Do I need to anesthetize labor?

"In the throes of you will give birth to their children," — said it was once Eve expelled from Paradise. The fear of the terrible pain of childbirth is one of the reasons that many women are not in a hurry to have children. However, modern obstetrics has a choice: you can give birth in pain, but you can not. But do not break a pain relief natural processes in organisms mothers or toddler?

It would seem that there is no pain — no problem. However, doctors claim that pain is necessary: that it forces a woman to complete the process of birth, that is, to strive for their end — the birth of the baby. No pain, no desire to work. And after childbirth — it is work.

On the other hand, the pain threshold at all different. Someone not feel pain, andsomeone from her literally climbs a wall. Under the influence of "unmanageable" pain in mothers may increase blood pressure, heart rate more frequent and, therefore, increase the load on the heart. It harms the health of mother and child.

The natural anesthesia

It is believed that psychologically ready for childbirth woman, who is able to breathe properly, is well aware of all the stages of a generic process, which owns a focus on results and can do without pain.

Here is the opinion of assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology number 2 of the Moscow Medical Academy. IM Setchenov Irina Vladimirovna Ignatko leading pregnancy and birth in the maternity ward at a city hospital number 7 in Moscow:

"For a woman getting ready to become a mother, it is very important psychoprophylactic training. This refers to the detailed explanation of the peculiarities of the pregnant childbirth complications that can occur in the first or second period, the characteristics of labor management physician. In this case, a woman having the information, with less fear of going to the generic activities and childbirth.

In addition, it is extremely important in the psycho-prophylactic preparation is to explain the methods and techniques for women to self-elimination of pain, self-help techniques currently in labor, facilitate the process of delivery. Self-massage of the lumbosacral spine, pelvis, legs, ability to relax, to breathe during labor — all greatly eases the pain. In women who have undergone training or psychoprophylactic laboring together with a psychologist, increases the pain threshold, they are less afraid of the pain. Births to torment them, and the path to finding happiness. Women come to the hospital did not suffer, and give birth to a healthy baby loved. "

Artificial (medication) anesthesia

It assigns obstetrician-gynecologist individually. For example, if the body is not ready to leave, woman tired, she is given the obstetric sleep-anesthesia. After a rest, gather strength, she can give birth normally. It happens that a woman simply can not feel pain because of toxemia — increase blood pressure. Or there is fetal hypoxia: then, too, resorted to anesthesia, to increase the pain threshold and lower the tone of the uterus. In short, it all depends on the condition of the child and mother.

The main component of pain medication are narcotic analgesics. If used, it is important to take into account two fundamental points.

1. This can be assigned only if the woman has already entered a birth: was the latent phase of the first period and the cervix is opened at least3-4 In this case, see the anesthesia does not slow down labor, but rather facilitate the process.
2. If before the expected time of birth is less than two hours, opioids are contraindicated. Otherwise, the baby will be born in a state of depression drug, that is, he will have a breathing problem (narcotic analgesics inhibit breathing reflex, and the first breath will be very difficult to do).

Excessive use of these analgesic drugs should not even because, according to the Swedish medical research, those adolescents whose mothers during childbirth received morphine preparations, five times the risk of addiction. In the nervous system of the child is "remembering" actions narcotic analgesic. And then one day, it is worth it to try — set a fast and highly addictive.

Now for labor analgesia is increasingly used epidural anesthesia, including women with complicated pregnancy and in women who are not psychologically well adjusted to give birth. This anesthesia is applied shortly before the birth of the child when the latent phase of the first stage of labor was over and use narcotic analgesics undesirable.

The method as follows: anesthetist inserts a needle into the spinal canal over a hard shell spinal cord (in the epidural space). Just go where the nerve roots. Then injects a potent local anesthetic. If it takes a long anesthesia, the woman in labor instead of putting a needle catheter — a thin silicone tube, through which, to the extent necessary, the drug is administered. In this case, a woman in labor remains fully conscious, but does not feel the pain from the waist down.

Disadvantages of the method:

• in most cases an epidural slows or reduces labor, ie labor with anesthesia automatically converted into labor with the rodostimulyatsiey;
• causes headaches and pain in the back, who are pursuing a woman for quite a long time.

However, there are situations where no epidural anesthesia is necessary. For example, when labor begins when the cervix is not ready, or the so-called rigid neck in the first stage of labor (such poorly to the opening of the cervix, it spasm). In these cases, an epidural is "lifesaver"Because there is a reduction of painful stimuli, the woman is relaxing, therefore, relaxes the uterus and the cervix — and further progress of labor is normal.

Childbirth — powerful experience that with the right approach can be a positive memory of a woman's life. Among those sensations that are destined to experience during childbirth, the pain should not be the dominant one. Among its possible presence should not be taken as a necessary test, but as a good guide. After all, the feeling of pain tells the woman that you need to help your body to perform hard work.

Irina Zhavoronkova

The magazine "Be healthy"