Are you ready for the arrival of a new baby? Do you understand the process of childbirth? What are the adverse effects associated with labor pains? Are there any side effects? What are the advantages of a painless delivery? How to perform it? The process of labor Normal labor is divided into three stages. During the first stage of labor, the uterus contracts at regular intervals, accompanied by the dilatation of the cervix as the baby enters the birth canal. There is soreness and pain in the lower back and lower abdomen. During the second stage of labor, the regular contractions of the uterus intensify and the fetus continues to descend in the birth canal, at which time there is pressure on the pelvis and dilatation of the perineum. The pain during this process is intense and concentrated in the perineum. During the third stage of labor, the fetus is delivered, the uterus retracts and the pain is relieved. Adverse effects of labor After entering labor, pain accompanied by anxiety and tension can cause a large secretion of catecholamines in the body, which can lead to a decrease in blood flow to the uterus and placenta, resulting in poor contractions and prolonged labor. In addition, maternal tension, shortness of breath and excessive carbon dioxide elimination, together with the increase in basal metabolic rate, can cause vasoconstriction of the uterus and insufficient blood supply to the fetus. Physical exertion, pain and prolongation of labor lead to an increase in cesarean deliveries. Advantages of painless delivery A regression cognitive survey found that 91% of women found labor pain unbearable and had tension and fear before labor analgesia, and 88% of women urgently requested labor analgesia. After labor analgesia, 95% of women thought that labor analgesia was necessary. Labor analgesia can effectively relieve pain during labor, thus minimizing adverse reactions, improving blood and oxygen supply to the fetus, maternal wakefulness and full participation in the process, and facilitating labor. Methods of painless delivery Advances in medicine and improvements in anesthesia technology have provided safer, simpler and more popular methods of labor analgesia for a wide range of women. Currently, through extensive clinical practice, continuous epidural analgesia in the lumbar segment is considered the most effective. Technique: A micro catheter is placed into the epidural cavity of the lumbar segment by a specialist, through which pain medication is injected continuously. Drug: A very low concentration of a dilute solution of a mixture of local anesthetics and a small amount of opioids for true analgesia. Can a painless delivery really be guaranteed to be completely painless? Pain is a subjective sensation that varies from person to person, while the administration of pain medication can be precisely quantified. Current technology can achieve much or no pain relief in labor, depending on the woman’s request and the response to the medication. We believe that good labor analgesia should preserve the sensation of mild uterine contractions, which helps the smooth progress of labor and the obstetrician’s judgment of the labor process. According to statistics, 97% of mothers expressed satisfaction with the analgesic effect after labor analgesia. The appropriate relief of labor pain, the participation of the conscious mother throughout the labor process and the pleasant anticipation of labor provide a prerequisite for a smooth delivery. Nowadays, the specialist technology of anesthesia and analgesia can provide a safe, comfortable and stress-free environment for every mother in labor. Statistics show that cesarean delivery is a man-made trauma and inevitably brings complications. According to data, the rate of puerperal infections during cesarean delivery is 10-20 times higher than that of vaginal delivery, and the amount of bleeding during cesarean delivery is 2-3 times more than that of normal delivery. During recovery, women who deliver by cesarean section may suffer from intestinal adhesions intestinal obstruction, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, etc.; they leave scarring on the abdomen and uterus, which makes future contraception and re-pregnancy more troublesome than those who deliver naturally. In a random survey, 93.6% of pregnant women expect to have a vaginal birth, but are concerned about the pain of delivery and the safety of the fetus. The effect of a painless delivery is “analgesia”, not “anesthesia”, and the mother does not lose consciousness during the birth, nor does she have motor nerve block, and can eat and drink, just like a normal birth. It is clinically proven that painless delivery does not have any adverse effects on the fetus.