Epidural: procedure, risks and cost of anesthesia for childbirth
An epidural is a local anesthesia applied to women during childbirth to spare them the pains of childbirth. It consists of injecting an anesthetic around the dura mater (for this reason, the epidural is also called "peridural"), the membrane that covers the central nervous system. Only the nerves that innervate the small pelvis are put to sleep. In this way, a natural birth can take place painlessly. What is the procedure? Are there any risks with this type of anesthesia? And how much is it? Find out everything there is to know about the epidural.
How to cope with the pains of childbirth? The epidural and its alternatives
The pains of childbirth are the thing that scares a future mother the most. That future mother, however, knows that it would be important to be able to have a natural birth, where possible, to immediately establish a deep relationship with the baby, and to be aware of everything that happens. In this video, Tata Simona explains which are the methods to deal with the pains of childbirth, including the epidural, the most used method. A little curiosity: some specialized centers also recommend massages or even acupuncture.
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How is the epidural done?
As soon as the contractions of childbirth become painful, the doctor gives an injection in the back while the expectant mother is lying on her side or sitting: she places the needle between two vertebrae, until it reaches the epidural space that surrounds the spinal cord. Then, a catheter is introduced into the needle, which is then removed. An anesthetic that numbs the nerves of the small pelvis is injected through the catheter, while blood pressure and heart rate are monitored. The pain from the contractions subsides within 10-15 minutes.
Epidural yes or no? Discover the benefits ...
Like all anesthesia, the epidural requires the presence of an anesthetist-resuscitator. You must therefore plan a meeting with the anesthetist a few weeks before the birth. It is essential that he knows the clinical past of the future mother and determines the absence of contraindications to the epidural case by case. The epidural has pros and cons, and it certainly has several advantages. Here are the main ones:
- It is possible to carry out an epidural during childbirth up to a dilation of 6-7 centimeters of the cervix. You can therefore decide almost at the last moment!
- All women can benefit from it, if there are no contraindications (fever, back infections, coagulation disorders, neurological diseases)
- brain gets blocked
- Recovery is quicker for the mother, who may be on her feet as early as four or five hours after birth
The risks not to be underestimated
However, the epidural may present some risks. There may be undesirable effects, although for the most part quite harmless. Serious accidents due to the epidural are very rare. Some complications may relate to inflammation of the tissues injured by the injection or a bacterium present in the delivery room. The injected product can also cause allergic reactions and intolerances. However, this risk is eliminated by talking weeks before the birth with your anesthetist. Sometimes, after an epidural, a small inflammation of the meninges can occur, which causes back pain. It is a phenomenon that disappears in a short time. As for the often evoked risk of paralysis, there are not many chances that this actually occurs: the epidural injection is carried out around and not in the marrow itself. To remain paralyzed you would have to have serious damage to the entire spinal nerve, which is unlikely with a simple epidural injection. Some studies also recall the mother's psychological need to face childbirth naturally, to strengthen the psychological bond with the child and increase self-confidence. So why give up giving birth in a natural way, without suffering all the pain that this choice entails?
How much does an epidural cost?
The epidural is free only in a few places, such as the Mangiagalli hospital in Milan, the Sant'Orsola hospital in Bologna, the Mediterranean Clinic in Naples or the Fatebenefratelli in Rome. The list of facilities that offer free epidurals throughout Italy is getting longer and longer, try to find out about the hospitals near you, or with your trusted gynecologist. In other cases, the epidural has to be paid for, and the cost in public facilities ranges from 500 to 800 euros. The price goes up if you turn to private facilities instead.
