Our Practice
Painless Delivery at 9M Hospitals
Painless delivery is a term in obstetrics used to refer to a type of delivery in which the mother feels little to no pain but can still push the baby out. A painless delivery can be performed using a form of regional anaesthesia called epidural anaesthesia. This anaesthesia provides relief from pain while still enabling a natural delivery. An injection containing epidural anaesthesia is administered into the lower back of the mother. The effect of the drug takes about 10-15 minutes to be seen.
There are two types of anaesthesia used during childbirth. These include:
Epidural with a catheter: The anaesthesiologist will administer the anaesthesia via a catheter placed in the lower back. They insert the catheter, a thin flexible tube containing epidural anaesthesia. The advantage of the catheter is that it remains in your epidural space in the spinal canal, so our expert provider can give you more medication during the delivery if needed.
Combined spinal-epidural (CSE): A CSE is a combination of two injections: a spinal injection (spinal block) and an epidural. When compared to an epidural, a CSE provides pain relief at a faster rate. Moreover, it has a lower medication dose, and you will retain some sensation in your lower half of the body. This gives you the advantage of moving around more easily and changing positions during the delivery. This kind of epidural is usually called a ‘walking epidural’.
How is epidural anaesthesia given via a catheter?
Our expert anaesthesiologist at 9M will ask you to sit in a bent or arched manner on the delivery table to administer the anaesthesia into your spinal canal in the lower back region. The anaesthesia is delivered via a catheter that will be inserted into the spinal cord.
The needle is removed, and the catheter is kept in place. Once you are in active labour, the epidural will be administered, which works by numbing your entire pelvic region and entire legs. However, you will remain awake and conscious and should know that it does not give complete pain relief. This can be used to administer more epidural anaesthesia during labour if required.
Advantages of painless delivery
9M is one of the best hospitals for the Painless delivery. A painless delivery will give you an opportunity to experience natural birth with reduced pain and little intervention. It has reduced the number of elective C-sections in India.
- It relaxes the pelvic and vaginal muscles and makes space for the infant to descend.
- It helps in controlling blood pressure levels, which usually rise rapidly during labour.
- It helps mothers focus on the experience of birth by decreasing the pain they would otherwise experience.
- It helps women cope better with exhaustion and post-partum depression.
FAQs About Painless Delivery
No, there is no harm caused to the newborn baby with painless delivery. Furthermore, there is no scientific evidence to support such claims. Painless delivery is as safe as any other option.
No, there is no scientific evidence that supports this claim. However, back pain is typical in mothers after delivering the baby, especially if they didn’t exercise or take calcium supplements through the course of their pregnancy.
This is possible in rare cases. However, they don’t raise your chances of getting a C-section. However, it may increase the chances of using a vacuum or forceps to pull the baby out.
The epidural may cause freezing and numbness in the legs. However, you can still comfortably push out the baby.
This depends on your pregnancy. While most women can have a painless delivery, this decision should only be made after proper consultation with your gynaecologist.
We at Ankura Hospital created 9M care as a clinical excellence initiative. The goal of this initiative is to take into perspective the delivery the would-be mothers experience. Moreover, we aim to create a birthing experience that best mimics a homely feeling rather than that of a hospital. We hope to be your partner from the first trimester up till delivery. Our aim is to make your journey pleasant and risk-free. At Ankura Hospital, you can opt for a painless delivery, water birth, natural birth, or vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) with our expert gynaecologist to assist you every step of the journey.