Note: I’m not judging mothers who give birth this way or any other way - I’m just trying to learn more about the different ways of giving birth.
[name_f]My[/name_f] sister told me that you can have this thing done before giving birth that completely numbs the lower half of your body and you don’t feel any pain at all, but it makes it harder to push. Does anyone know what this is called? Is it a type of epidural?
I was wondering how you push while giving birth this way and any other difficulties with this type of birth? Also, could something go wrong? Is it possible for it to stop working at some time during labor?
If you have an epidural, you generally can’t feel your contractions (or not as much at least) so your midwife/doctor would be telling you when you’re having a contraction and when to push.
Are you pregnant? If so, you should really speak to your healthcare professional if you have concerns about pain relief and its effect on the second stage of labour.
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It sounds like she’s probably talking about a spinal block. A spinal block is very similar to an epidural, the main difference is where the catheter is inserted to distribute the medication. I believe with an epidural the medication goes into the area between the vertebrae right in front of the spine, and with a spinal block the medication is inserted directly into the spine. With an epidural there are different levels you can get. Some people get an epidural and just use small amounts of the medication just to take the edge off but still feel a lot, and others use the maximum amount of epidural medication so they’re basically fully numb. Spinal blocks are typically used for C-sections. I’ve never personally heard of anyone getting one for a vaginal delivery (that’s not to say it doesn’t happen, I’ve just never heard of it).
Also seconding the above commenter, if you have concerns about pain management, talk to your doctor! There are a lot of different options and they can explain it to you and help you decide what’s best for your situation.
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Like @Emarkulics said, she probably meant a spinal block? But I’ve only ever heard of them being used for c-sections.
I do have experience with an epidural, and even then I found it harder to know when to push because you don’t feel the contractions, and I felt out of touch with my body and the natural process that giving birth is supposed to be.
If you’re pregnant and you have questions or concerns about giving birth, please talk to a health professional about it.
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Thanks guys. I’m not pregnant, I was just trying to find out what my sister meant. Maybe she meant that you can get an epidural that completely or almost completely numbs you?
That’s possible. An epidural doesn’t completely numb you, but you can lose the feeling in your legs as well as in your lower back and abdomen.
You can ask for a lower dose, so your legs aren’t completely numb and you’re still able to walk around during labour. I think that’s called a mobile epidural in English (I might be wrong).
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