Bringing a life into this world is an intimate and very personal experience. However, the months leading to the delivery of the child are a mixed bag of feelings for the mother - excitement, worry, and also fear. One of the greatest fears expectant mothers face is the fear of intense pain during labour. Today, there are ways, such as pain relaxation techniques, to reduce not only the pain, but also the accompanying anxiety that mothers-to-be feel. We at The Nest offer a range of programs to ensure that you get through this special moment with minimal anxiety, stress, and pain.
The Nest offers pain relief programs that are globally applied to ease pain during labour. There are a number of options to ensure painless delivery, many of which pregnant women here are not aware of. These include:
Lamaze Breathing Techniques simplify the birthing process naturally thus alleviating fears and increases the ability to handle pain. Irrespective of your complexities during pregnancy, these practices will help in easy, effective and healthy labour.
The Lamaze techniques cover a range of areas, from increasing the mother's confidence when it comes to giving birth to a child and helping cope with the pain in a way that facilitates labour to promoting comfort using techniques like focused breathing, movement, and massage.
Women vary in their response to pain during delivery. Some women often tend to avoid drugs and medical interventions, while others are happy to consider all options. There are several medications that obstetricians consider safe to use during labour. These medications can reduce pain, with minimal side effects to the mother and the baby.
Epidural Analgesia is a popular technique used by women, if advised by the doctor, during labour. It is administered only in the advanced stages of labour when the Cervix opens to about 3-4 centimeters. An anesthesiologist, a doctor specializing in administering anesthesia, is required for this procedure.
Small doses of Epidural Analgesia are introduced in the spine through a plastic tube. With a local anesthetic, a needle is passed through the space just outside the Dural Membrane surrounding the Spinal Cord, Spinal Nerve Roots, and Spinal Fluid. The mother-to-be feels no pain during the whole process except the prick of the needle. A catheter, which is a thin plastic tube, is placed on the spine through the needle. The needle is then withdrawn to inject the medicines. Once the catheter is placed, several tests will be performed to ensure the correct placement of the catheter and reduce discomfort. This method, which involves the use of a catheter, is referred to as the - 'Continuous Epidural Technique'.
Continuous epidural anesthesia can be made to last as long as the labour lasts. When the baby is close to the opening of the uterus, additional medications may be used depending on the level of discomfort experienced by the mother.