Painless Natural Childbirth with Epidural: A Safe and Comfortable Experience for Mothers
While natural childbirth is a remarkable milestone in every mother’s life, its intense pain can often lead to anxiety and stress. Thanks to advances in medical science, painless vaginal delivery is now possible through techniques such as epidural anesthesia—a proven and reliable method. At Shahid Akbarabadi Mother Support Hospital, epidural-assisted delivery is available 24/7, administered by a specialized anesthesiology team. This approach ensures a calm, safe, and memorable birthing experience for mothers.
How Is Epidural Administered?
In the epidural technique, the mother is positioned either sitting upright or lying on her side. The anesthesiologist then uses a fine needle to inject an anesthetic into the space surrounding the spinal cord. A thin plastic catheter is left in place to allow continuous administration of the medication throughout labor.
Although uterine contractions continue during this process, the mother does not feel the associated pain due to the effect of the medication. Importantly, despite the pain relief, the mother retains the ability to push during the final stage of labor. Studies have shown that epidural anesthesia does not prolong the labor process.
Epidural vs. Spinal Anesthesia
Spinal anesthesia is another technique used to manage labor pain. The key difference lies in the method and duration of drug delivery. In spinal anesthesia, the medication is injected only once and typically lasts for 2 to 3 hours. In contrast, epidural anesthesia allows for continuous drug infusion, making it more suitable for prolonged labor.
Given its advantages and high effectiveness, many physicians today recommend epidural as the first-choice method for pain-free natural childbirth.
Dr. Amineh Shafaeinia Anesthesiologist Assistant Professor, Iran University of Medical Sciences
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