Learn about the "painless delivery" service (epidural anesthesia) included in Vinmec maternity packages

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Xuan Tinh - Anesthesiologist - Resuscitation - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital. The doctor has more than 18 years of experience studying and working in the field of Anesthesia - Resuscitation.
Epidural painless delivery is the most effective and appropriate pain-relieving technique for pregnant women today. This painless delivery service is included in Vinmec's maternity packages to give mothers the best birth experience.

1. What is epidural painless delivery?

Pain during labor in each woman will be felt differently, depending on the physiological and psychological status of the mother. The pain gradually increases during labor and reaches its maximum intensity as the fetus moves into the mother's pelvis. The majority of women (70%) feel the pain is severe or unbearable.
Epidural analgesia is an anesthetic technique performed to relieve pain caused by uterine contractions during labor. The anesthesiologist will insert a very small catheter into the epidural space in your back. The catheter is then taped in place with duct tape along the woman's back toward her shoulder. Anesthesia will be passed continuously through this catheter to block nerve conduction, preventing pain during labor.

2. Timing of epidural

It is the mother who decides the best time to perform an epidural. This technique is usually done when the mother's cervix is ​​3 to 8 cm dilated, but it can still be done earlier if the woman is in a lot of pain or in certain cases of mother's specific medical condition.
Sometimes painless delivery is also performed when the mother's cervix is ​​more than 8cm open, as long as the baby is not too deep in the mother's pelvis an epidural can be performed.

3. Steps to perform epidural anesthesia

The doctor examines before performing the technique. The mother is instructed to sit or lie on her side and keep the position, the doctor will conduct an epidural space (between the 2 vertebrae). Then, the back of the mother will be carefully disinfected and a local anesthetic is performed with a very small needle, in order to reduce pain when the large needle is inserted into the epidural. Once the epidural space has been identified, the doctor will insert a catheter into it and fix it along the back. Local anesthetic is injected through the catheter into the epidural space, and the pain subsides after about 10 minutes.
Injecting a single dose of local anesthetic through the catheter into the epidural space only relieves pain for 45-70 minutes. In order to maintain the pain relief effect until the birth, 2 methods can be used:
Continuous infusion of local anesthetic with an auto-injector. Or by a special syringe: the mother will press the button so that the syringe automatically injects an amount of anesthetic every time the woman feels pain (the mother will actively control the pump to cut the pain). For women who have performed painless delivery, if there is a cesarean section later, the woman will be injected with a larger dose and concentration of anesthetic to perform the operation. The effect of the epidural will disappear after 1-3 hours (depending on the dose).

4. Is the painless delivery method good?

After the epidural is performed, the woman will lose pain sensation from the abdomen to the legs, but still be awake to recognize when there is a uterine contraction and especially still push to give birth. Thanks to epidural anesthesia: the mother can deliver the baby without pain. The cases of prolonged labor at Vinmec are usually very few and the risk of an epidural for the mother and baby is nothing to worry about.
Therefore, it can be said that the painless delivery method, epidural anesthesia is one of the great advances in medicine, helping women reduce pain during childbirth.

5. Epidural painless delivery service at Vinmec

For peace of mind when entering a vaginal birth, many women choose an epidural in Vinmec's maternity package to relieve pain during labor. This technique is performed when the uterine contractions become stronger and the mother has no abnormalities in the test results. This method allows labor to take place in the most ideal conditions.
Epidural anesthesia is quite safe for mother and baby. The role of anesthesiologist is very important and requires a high level of expertise. At Vinmec, there is a team of experienced and professional anesthesiologists who will help pregnant women experience the safest painless delivery.

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