Normal Delivery also known as Vaginal Delivery is when a person gives birth through their vagina. It's the most common method of childbirth. During a vaginal birth, the uterus contracts to thin and open up the cervix and push the baby out through the vagina (or birth canal).

Doctors prefer vaginal deliveries because its usually safest for the fetus and the birthing person. A vaginal delivery occurs most often between weeks 37 and 42 of pregnancy.

There are different types of vaginal deliveries: spontaneous, induced and assisted.

• Spontaneous vaginal delivery: A vaginal delivery that happens on its own and without labor-inducing drugs.
• Induced vaginal delivery: Drugs or other techniques initiate labor and prepare your cervix. This is also called labor induction.
• Assisted vaginal delivery: A vaginal birth that occurs with the help of forceps or a vacuum device to get your baby out. Both spontaneous and induced vaginal delivery can be assisted.

What is Painless Normal Delivery?

Painless normal delivery or delivery with labor analgesia (Epidural) is a technique where very specific concentration of drug is used. Although the drug reduces the pain, it maintains the ability to push your baby out through the birth canal. A needle and a very thin plastic tube (epidural catheter) are involved in this technique.The drug to reduce your pain is continuously administrated through this tube with the help of aninfusion pump.The primary aim of the epidural is to reduce the pain of contractions to an acceptable level. Epidural analgesia usually, also reduces the pain completely when your baby is delivered.

Advantages of Epidural Analgesia or Painless Normal Delivery –

• Less postpartum complications: By alleviating pain, it allows the mother to focus on the delivery. It is an aid for relaxation and can prevent exhaustion and irritation experienced by most women during childbirth, thereby reducing the risk of developing postpartum complications.
• Relaxes the muscles while delivery:Epidural analgesiahelpsthe baby descend easily by relaxing the pelvic and vaginal muscles.
• Lowers blood pressure of the mother: It also helps in lowering the blood pressure of the mother, which otherwise can rise to dangerous levels during labour.
• Beneficial for mothers with cardiac complications: Heavy pain may affect those mothers who have a history of cardiac complications or who are experiencing heart problem. In such cases, the painless delivery will be favourable.
• Less secretion of stress hormones: Due to the excessive torment and pain, the mother secrets more stress hormones which cause a great deal of irritation and distress to the child as well as the mother. Since, Epidural analgesiareduces the pain and torment, the amount of hormones produced will be very less and hence,both mother and child can be comfortable.
• Comfortable delivery option for elderly mothers (more than 30 years): The threshold of bearing pain decreases with aging. Hence, elderly mothers can take the advantage of normal child delivery with epidural analgesia or the painless delivery option.

How long does an epidural analgesia last?

The epidural analgesia lasts for as long as the catheter is in place and the woman receives the medication through it. However, a woman stops receiving the medication once her baby is delivered and the catheter is removed. In general, it takes around two to four hours for the numbness to wear off based on the dosage.

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