64 July 2014 www.womanthismonth.com The birth of her baby is the most exciting, euphoric and emotional time for a woman. When she holds her bundle of joy for the very first time, the bond that she shared with her child inside of her is instantly strengthened with a seal marked ‘forever’. This crucial event also brings with it the fear of being in acute pain and the nagging doubt in every expectant mother’s head of whether she will be able to ‘manage’ it. Relax! Your experience needn’t look right out of a Hollywood flick, with all the screaming, cussing and gasping for breath! WTM gives you the absolute ‘low down’ on how to pull off a happy, hassle-free delivery in a calm and controlled environment. The Mighty Epidural Our Expert: Dr Reeta Singh, anaesthesiologist at Awali Hospital “An epidural is the most effective labour pain reliever there is,” says Dr Reeta. “The procedure entails administering pain relieving medications into the space outside the covering of the spinal cord called the ‘epidural space’. This numbs the nerves coming from the womb and birth canal.” Once the cervix has dilated to about three to four centimetres, the patient is positioned curled up on her side or in a sitting position and encouraged to be still. A local anaesthetic is given to make the epidural insertion pain-free. The epidural space is then identified, and a catheter is threaded in and taped in position. After an initial test dose, the medication can be continuously administered through an infusion pump to provide pain relief until the baby is born. “It takes around 15 to 20 minutes to take full effect. The legs might feel heavy, but contractions can be felt and when the time comes, the mother is encouraged to push,” says Dr Reeta. The patient’s blood pressure, contractions and baby’s heart rate is closely observed LIFESTYLE | wellbeing Pushing Without Pain by BEHNAZ SANJANA Modern-day labour pain management certainly debunks the ‘no pain no gain’ adage. Mothers-tobe can now choose from the latest trends in pain management for a cringe-free birth experience.
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