Gambling the Health of your Newborn
Having a baby is a big decision on its own, but you still have nine months of many other decisions before the baby comes. First you have to decide on a name, a doctor, nursery themes and one of the most important, a birthing method. Many mothers will have already decided on a birthing method long before they even get to the hospital. Some choose Lamaze, water delivery, epidurals, cesarean section and completely natural births. All of these are, in one way or another, “natural” except cesareans and epidurals.
Epidurals, like all other anesthesia or medications, have side effects for both mother and baby. For mom, there is a long list of side effects ranging from prolonged labor to having seizures. Spinal blockage can occur, requiring immediate assistance and days of bed rest. Sometimes the mother is unable to feel contractions which cause her to not push which can result in needing assistance with forceps. The mother might also experience headaches, numbness and bruising at the catheter administration site. After all of this, some women, 10% according to Childbirthsolutions.com, report inadequate pain relief with epidurals.
Not only is mom exposed to side effects, so is the unborn fetus. In many cases the mother’s blood pressure will drop, as is normal for any anesthesia or medication. However this causes the fetus to react by dropping its heart rate to compensate for the lack of blood pressure. Most physicians will insist on an immediate cesarean when the fetal heart rate drops. When performing a cesarean however, more medication and anesthesia is used, this can only complicate the situation. Any amount of stress that is put upon the mother and fetus can result in problems when the fetus is born.
Newborns are just as fragile as the fetus, if not more because now they are exposed and out of their protected shell. Epidurals can cause newborns to have what some refer to as “epidural fever” which requires antibiotics for both mother and baby. Sometime the baby is taken to isolation to make sure everything is in fact ok. Some newborns whose mothers used epidurals tend to have problems with irritability, however these effects are typically short term, but there is always the potential to have the effects be more lasting.
There is an upside to epidural use for many mothers. It helps relieve anxiety about childbirth keeping the mental state intact, not all muscles are affected making it easier for the mother to move around and get comfortable. This is important for the mother during long hours of labor. The biggest reason women choose an epidural is, minimal pain.
Talking to doctors, other mothers and doing research is the best thing for new moms to do before making a final decision on child birth. Often the thought of risking health problems for the baby is a price too high for some mothers, others are willing to take the chance and go for the epidural. There is no right or wrong option however new mothers should be conscious of the effects of medications on newborns. Making an education decision is crucial for both child and mother, the birthing choice is the first big one to make as a mom.
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