Child Birth: Anesthetics vs. Natural
10 April 2013 Child Birth: Natural Over Anesthetics
There are 133 million births each year. The statistics state, four births occurs every second of every day. The process in which the mother has to undergo in order to give birth is labor. Labor takes an average amount of thirteen hours. How a mother gives birth and what she uses to cope with the pain is very questionable. Drugs are used to relieve the mother’s abdominal pain, although the use of the drugs may resort to health problems in her body or her infant’s body. Natural birth, no use of any drugs, is reconsidered due to possible illness for both mother and child. The benefits and disadvantages of the use of drugs during child labor are questionable due to the possible effects of the medication. Although the drugs give a source of comfort to the mother while in labor, the possible health effects the drugs can have on an infant and their mother are dangerous.
First and for most, drugs that are used during labor are designed to relieve the mother’s pain. There are various types of drugs that can be consumed, injected, or given to the mother while in labor, some of them include: Epidurals, Tranquilizers, Demerol, general Anesthesia, spinal block, Pudendal block, and combined spinal epidural. Epidurals are injected into the lower back and make the mother numb from the waist down. A catheter is placed where the epidural was injected to control the amount of fluid entering the mother’s body, depending on the mother’s pain tolerance (Hoyt). Tranquilizers are also used in the process of labor they help mothers calm down with such tranquilizers, Phenergan and Vistraril, mothers have to be extremely anxious in order to receive tranquilizers (Murkoff 304). Another drug that can be considered is Demerol, “Demerol is one of the most frequently used obstetrical analgesics. This shot or IV-administered drug is used to dull the pain and relax the mother so she is better able to cope with contractions. It
There are 133 million births each year. The statistics state, four births occurs every second of every day. The process in which the mother has to undergo in order to give birth is labor. Labor takes an average amount of thirteen hours. How a mother gives birth and what she uses to cope with the pain is very questionable. Drugs are used to relieve the mother’s abdominal pain, although the use of the drugs may resort to health problems in her body or her infant’s body. Natural birth, no use of any drugs, is reconsidered due to possible illness for both mother and child. The benefits and disadvantages of the use of drugs during child labor are questionable due to the possible effects of the medication. Although the drugs give a source of comfort to the mother while in labor, the possible health effects the drugs can have on an infant and their mother are dangerous.
First and for most, drugs that are used during labor are designed to relieve the mother’s pain. There are various types of drugs that can be consumed, injected, or given to the mother while in labor, some of them include: Epidurals, Tranquilizers, Demerol, general Anesthesia, spinal block, Pudendal block, and combined spinal epidural. Epidurals are injected into the lower back and make the mother numb from the waist down. A catheter is placed where the epidural was injected to control the amount of fluid entering the mother’s body, depending on the mother’s pain tolerance (Hoyt). Tranquilizers are also used in the process of labor they help mothers calm down with such tranquilizers, Phenergan and Vistraril, mothers have to be extremely anxious in order to receive tranquilizers (Murkoff 304). Another drug that can be considered is Demerol, “Demerol is one of the most frequently used obstetrical analgesics. This shot or IV-administered drug is used to dull the pain and relax the mother so she is better able to cope with contractions. It
Cited: Gutierrez, Elizabeth. Personal Interview. Sales Associate. 19 Sept. 2012. Murkoff, Heidi and Sharon Mazel. What to Expect When You’re Expecting. New York: Workman Publishing, 2008 “Natural Childbirth.” Baby Center Medical Advisory Board. Apr. 2012. Baby Center. Web. 9 Sept 2012 Stellpflug, Craig. “Epidurals- How much do they really help?” Natural News. 23 Jun. 2012: Natural News Web