Painless delivery (Epidural anaesthesia) at Dr Ahuja Clinic

Epidural anaesthesia is a very effective treatment to relieve pain during labour. In this procedure, an epidural is inserted at different levels of your spine depending on the area that needs to be relieved from the excessive pain.

An epidural anaesthesia will not completely unconscious the mother rather keeps her alert during labour to feel the pressure. This procedure will help reduce stress hormones, which can disrupt both the mother and fetus. It can also help the baby descend more easily. 

To experience comfortable and painless delivery in Chandigarh, get in touch with Dr Ruchi Rai Ahuja, a specialised gynaecologist who has performed more than 1500 normal deliveries, providing compassionate care to her patients. 

What is Epidural Anaesthesia?

Dr Ahuja Clinic offers effective surgeries, or deliveries via Epidural anaesthesia in Chandigarh! It is a procedure in which a very thin catheter is placed in the lower part of your back and a painkiller is injected through it. This medicine only blocks the sensation of nerves that cause pain during labour i.e. in the lower part of the body. There is pain relief without any other effect. 

Epidural anaesthesia forms a band of numbness from the belly button to the top of the legs, allowing the mother to stay awake and feel the pressure of labour without feeling much pain.

What are the types of epidural anaesthesia?

There are two types of epidural anaesthesia, it includes:

• Regular epidural: A regular epidural is a procedure that involves injecting a local anaesthetic or steroid into the epidural space, the area covering the spinal nerves. This technique aims to relieve the pain during labour or a lack of feeling in a specific part of the body. 
• Combined Spinal Epidural: A combined spinal epidural (CSE) is a type of anaesthesia that combines the advantages of spinal and epidural anaesthesia. It is also known as“Walking Anaesthesia”. This is done by simply injecting general anaesthesia into the back, and after that,t a thin epidural catheter is gently inserted into the spine. It is mostly used to reduce the adverse effects of regular epidural techniques. 

The procedure

Epidural anaesthesia is given by an anaesthetist. It is given in the active phase of labour. There is hardly any pain during the insertion.
You are made to lie on your side or made to sit up. After which the part is cleaned with an antiseptic. A nurse will assist you in making the correct posture and you are asked to be still for some time. Firstly a local anaesthetic agent (to numb your skin) is infiltrated and then a needle prick is made in the spine. After this a very thin tube is placed and the needle is withdrawn completely. The tube is kept in place with the help of tape. It is through this tube that the medicine is injected from time to time within the limits of safety for you and your baby the drugs are adjusted according to the patient’s needs.

What happens after the procedure?

After the procedure, you will be able to move around but you have to be careful not to slide in bed to avoid pulling the catheter out. After epidural anaesthesia the pain decreases and labour becomes bearable and easy to manage. It will prevent you from getting exhausted and help you to cope with labour. At the last stage of labour, some pressure is felt in the rectum as we cannot make you completely numb because you need to know where and when to push at the end of labour.

Side effects:

• Tingling sensation/numbness /heaviness of legs
• A little fall in blood pressure
• Headache (due to accidental leakage of spinal fluid)
• Difficulty in passing urine
• Slight rise in temperature
• There is no evidence that epidural anaesthesia increases the chances of cesarean delivery.

Some Common Questions and Answers About Painless delivery (Epidural anaesthesia)

We believe some questions might pop up in your mind regarding epidural anaesthesia and what painless delivery exactly is. To clear your doubts, we have mentioned some frequently asked questions with answers. 

Q1. How Normal Delivery is Better for Women?

Vaginal birth, or we can say a normal delivery will always be a healthier, and safer option for women. It is associated with fewer risks, side effects, and postpartum complications in comparison to surgical birth. The additional advantage of normal delivery is that the patient becomes comfortable and can relax, and sleep in between.

Q2. Why counselling is necessary before an epidural procedure?

Ans: To have painless labour and delivery with the help of epidural analgesia, firstly, you should look for the Best Gynaecologist In Chandigarh for prior counselling preparations and guidance to look at the postpartum complications, side effects and other possible risks associated with it.

Q3. Does epidural anaesthesia cause pain?

Ans: Generally an anaesthetist will apply a local anaesthetic (numbing) agent to the area where an epidural is to be applied. Without that numbing agent, only a needle prick is felt and with the local agent, a slight pressure sensation is felt. But the result i.e. relief from labour pains is dramatic. The patient becomes relaxed.

Q4. How long does an epidural anaesthesia last?

Ans: The epidural catheter can be kept in place for up to 5 days and the pain killer injections can be easily given through it as per requirement of the lady from time to time.

Q5. Is childbirth still painful with an epidural?

Ans: Pain sensations are drastically reduced with an epidural. The patient becomes relieved and more than willing to continue with natural childbirth. Intact many times labour duration also decreases. The patient saves a lot of energy. We generally miss the last dose of epidural i.e. when it is required from the patient’s side to push the baby out. But with that missed top too, the pain sensations are less and it is more pressure that is felt by the patient.

Q6. How much does a painless delivery cost?

Ans: Your delivery package will increase by 10 – 15 thousand extra in India (depending on the hospital) if you opt for painless delivery.

Q7. Who cannot have epidural anaesthesia?

Patients who cannot have epidural anaesthesia are the ones who have blood clotting problems, neurological problems, and certain types of lower back surgeries.
It is not mandatory to have epidural anaesthesia. Some patients can tolerate the labour pains. Others may do well with mild painkillers given as drips. In the end, it is the choice of the patient!

Q8. Is Painless delivery possible without an epidural anaesthesia?

Ans: Continuous one-to-one support, prenatal information, listening to your favourite music, aromatherapy, acupuncture&acupressure, birthing balls and posture management, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, sterile water injections, water immersion, hypnosis, breathing/ relaxation techniques and massage are found to be effective in a small number of cases.

Q9. Painless delivery vs. C-section?

Ans: Nothing is better than a vaginal delivery if conditions are appropriate. So definitely if one is not able to tolerate the labour pains one has the option of painless delivery. One has to remember that at the end of nine months of pregnancy, the outcome should be a healthy mother and baby so if your doctor feels that a caesarean is indicated for the sake of the baby/ mother then we should go ahead with a C section.

Conclusion

If you are keen on a normal, painless delivery in Chandigarh, then Dr Ruchi Rai Ahuja is the Best Delivery Doctor In Chandigarh. She has a very high record for normal deliveries. Contact us to know more.