to administer anesthesia. 

6. Does anesthesia have side effects?

The most common side effect of analgesia is a decrease in blood pressure. In addition, other effects that can occur are lower back pain, skin lesions, in the region where the anesthesia was administered, headache, which may appear a few hours after delivery, tremors, nausea and vomiting, itching and urinary retention.

7. Can labor pain be relieved naturally?

Although the effectiveness is very different from that obtained with epidural anesthesia, for pregnant women who do not want to use anesthesia during normal delivery, there are some natural techniques that help to control pain and which include:

  • Massages performed by the partner, at the time of delivery, in the interval between contractions;
  • Breathe deeply at the moment of greatest pain and push for the baby to be born;
  • Using techniques such as acupuncture or acupressure to relieve pain;
  • Have the freedom to move around during contractions.

In addition, it is very important that the pregnant woman clears up all doubts with the obstetrician during the prenatal period so that at the time of delivery she feels confident in the medical team and knows what is going to happen, facilitating relaxation. See a more complete list of tips for  relieving labor pain .