Delivery: Medication and Breathing

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Medication and Breathing (Delivery #4) Video Description:Breathing through delivery pain sounds good, but will that Lamaze class really help you manage the pain during labor? What's an epidural really like? How else do pregnant women manage the discomfort of labor, delivery, and birth? Transcript:While every pregnant woman will feel some pain when in labor, managing it is a personal decision. The choices differ somewhat for caesarean sections and vaginal deliveries.  Almost 50 percent of C-sections are unplanned. When time is of the essence, a doctor may provide an anesthetic known as general anesthesia. With this intense medication, a mother falls asleep and wakes up after her baby is born. Another anesthetic, the epidural, is gentler and more commonly used. An epidural is different from other anesthetics in that it is injected directly into the epidural space in the spine. This means that the medication doesn’t enter the bloodstream, but rather, the spinal fluid. It therefore bypasses the baby and numbs the lower half of the body only.  A spinal block provides this complete numbing of the lower half and is used in caesarean deliveries. For women delivering vaginally, a combined spinal epidural, which provides numbing but still allows the use of the legs, may be an option. Women who do deliver via the tradition route with an epidural, may have trouble pushing. Some also experience nausea once the medication wears off. Some women opt, not for an epidural, but for an intravenous medication that can lessen some pain. Popular choices include morphine or stodol. Because these medications enter the bloodstream, they can affect the baby. He or she might be born sleepy, and may have difficulty breathing. However, these effects are usually short-lived and treatable. A host of other pain-relief remedies may help, too. Some women swear by acupressure or acupuncture, whereby points on the body are activated to release pain-blocking endorphins. Others use hypnosis, which relaxes them so deeply they may not feel discomfort. Massages, hot water bottles, and soaking in a tub are other pain-relief techniques that may help. Some women decide to forgo medication and have what is known as a “natural childbirth.” These moms-to-be rely on breathing, visualization, partner coaching, and other natural methods to deal with labor pains. For women who choose this route, a birthing plan can help them decide among the many different coaching options. One of the most popular techniques is Lamaze, which is taught to couples in a series of courses. The Lamaze method focuses on breathing techniques for labor, while emphasizing the value of one-on-one support from a partner or coach. While Lamaze doesn’t draw a firm line against pain medication, another technique, the Bradley method, embraces the idea that childbirth should be drug-free. This method teaches relaxation and focuses on breathing methods to help a delivering mother tune in to, not distract from, her pain. No matter what method you use to give birth, remember that there is no RIGHT way to ease labor and delivery pains. Talk to your partner, as well as your doctor, about what may be best for you! Category:Labor & Delivery/Delivery & Childbirth Tags:baby, birth pain, birthing pain, Bradley method, breathing through pregnancy pain, cesarean, contraction, delivery, delivery breathing, delivery medication, delivery pain, delivery pain killers, epidural, labor, labor breathing, labor medication, labor pain, labor pain, Lamaze class, pregnancy, pregnancy acupressure, pregnancy acupuncture, pregnancy anesthesia, pregnancy breathing, pregnancy hypnosis, pregnancy medication, pregnancy pain management, pregnancy spinal block, pregnancy video, pregnant, pregnant medication, vaginal birth, vaginal delivery