Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Videos you might be interested in
Suggested for you
Painless Delivery- Procedure, Pros and Cons
The intense pain that a woman goes through during childbirth can be very severe and can measure above 8 on a scale of 10. This pain can be unbearable for many women, especially women going through their first pregnancy. However, with advancements in medicine, many women have the option of opting for pain relief methods to reduce the severity of the pain and enjoy the experience of childbirth.
There has been a huge spike in the number of women choosing pain relief methods during childbirth. The trend is common, especially among educated women who are aware of the benefits of the procedure and weigh the benefits and the risks to make a choice that is well suited for them.
What is Painless Delivery and is It Possible to Achieve It?
A painless normal delivery is achieved by administering an epidural anaesthesia to the mother during labour. This is a regional anaesthesia which can stop the pain in a particular part of the body. During labour, this is injected to the lower back of the women, which allows them to be comfortable throughout the process of childbirth, have some respite from the severe labour pains and experience an almost painless delivery.
Women with a lower threshold for pain or women who become pregnant after their thirties, tend to opt for C-sections as their ability to bear labour pain can be quite low. An epidural anaesthesia gives these women a chance at normal delivery by cutting down the pain to a large extent.
What is the Procedure of Painless Childbirth?
During the process of painless childbirth, you will be given intravenous or IV fluids before you receive the epidural. You will then be instructed to arch your back and stay still while sitting up. This position can increase the effectiveness of the epidural and prevent any issues.
After wiping your waistline with an antiseptic solution, your lower back will be injected with a local anaesthesia to numb it. A needle is then injected into this numbed region around your spinal cord on the lower back. After threading a thin catheter through this needle into the epidural area, the needle is removed and the catheter is taped. This catheter is used to inject the epidural anaesthesia during labour.
The drug is administered as required during pregnancy which numbs the pelvis and the region below it. However, you remain conscious and can watch the baby being delivered, while experiencing little to no pain.
Painless Delivery - Advantages and Disadvantages
Some of the pros and cons of opting for painless injection for normal delivery are as follows.
Pros
Provides relief while retaining consciousness and mobility to watch the baby being born.
Helps the mother cope better with fatigue and postpartum depression.
Since it offers significant pain relief, the body doesn’t release stress hormones. Stress hormones are known to adversely affect the mother and cause distress to the baby.
This procedure can lower the blood pressure of the mother, which makes it beneficial for women with high levels of blood pressure. Blood pressure, if not controlled effectively, can get even higher during childbirth and may result in a stroke.
It allows for switching to an instrumental or forceps delivery without the need for additional anaesthesia.
Adding an epidural catheter can make it possible to switch to a caesarean delivery if required.
The duration of childbirth is lowered to a large extent.
It is well suited for patients with conditions like heart diseases or preeclampsia.
2. Cons
There could be a sudden drop in blood pressure which may affect the heart rate of the baby.
Due to numbness in the pelvic region or pelvis relaxation, you may find it difficult to push the baby so that doctors may have to switch to a forceps or a Caesarean delivery.
There could be dizziness or a backache or shivering on certain occasions.
If there is leakage of the spinal fluid, it could cause headaches.
You could have difficulty urinating.
There may be soreness or pain in the back where the injection is given.
You may experience numbness in the lower half of your body for a few hours after childbirth.
There are very rare cases of irreversible damage caused to the nerves near the area where the catheter was inserted.
Certain studies suggest that the baby may have trouble breastfeeding or latching on to the breast.
Who Should Have This Procedure?
In certain cases, doctors advise women to opt for painless birth delivery. It can be recommended for you in the following cases:
If you have certain medical conditions like preeclampsia, heart conditions or hypertension.
If you’ve had a caesarean delivery during your previous pregnancy and prefer a vaginal birth for the subsequent one.
If you’ve had a prior labour that was prolonged or complicated, then the doctors will advise you to opt for painless delivery to provide relief to both you and the baby.
Who Should Avoid It?
There are certain cases when an epidural is not advised for women. If you have any of the conditions mentioned below, it is best to steer clear of epidural anaesthesia during delivery.
Women with bleeding disorders are at an increased risk of hematoma or spinal haemorrhage that can cause permanent neurological damage.
Prior surgery on the lower back: Scar tissues and risk of infection may rule out the possibility of receiving an epidural anaesthesia.
Skin infection in the epidural region: Injecting a needle may pose a risk of the infection spreading further.
Blood clotting: Women with blood clotting disorders are usually on blood thinners like heparin. This may cause excessive bleeding during delivery, especially near the spine and pose a risk of paralysis.
Neurological diseases: Since the needles are placed close to the spinal cord, there is a possibility of damage to the neural tissues.
Are There Any Chances of Failure of This Procedure?
While there is no standard data on the failure rate of the procedure, it is possible for an epidural anaesthesia to fail. This could be because of the incorrect placement of the needle, migration of the catheter after the initial placement, anatomical challenges in the patient that may make it harder to inject the needle, suboptimal dosage of drugs, or an unexpectedly quick delivery which the anaesthesiologist hadn’t predicted.
Does It Increase the Possibility of Caesarean Section?
There is no tangible evidence that receiving an epidural can raise your chances of having a C-section. However, in theory, if you’ve opted for normal delivery without pain through epidural anaesthesia, there may be a slow progress of labour as your muscles are weakened due to the numbness. Also, if there is a dip in your blood pressure or instances of foetal distress you may have a caesarean delivery. It is also possible that in case of a strong epidural block, your ability to push is limited and there will a failure in the progress of the labour. In such cases an emergency C-section is necessary.
Many women today prefer to go for the painless delivery method to prevent going through excruciating pain during labour. Epidural is one of the most sought-after painless delivery options that most women prefer during childbirth. You can speak to your doctor and inquire about the different types of pain relief methods available to you during labour and make an informed choice. Even though you don’t plan on taking an epidural, you can always discuss with the medical practitioner about your options to have a comfortable delivery process.
Also Read: Preparing for Labour & Delivery Read more
Suggested for you
Baby Vaccinations from 6-9 months - A Complete List
Do you remember the famous proverb prevention is better than cure? This is definitely applicable to the topic of vaccination and all the diseases it helps save your baby from. We all want our babies to live a hearty and healthy life, and that’s precisely the reason why vaccination is a must. Right from the day your child is born, he will go through various vaccinations. As a parent, you will feel terrible seeing your baby cry due to the pain of the injection, but this pain is unavoidable, and is much better than your little one contracting a painful or harmful disease.
Let’s Look at Some Important Vaccinations Which are Required for a Six to Nine Month Old Baby -
1. Measles & Mumps
Measles vaccination prevents an attack of measles, a virus which causes infection in the respiratory system. It is administered at the age of 9 months, followed by the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine later at 12-15 months.
2. Typhoid Fever
Typhoid vaccines prevent your child from getting typhoid fever. There are two types that are widely available One is Ty21a – an oral vaccine. The other one is Vi capsular polysaccharide vaccine – which is an injectable vaccine. This is usually scheduled at the 9-12 months mark but you should discuss this with your paediatrician.
3. Influenza
This protects baby from Influenza virus which causes infection of the respiratory system. The most common vaccine in this category is Trivalent Influenza Vaccine (TIV). Dose one of this vaccination is administered at 6 months of age. Children who are getting this administered for the first time are given two shots in a gap of four to six weeks. The second shot after four weeks is known as dose 2 of this vaccination.
4. HPV
HPV is short for Human Papilloma Virus. This vaccine is only applicable for the girl child, as its main function is to protect against cervical cancer and other genital organ related cancer.
5. OPV–1
Oral Polio Vaccination (OPV-1) builds your child’s immunity to fight against polio. It can be administered anytime between six to nine months of age.
6. Hepatitis B
This vaccine prevents liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus. This is the last dosage of this vaccine for your baby and is often administered right at the 6 month mark.
Since there are multiple vaccinations to be administered to the baby, it is a good idea to maintain a checklist of all the vaccines that needs to be given and at which age. This will help you to stay on track and always keep your baby healthy and safe. Read more
Suggested for you
My Breastfeeding Experience - Some challenges and a lot to embrace!
Like all others, as a first-time mother, there were myriad of questions
and inhibitions in my mind about yet-to-arrive baby, feeding patterns,
late-night sittings, diaper woes, sleepless nights, health and what not! But,
once the baby was handed over to me, something miraculous happened and an
unknown motherly feeling engulfed me which I never knew existed inside of me
and I could instantly relate to the saying - “The moment a child is born the
mother is also born.” My heart was already attached to hers and her touch already melted
me to the core. As my daughter was born earlier than expected via C-section, I had to
face a lot of challenges in latching her because of low breastmilk supply. That
broke my heart! I could not see her crying of hunger therefore shifted her to
formula milk, but alongside kept latching her and used a breast pump. In the
beginning, it used to take hours to pump out a few millimetres of milk and when
I got tired, my partner used to help. I took nutrient rich diet as per the
requirement and suggested by the doctors, tried different positions to feed
her, took her to a separate room to feed, held her in my lap frequently and did
everything else which I could. And because of all these efforts and continuous
support from my partner, I was able to feed her for up to 6 months. Then we
shifted her to formula feed and continued giving her the same till the age of 2
years as still we were not sure about any other kind of milk (cow or buffalo).
We did not miss any recommended vaccinations and visited the paediatrician
regularly to check her overall growth and development. Today, she is 6 years
old healthy, grown-up child with all the quick and witty replies. After going through the whole new challenge of
breastfeeding the baby without compromising either of our health, following are
the takes I want to share with all new breastfeeding mothers who may or may not
face similar circumstances –
Include foods that will boost breastmilk
production like fenugreek, cumin, carom seeds, almonds, garlic, fennel
seeds, cinnamon, milk, etc.
Avoid alcohol, too many caffeinated drinks,
chocolate, spicy and gas-causing foods.
Wear comfortable clothing and use the right
kind of nursing bra.
Use less of breast pump and latch baby frequently
as supply depends on the demand.
Do not stress and remain happy with good
thoughts.
Breastfeed from both the sides.
Take help from your partner and do not feel
pressured.
Find a comfortable place to feed and keep
everything needed handy while breastfeeding.
Eat well with plenty of fluids.
Do not hesitate to share your thoughts with
your partner and family to get emotional support.
Though there is no
substitute for mother’s milk, at the same time, if it is not produced
sufficiently, due to medical or any other reason, do not feel dejected and lose
hope. After delivery, the mother already has to go through a lot, emotionally
and physically, and contemplating on uncontrolled situation/s will affect not
just both of you, but everyone around. Motherhood is an exquisite feeling, so
admire and savor every little moment with your child. Read more
Suggested for you
Baba or Baby? What You Must Know About Cross-Dressing Your Child
Do you love dressing your four-year-old boy in a dress for fun? Baby cross-dressing should have certain limitations. Do immediately take a picture of him and post it online. Take stock of the situation before you post anything, lest you're disturbed by the reactions from the world.
If you think it's cute to cross-dress your child, go for it. However, if you're planning on taking him out in public looking like that, make sure it’s for a fancy dress competition. Here are some points to consider before you switch genders with clothing and make a spectacle of your "supposed cutesy' endeavour.
Factors to keep in Mind About Cross-Dressing Your Child
1. An Occasional Event
Some moms like baby cross-dressing for a little fun once in a while. However, try not to do it in the presence of neighbours. Don't make it a habit to make your kid cross-dress as someone from the opposite sex frequently. It could confuse your child and maybe make him a butt of jokes when he grows up.
2. Playing Dress-up, Everyday
If you make cross-dressing a habit, it could spell trouble on your child's psyche. Your little boy or girl might slip into your room once in a while to try on your dresses or raid daddy's wardrobe. This might not come across as odd when your child's young, but quite awkward if your boy or girl continues to cross-dress when they grow up. Dressing your girl up as a boy for a fancy dress competition or play in school is fine, but continuing it on a regular basis is not.
3. Don’t Make it Specific
Are you specifically shopping for dresses for your little boy? If yes, you need to stop right away. The compulsion to pick up dresses could stem from a deep-seated need to have a baby girl. If you require professional help, get it. The once-in-a-while cross-dressing stint could snowball into something life-altering. Your little boy might want to even wear those outfits to school. This could expose him to school bullying – the cause of most child suicides around the world.
4. Sports Related
If you happen to have a little girl, dressing her up in boys sports clothing for a game is fine. Restrict the boys’ clothes to games only. Allow her to choose dresses and cute clips to express her sense of fashion. When you give her the freedom to choose what she wants, she will be keen on wearing it. If she has regular games at schools, she might not want to look at her jerseys once she’s back home.
5. No Advertising
There's no need to publicise your cross-dressed baby's pictures. Taking pictures and posting it on social media sites can lead to a backlash. Your friends and family could come down hard on you. Nosy neighbours might share those pictures with each other while their kids could jeer at your little one at school. You need to be careful what you share in the virtual world.
Playing around with the idea of cross-dressing your baby is fun. However, see that they don’t get too attached to the idea of cross-dressing. Breaking the habit can be quite difficult. A photo-op only for a day is advisable. Read more
Suggested for you
Growing Together Love, Cherish and Share the Joy of Motherhood
Welcome back to Growing Together
In our previous post, we saw how we can take little care for ourselves before planning for a pregnancy. Today, the walk through will be basically FAQs for the ones who had witnessed the two pink lines and who are yet to witness the same. Congrats!
Key Audience – Confirm the Conception
Well, now that you are past your ovulation dates and you are eagerly waiting to skip your period, do not be in a haste to run to the medical shop to get a home pregnancy kit. ?
When Can I do a HPT?
You might have heard from your near and dear ones that you need to take the test a day or two as soon as you skip your period. True but it is not necessary to show a positive result for everyone who awaits conception.Though you are pregnant, sometimes you may not see the two pink lines when you do HPT after a day or two of missed period.
Why Dint you See?
The pregnancy will be detected by the presence of the pregnancy hormone HCG. (HCG has a complex expansion, so keeping it simple) If you do not see the two pink lines it doesn’t mean you are not pregnant, it just means your body need some ample time for the HCG to rise in order to get detected via the pregnancy test. Wait for few more days say around 7-10 and then repeat the test, definitely you will be on cloud nine.
I See a Fade Pink Line. What Does that Mean?
Ok. Do not worry, cheers. Atleast you are able to witness a fade pink line. So this also indicates the same, you need to wait for couple of days for the HCG to reach the level. The HCG amount present in your urine is minimal. When I did my HPT, yes of course I got a fade pink line, was confused if there was any problem with my pregnancy kit ?.
Waited for 4 more days and again repeated on 5th day. Was able to see the two clear pink lines.
Is There any Other Way to Confirm Pregnancy?
Yes. One way is to you can head straight to your doctor for a blood test if you are not patient enough to wait for the HCG to increase ? A blood test can confirm pregnancy even with low level of HCG.Yet another way is BBT is nothing but Basal Body Temperature which is the lowest temperature of your body when you are at rest. Hmm ok, this one going to be little tough and you need patience. First you need to get a clinical thermometer. Google says a BBT thermometer and even today I did not get something specific in the shop and not sure how it differs from a normal one ?
The thermometer I used is ‘Cipla’. It is a normal digital thermometer. It costs close to 200 bucks.
Ok lets see how should you take your BBT in order to confirm pregnancy.
How BBT Works?
If you are pregnant, the progesterone stays high due to which you will notice an increase in your body temperature. An increase doesn’t mean too high, it will be say 0.4 to 1 degree higher than your normal body temperature. Say if you have a normal body temperature of 97.5 then your BBT would be around 98 ( /-) if you are pregnant.
From When Should I Start Taking BBT?
Preferably from the day you start ovulating. Once you start ovulating, the progesterone increases, due to which the temperature of your body goes up. So until your next period, the risen temperature remains high. If no conception has taken place, the progesterone drops and hence the temperature drops just before your period. You might get your period in the next few days.
If you have skipped you period and the temperature remains high for couple of more days, it indicates that the progesterone still stays high and that you are conceived. Progesterone stays high throughout your pregnancy. I confirmed my pregnancy well with BBT itself before taking the HPT ?
Steps to Take BBT
Keep the thermometer close to your bed.
Everyday morning once you wake up, do not even get up and sit, do not put your feet on the floor, just place the thermometer under your tongue as you are in the lying position.
Note the temperature
Repeat 1, 2, 3 every morning the same time. If today you take it 5 am, tomorrow at 5 am, can be 5 or 10 mins here and there but should not be as 6 am or 7 am. Keep an alarm atleast and then take your temperature and get back to sleep ?
What is a False-Positive and False-Negative Result?
The pregnancy tests yield a positive, negative, invalid or it may be a false-positive or false-negative results.
Positive – You are pregnant
Negative – Not this time
Invalid – Test not taken correctly
False-positive – You may not be pregnant but still you may see two lines or a plus sign or whatever
False-negative – You may be pregnant but still you may not see the two lines
Once after you take HPT, you get a negative result and you doubt you still may be pregnant, thendo not hesitate, go to the doctor right away so as to avoid cases of false-positive or false-negative.
Pregnancy Test Kits
I used ‘Prega News’ and ‘Velocit’. Both were good. Prega News costs around 50 bucks and Velocit around 70 bucks.
Enjoy the little happy moments ladies until we meet next.
Happy Motherhood.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her.
Read more
Suggested for you
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
52 mins ago
Q. why my vaginal area and back pains during pregnancy
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
47 mins ago
A. because of the pressure of gravid uterus. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
50 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert water leak from baby eye....what is that
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
47 mins ago
A. blocked naso lacrimal duct kk. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
43 mins ago
Q. loop of cord is seen round the neck in growth scan is it a problem at the time of delivery
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
40 mins ago
A. single Loop okay no problem wait. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Puja Kumari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
41 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert My baby is 4months old he is having fever after vaccination . how many days would the fever remain? can I give him medicine
Puja Kumari
Trying To Conceive
21 mins ago
A. vomiting ka kya karan ho sakta
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
16 mins ago
Q. #asktheexpert
Can we have sex during pregnancy and is it safe?
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
15 mins ago
A. okay no problem if you don't have any risk factors ko. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
7 mins ago
Q. Dr meri baby 12 month running hai uska weight 6 kg hai uska growth nahi ho pa Raha hai to kya kare or over active hai
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
5 mins ago
A. ok see c. if the baby is not having proper height and weight it means that baby is having failure to thrive baby needs investigations like TSH and other related test to find out the reason
Check out this new Memory
FirstCry User
Father of a 4 m old boy
2 mins ago
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Anita Meena
Mom of a 2 yr 3 m old boy
2 mins ago
Goa tour
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Raji
Guardian of a 11 m old girl
4 mins ago
#stylishbaby
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Seema Rawat
Mom of a 3 yr 5 m old girl
5 mins ago
🌍 Earth Day celebration
0 Likes
0 Comment
Check out this new Memory
Aamani Puli
Mom of a 2 yr 6 m old girl
5 mins ago
0 Likes
0 Comment
Tell us more about yourself get More Personalised
- Infant0 to 6 Months
- Baby6 Months to 2 Yrs
- Toddler2 to 4 yrs
- Kids4-6 yrs
- Big Kids6+ yrs
- Expecting
- Trying to Conceive