Its Long time since we touched this Topic...Every women's fear of labour is pain..something i found in the web about epidural...wud like to share it here
Epidurals: Reducing pain during labor and delivery
From MayoClinic.com
Special to CNN.com
Although it's true that not all women have the same birthing experience, it's often easy for expectant mothers to get caught up in thoughts of a long and painful delivery. Those thoughts can be frightening and overwhelming. Fortunately, medications and procedures are available to help relieve pain. Epidurals — regional anesthetics that are injected into the space surrounding the spinal cord — can go a long way towards easing the pain of labor and delivery.
"The technology and the medications are now available to make labor a pleasant and safe experience for both mom and baby," says Gurinder Vasdev, M.D., director of obstetric anesthesia at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. "Epidural analgesia, for example, provides women with a level of pain control that allows them to participate in but not be overwhelmed by the birthing process."
Because of their effectiveness, epidurals have become widely used. Nearly 2.4 million women have epidurals during childbirth each year. Learn about the pros and cons of epidurals, as well as what they can — and can't — do, how they're placed and potential problems that can occur.
What does an epidural do?
An epidural is an effective method of pain control (analgesia) that affects your lower body. Epidurals provide pain relief while allowing you to be awake, alert and able to enjoy — and actively participate in — your baby's birth.
"For normal labors, the epidural is used to provide pain relief, not complete anesthesia," says Dr. Vasdev. "Essentially, the goal is to try to get control of the pain while maintaining muscle tone. This can allow some women to walk, if they so choose."
Walking epidurals, as they're known, have become commonplace. Maintaining enough muscle tone so that you can walk may increase the effectiveness of pushing during the second stage of labor. Without that muscle tone, your ability to push may be diminished. And walking during labor — whether you have an epidural or not — might help you cope better with the pain.
In addition to minimizing the pain of labor and delivery, epidurals can provide other benefits:
You'll likely be able to rest during the intermediate phases of labor. This will allow you to save your energy for the second stage of labor and the actual birth.
If a Caesarean section or forceps delivery is needed, the epidural can be used to numb the area.
If you have a vaginal tear or an episiotomy, medicine can be put in the epidural to provide pain relief for an additional 24 to 48 hours.
Episiotomy: A cut you may not need
Effective pain relief
When Gaynell Pritts gave birth to twin daughters in 1998, her epidural worked just right, relieving her pain while allowing her the ability to push during delivery.
"My third epidural was wonderful. I was very relaxed and comfortable," says Pritts. "The first twin was small, so I didn't have to push very much with her. And the second baby was born quite easily as well."
Epidural technology and training had advanced considerably since Pritts' first and second epidurals in the early 1990s — including the important advancement of using computerized pumps for even distribution of medication.
"My first epidural was spotty — it would work for a little bit and then it wouldn't," Pritts recalls. "My second epidural didn't work at all. It wasn't started until I was in hard labor, and the doctor could never catch up to my pain."
But having two less-than-perfect experiences didn't dissuade Pritts from trying a third.
"I kept my options open and had a third epidural with my twins," she says. "When you're comfortable, your state of mind is so much better. It took me three times to figure that out, but I'm glad I stuck with it."
Pls check http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/PR/00065.html for more information
Thanks to Cnn.com
Blue wrote,
Very true Blue...one of my punjabi friend made it for my sis...its made of wheatflour,nuts,sugar & ghee...its supposed to be healthy for the mother but very richI have heard that the Gujurathis and the Pakistanis have special foods that they feed pregnant ladies with.
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