Epidurals - What are the Risks?
She is a twenty-year old newlywed, pregnant with her second child. She wants the best for her family, especially the unborn child inside her, but she's not exactly sure of the questions to ask, let alone the consequences of her decisions. The doctors voice rings out again waking her from her internal struggle, "Do you think you'd like medication during the birthing process or would you like to adopt a more natural approach?" She looks again to her husband whose vacant stare has become all too familiar during these medical visits.
This was the encounter that I had when going through the pre-birthing advisement. Though I feel confident that the information I received was competent and honest, I am equally confident that I was not aware of all of my options and the resulting consequences of each of them. While every mother wants what is best for her unborn child, many laboring women are uninformed when it comes to the epidurals that they give consent for and what it does or can do to themselves and their child.
Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time and yet only in recent decades has pain relief been available during childbirth. According to a British medical journal, as recently as 1946, women were using labor drugs including chloroform and nitrous oxide as pain relief. Even then, still 68% of women opted for no pain relief at all. Twelve years later, that percentage was cut in half, to only 34% birthing with no pain relief. In 1990, there were no records of any women going through labor without any pain relief. These statistics were based on experiences of 10,000 women giving birth in Britain during one week of that particular decade. As previously stated, in 1946, chloroform and nitrous oxide were the most popular pain relievers. Chloroform is no longer used because of its toxicity. In 1958 the choices of pain relieving drugs were nitrous oxide, trilene, which is short for trichloroethylene, and pethidine, which is better known as Demerol. Trilene was a drug that was inhaled and was eventually taken off the market because of adverse side effects. Pethidine achieved its highest popularity from 1958 to 1970 and is now being used less. While nitrous oxide is a mainstay, epidurals are becoming more and more popular.
They believe the only issue is with the fertility clinic not doing their part in creating a sound environment that is geared developing a child not money centered. The third author’s outlook lead more towards providing counseling as a direction for the couple’s situation. They believe that its necessary to seek outside help to provide guidance on handling this matter. The stress, tension, and uncertainty that is arising in the individuals that are involves needs a middle man of a professional background to give insight them on how to handle these matters. The last author displayed his opinion as focuses more on incorporating all parties in the process of child birth. The author believes that everyone should not only consider the importance it has on one’s self, on the unborn, and
When pregnant, many expecting mothers are faced with a very tough decision, the decision to have an epidural during labor or to have a natural birth. Both methods have negative and positive aspects. This topic has such conflicting views that about 50% of women decide to get an epidural when going into labor and the other 50% of women choose the alternative: natural childbirth. It is important for an expecting mother to look into both options thoroughly to ensure they make the best choice for both themselves and for their child. With all of the speculations circulating about both options, it is hard for mothers to see the truth about both epidurals and natural childbirth.
In doing this project the literature drawn from is largely non-scholarly for the reason that I am prevailing upon the reader to think outside the box about birth. Most of the “scholarly” research that is available was written by doctors or nurses/nurse midwives who were trained in the medical model of birth. Since part of my premise is that the high rate of Cesarean sections is caused in part by viewing birth as a medical and therefore pathological event, and in part for its emergence as a capitalistic industry, it was then necessary to find literature written by people who have expertise in birthing though not from the traditional obstetrical/medical school approach.
In the film, Jules did not want to be on epidural because she wanted to give birth as natural as possible. A guest speaker, Tabitha, gave the class an advice that, especially women, we should not be on epidural for more than 6 hours because that can affect your baby and you as well (personal communication, March 28, 2016). Mostly the guest speakers talked about how the doctors and nurses treat them during their stay at the hospital. From what they were saying, some nurses were more understandable than others and it also depends on the location of the hospital. In the movie, Wendy had to do C-section after many long hours of labor-inducing activities. The dangerous part is that she lost too much blood, but she was okay at the end. In my opinion,
The Russell-Uflad Company developed the RU-486 pill in France in 1980. The women of France greatly hailed the development of this pill. It was said to be safer, easier, and more private since the pill can be taken at home, or in a doctor's office instead of a hospital. The pill has proven to be very effective and has found its way to the United States, but is only tentatively approved. Why should it not be approved if it could be an easier, more private way to have an abortion? Over half a million women in France have used the RU-486 pill and there have been very few cases reported with serious side effects. (Banwell 82) The side effects have only occurred in 4 percent of the women who have already used the pill. The side effects have been so minor that most of the women did not need medical attention.
Erica Howard is a 19-year-old African American female who dropped out of high school due to becoming pregnant with her first son, Eric. Erica’s boyfriend Jayce is supportive of her and the baby. Erica’s newborn is only 6 months old and she is surprised that she is pregnant again. She is now in her second trimester and has a lack of prenatal care. When she received her first ultrasound, at 14 weeks, she was concerned when she saw that the baby was almost fully developed. According to the doctor, she became pregnant only three months after her first delivery. When spoken with Erica she expressed that she was very ill with this pregnancy and the baby does not move at all. The doctor explained that the baby might be
Today was my second day on labor and delivery. When Grace and I first arrived, we were sent to change. After Grace and I changed into our scrubs, we went to the front desk to receive our tasks. A registered nurse (RN) asked us if we would like to see a vaginal birth or a caesarean section (c-section). I choose to watch a c-section, and Grace decided to observe a vaginal birth. Once we decided on who would do what, we went our separate ways.
The authoritative voices of her husband and other doctors urge her to be voiceless and passive. John’s assumption of his own superior knowledge and maturity leads him to misjudge and control his wife, all in the name of helping her. He did not realize the severity of her condition and instructed her to instead take a break with the country air and so he isolates her. She was given the “rest cure” women were frequently prescribed in the nineteenth century; a time of complete isolation with no forms of creative outlets for the mind. The connection between the compliance of the narrator under her role in the family and under a doctor is clear- where her silent compliance had led to bad consequences. She states, "If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really no...
It is important to understand what women commonly experience during pregnancy. With a better understanding of what happens during prenatal development and childbirth, physicians can competently develop the best plan for the mother and baby. I interviewed two women who have been previously pregnant in order to evaluate how the ideas in the book translate into real-life experiences.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
The practice of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been around for approximately four decades now. During this time there have been improvements to the technology and the understanding of how to use this form of patient pain control; however, there continues to be concern related to the safety and efficacy of PCA. As this analysis proceeds it will briefly explain what PCA is and how it is used, then delve into the benefits and the safety issues surrounding PCA use as it pertains to the patient and the nurse. Some of the benefits of PCA include improved pain management, improved use of nursing resources, increased patient satisfaction, and reduced pulmonary issues (Hicks, Sikirica, Nelson, Schein & Cousins, 2008). Some of the safety issues surrounding PCA use include infusion pump programing errors, basal infusion dosing, and proxy errors when using PCA by proxy (Ladak, Chan, Easty, & Chagpar, 2007). Therefore, the purpose of this report is to examine the benefits and risks of patient-controlled analgesia and how it relates to nursing practice.
Pregnancy can be an exciting and sometimes frightening experience for many women. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, and I was not feeling very well. I remember all week long, every morning I felt nauseated. I was craving odd foods, and foods I normally would not eat together. I was on the phone with my best friend explaining to her how I was feeling. She said “It sounds like you are pregnant.” That thought never even crossed my mind until that moment. Sure enough she was right, I was pregnant for the first time. I was excited to have a baby and never realized how many emotions or complications can take place during a pregnancy. Everybody that I knew that had babies, had such wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, this happy moment became such a monumental, emotional and stressful time in my life. During my pregnancy, I went through many emotional experiences from almost losing my child, to the uncertainty of a birth defect and early delivery.
Potent pain medication contains the aspects of utilizing medications such as morphine or demerol, how the medications are dispensed, and t...
There are many different areas to consider when preparing for and having a newborn. Whether the pregnancy was planned or unplanned or the couple is married or not, a newborn baby brings new responsibilities. Having a baby also forces people to make adjustments both financially and within the family. Parents also express concerns and expectations when having a newborn comma especially when it is their first; including what roles each parent and family member should play, how much confidence they have in their parenting skills, and how much financial strain would be placed on the family once the newborn has arrived. The newest issue in today’s society is the fact that many women are delaying childbirth and having more children in their later years of life.
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.