Whether or not you are planning to have an epidural, it is essential to meet with an anesthetist before childbirth. On D-day, the medical team will thus have all the necessary information and will be able to intervene in complete safety in the event that anesthesia should take place.

Since 1994, it has been compulsory to meet with an anesthesiologist before childbirth in order to improve anesthetic safety in the event of an epidural, whether desired immediately or requested during labor by the patient, or in the event of a scheduled cesarean section. . During labor, during expulsion and after childbirth, anesthesia may also be necessary (emergency cesarean section, use of forceps, uterine revision, etc.). The information collected during this consultation is recorded in the obstetrical file and can thus be easily consulted by the anesthesiologist on call if his presence is required during childbirth.

The gynecologist or midwife usually takes advantage of the last mandatory prenatal consultation, at the beginning of the 8th month of pregnancy, to remind their patients to make an appointment with an anesthesiologist. The pre-anesthetic consultation should indeed take place at a date close to childbirth, ideally between the 36th and 37th week of amenorrhea. Its cost is 100% covered under maternity insurance.

The pre-anesthetic consultation generally lasts about fifteen minutes. This individual meeting begins with a series of questions concerning the history of anesthesia and any problems encountered then. The doctor also takes stock of the medical history, the existence of allergies … It is essential to answer as precisely and honestly as possible all your questions, including those concerning the taking of medication, drugs or the consumption of alcohol or tobacco. There is nothing to be ashamed of, everything that is said during this interview is a matter of medical confidentiality.

The consultation continues with a clinical examination mainly centered on the back, looking for possible contraindications to the epidural. The doctor takes the opportunity to provide information on this technique, while recalling that it is not compulsory. Once again, going to the pre-anesthetic consultation does not necessarily mean that you want an epidural. It is simply a guarantee of additional security in case of unforeseen circumstances on the day of delivery.

The consultation ends with the prescription of a standard biological assessment to detect possible blood clotting problems.

Coagulation disorders, a skin infection at the puncture site, an outbreak of fever on D-day are formal contraindications to the epidural. Some lower back deformities can be an obstacle. On the other hand, contrary to what is often believed, the presence of tattoos on the lower back is not a problem.

But other methods exist to relieve pain: inhalation of an analgesic gas mixture, transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation, administration of small doses of morphine, acupuncture, hypnosis, sophrology … Not to mention the techniques learned during birth and parenting preparation sessions. The pre-anesthetic consultation is also an opportunity to address them.