From Friday 7 June a new path for pain-free childbirth will be active at the Cremona Hospital. Future mothers will have a dedicated path available to evaluate the possibility of undertaking the choice of childbirth analgesia, with the support of specialists.
Childbirth without pain: a new path in Obstetrics in Cremona
As he explains Aldo Riccardi (director of the Maternal and Child Department): «Until now, the anesthetic evaluation for childbirth was included in the surgical pre-admission agendas. From the month of June there will be a change: pregnant women will have a preferential line inside the obstetrics and gynecology clinics. With this choice it was decided to integrate e strengthen the process of taking care of women during pregnancy, offering you a unique and familiar space and better organization of the service. To date, in our facility – concludes Ricardi – 30% of women who choose natural childbirth opt for childbirth analgesia. A possibility that we feel we are promoting because, while reducing the pain, it preserves the essence of this unique and unrepeatable experience for the woman and the entire family unit.”
WOMEN’S WELL-BEING COMES FIRST
The path is the result of multidisciplinary collaboration between the healthcare and administrative areas which involved the Obstetrics and Gynecology departments, the Operational Management, the Reception Area – Cup, the Welfare Management of the social and healthcare professions, the Medical Management and the Anesthesia and resuscitation.
«This is an initiative aimed at the well-being of women – he underlines Enrico Storti (Director of emergency emergency department). One of the purposes is to provide them with a more comfortable environment that they do not share with patients who have different problems. Furthermore, the conversation with the anesthetist offers future mothers the opportunity to address doubts and manage any anxieties, above all to learn about the different possibilities for face the birth event with complete peace of mind. It is also a way to begin to become familiar with the place and to enter into a relationship with the operators who will take care of the new mother and the newborn.”
HOW TO ACCESS THE SERVICE
To receive the assessment of suitability for childbirth analgesia and to be able to plan it before giving birth, it is necessary to make an appointment from the 30th to the 35th week of pregnancy, by calling the number 0372 405638from Monday to Friday, from 12.00 to 13.30.
The assessment process for childbirth analgesia is free and does not require a doctor’s referral.
WHAT TO DO ON THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT
On the day of the appointment, the future mother will have to go to the Cup counters of the Cremona Hospital between 7.00 and 7.30 in the morning. The operators will place you on the waiting list and generate the medical record. Once acceptance is complete, you will need to go to the obstetrics clinics (7th floor, right side elevators). Here the blood tests (blood count and coagulation), the electrocardiogram (ECG) and the anesthetic evaluation which consists of the visit and informational interview with the anesthetist will be done.
PARTOANALGESIA, INDIVIDUAL CHOICE
The perception and tolerance of pain are factors that vary from person to person, therefore the choice to face the pain-free birth experience is completely individual. It should be remembered that birth pain has specific characteristics: a limited duration and an epilogue of joy at the birth of one’s son or daughter. Making a suitability assessment for possible anesthesia during childbirth is not binding, you can always change your mind. For us, collecting all the information on the woman’s health in advance is very useful, it allows us to speed up the application of the procedure at the time of birth.
The technique used to eliminate pain is the epidural, with this procedure the pain decreases significantly, but skin sensitivity, motor capacity and above all the perception of uterine contractions remain unchanged.
The epidural involves local anesthesia at the lumbar (back) level followed by the introduction of a thin catheter into the lumbar epidural space through a special needle.
The catheter remains positioned for the entire duration of labor for the repeated administration of local anesthetic associated with very small doses of opioids.
Source: www.asst-cremona.it
