![]() ![]() This is the perfect time for using your GentleBirth Breathing Techniques or your GentleBirth Epidural session to keep you calm and focused. You will be asked to remain still (don’t worry the anesthetist will wait until you are between contractions before inserting the needle). Your partner can stand or sit in front of you and support you so he/she doesn’t see the epidural insertion. In some cases mom is asked to lie on her side with knees pulled up as far as you can. You will be asked to sit at the edge of the bed and hug a pillow so there is a curve in your spine to make insertion easier. In some areas moms are given extra IV fluids to avoid a drop in blood pressure however this practice is being reconsidered in some hospitals as the extra fluids can pass to your baby - making your baby juicier (heavier) which may impact breastfeeding in the first few days. (So have some strategies in your back pocket for this time). Even if you are planning on getting the epidural as soon as possible when you arrive at the hospital you have to get to the hospital first so for those few minutes getting to your place of birth and waiting on your epidural you will be experiencing natural labor even if it wasn’t your intention to. In most hospitals there is little delay in getting the epidural once requested but in some cases there may be a short delay so it makes sense to have other coping strategies available. An anesthetist or anesthetist nurse will facilitate the epidural set up. The epidural can be the best thing since sliced bread if you’re having a long difficult birth or simply because you want one! You don’t have to explain your decision to anyone. The epidural is one of the many tools in your toolkit and in GentleBirth we recommend keeping everything on the table and experiment with all of the tools in your labor toolkit on the day. It can make a very difficult experience a much more positive one. ![]() ![]() Why Have an Epidural?Īn epidural is one of the most popular and effective pain management options in labor. They are often combined with an opioid or narcotics such as fentanyl and sufentanil (it’s the opioids that can give moms an annoyingly itchy nose). In a nutshell local anesthetic is injected into to the space around the spinal nerves in your lower spine to block pain signals traveling to your brain.Įpidural medications fall into a class of drugs called local anesthetics, such as bupivacaine. ![]()
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