Between films where women seem to die during childbirth scenes and girlfriends who sometimes add tons of drama, we tend to make a whole film of childbirth! This was exactly my case…until today.
Traumatized by the birth scene of the film "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" with Kevin Costner (clarification:it is not him who gives birth...), to the point of having had many nightmares when I was a child , this step made me so anxious that it had turned into a real scary nightmare in my mind.
But as Krys would say:that was before. Because today, I asked a good anesthesiologist to explain to me how an epidural and childbirth takes place. I looked for the person who could reassure me the most, speaking to me frankly, without jargon, and without hiding anything from me. This person was found:Dr. Reynié, anesthetist for more than 25 years, and by the way...my dad.
This is what he told me.
What are the 10 questions most frequently asked by pregnant women (with their real answers)?
No, the epidural does not hurt at all, because we anesthetize before on purpose so that we don't feel anything! So no worries on that side.
To reassure you, I will explain how it all happens. You are pregnant, you have contractions and arrive at your clinic or hospital. Before, we waited until the dilation of your cervix was 4 cm to do the epidural. But now, we're just waiting for the contractions to get a little stronger and for the cervix to be ready for it (2-3cm)!
There, hop!, we take you to the work room. The lower back area is then anesthetized (the bite stings like a vaccine shot) and the area is instantly put to sleep:you can do the epidural.
For this, we introduce an epidural needle (which you do not feel since the area is asleep), generally between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae, in the so-called epidural space. And in 10/15 minutes, or even much less, the epidural took effect.
Yes, if it is maintained! It only lasts about 1h30, but it is very variable. This is the reason why, during the epidural, a catheter is introduced – namely a very small rod in which we will put anesthetic if the delivery lasts. And when I say "small", she is
microscopic, since it is about 1mm in diameter. So I might as well tell you that we don't feel it!
Then, we have 3 choices:1/ A doctor or a midwife puts anesthetic in the catheter as soon as the patient has a little more pain. 2/ An automatic syringe takes care of this on its own. 3/ In some establishments, women can do it themselves, by pressing the button on the programmed syringe.
It depends on the women! Some a little, some not at all. With some, you don't even have time to say "phew" that the baby is already there! So yes, it's not a pleasure party or a vacation in the tropics, but childbirth is something natural, which is extremely well supervised today. So the pain is extremely reduced, even absent for some.
The epidural is less effective there. So, when the doctor feels that the skin between the vagina and the anus is in danger of tearing, it is better to cut it clean! In this case, he anesthetizes the area before giving a small stroke of the scalpel (therefore no pain), or he judges that it is not even worth it. There, the mother will usually not even feel it!
Now, yes, because we have reduced the concentration of anesthetic! Before, it was so strong that women no longer felt the contractions at all and sometimes had their legs a little sleepy. The ideal is to feel the contractions without pain, which is not always the case depending on the course of the birth.
Some women give birth without any problem without an epidural, which is not compulsory. But if she is in pain, you should know that the pain will remain until the baby comes out. You can always do an epidural during labor if it's not too late. But ideally, it should be done at the right time, either when the midwifery team or the doctor advises.
Some may have a little headache but it's extremely rare! Moreover, the rare times they have pain, it is mainly because of postpartum fatigue itself, not from the epidural.
No anxiety to have either on the side of back pain. According to studies, you have as much back pain after giving birth whether you have had an epidural or not.
At one time, some women could feel a feeling of heaviness in the legs. But now that the doses have been reduced, it remains exceptional and almost only concerns cases where deliveries are long. So don't worry:you can keep moving your legs!
The only thing to watch out for is whether the mom can have an epidural or not. But contraindications are rare:fever, infection on the back, large tattoo on this area, blood clotting disorders or even some neurological diseases. In this case, the anesthesiologist may refuse to perform the epidural.
Absolutely not because the product does not reach him at all! On the contrary:in some cases, it is even better for him. Because the mother is calmer, she has less pain, so the delivery goes better.
It depends on the case. For one, he has the caesarean that the doctors had planned. There, we do what is called spinal anesthesia. Basically, you are introduced to a thin rod in the lower back, much like a lumbar puncture. There, the same:you don't feel anything, since you have previously put the area to sleep. During childbirth, the entire lower abdomen is asleep, so no injuries, except in extremely rare cases. And for those who are afraid of blood, rest assured:a sheet hides what you need. And you see your baby right away!
In other cases, a caesarean section may be necessary
childbirth. There, all you have to do is inject the right anesthetic into the catheter of the epidural already in place, and it takes effect very quickly.
Normally, an hour after delivery on average! But others are ready to frolic right after. In any case, at this time, mothers are more in the mood to cuddle their little one or to rest.
