Pregnant women are well aware of such a drug as "No-Shpa". It is often recommended to be taken in early pregnancy to relieve possible tone of the uterine muscles in order to prevent miscarriage. But the appointment of the same antispasmodic before childbirth is not entirely clear to expectant mothers.
In this article, we will tell you why it is recommended to drink No-Shpu before childbirth, whether this drug can act as an effective pain reliever during labor.
About the drug
"No-Shpa" belongs to the category of antispasmodic drugs. Women know that small yellow pills can significantly ease the condition and discomfort during menstruation, with premenstrual syndrome. An antispasmodic has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles, and therefore this drug is indispensable in eliminating the threat of miscarriage. The main active ingredient is drotaverine. Its tablets contain 40 mg in the form of hydrochloride. "No-Shpa" in ampoules contains a concentration of drotaverine in the amount of 20 mg / ml.
The pronounced myotropic effect of the drug helps in reducing the increased tone of the smooth muscles of all internal organs.
The uterus is known to be composed of smooth muscle tissue. Simultaneously with a decrease in tone, the drug leads to a moderate expansion of blood vessels.
During pregnancy, the remedy is recommended at any time, if an increased uterine tone occurs or a woman is tormented by strong training contractions. All pregnant women are advised to take No-Shpu a couple of weeks before the expected date of birth in order to relax the myometrium of the uterus (its muscle layer) before the upcoming labor. The advisability of prescribing this antispasmodic in different situations may differ. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Before giving birth
The mechanism of action of drotaverine is quite simple. It has more antispasmodic activity than another popular antispasmodic - "Papaverine". The drug has no pronounced effect on the heart, brain, central nervous system.
Drotaverine directly affects smooth muscles, relieving spasms of muscle origin, and also helping with neurogenic spasms, if the tone of the uterus increases due to the fact that the woman is very nervous before giving birth, worries and worries.
The active substance of the drug is absorbed 100%. It is able to penetrate into muscle tissue cells. In small quantities, the drug also penetrates the placental barrier to the baby, but there is no pronounced harm to the child from it. In any case, numerous studies of the influence of "No-shpa" on the fetus have not revealed negative factors, although the study of this issue continues to this day.
Before giving birth, the drug may not be prescribed to all women for several weeks. The remedy is recommended for those whose cervix matures more slowly than necessary. Penetrating into the cells of the round muscle of the cervix, the agent causes its softening, contributes to its shortening, preparation for childbirth.
While taking this myotropic antispasmodic the risk of rupture of the muscle tissue of the uterus and cervix during labor is significantly reduced.
Before childbirth, the drug helps to eliminate discomfort during training contractions.
In addition to the fact that "No-Shpa" helps to eliminate the tension of the uterus during false contractions, it is an excellent indicator that allows you to distinguish true contractions from training spasms. In 15-20 minutes after taking the tablets (1-2 pieces), with false contractions, the discomfort recedes. Reception of the remedy against the background of the starting true labor pains will not have an effect - the contractions will continue and intensify.
In the maternity hospital
Upon admission to the maternity hospital, a woman can also be given "No-Shpu" at the discretion of the doctor, but not in tablets, but by injection. An injection can be given in cases where the opening of the cervix during contractions is slow, if there is a need to accelerate it. The fact is that a spasmodic neck opens worse and can even cause the development of primary weakness of the birth forces.
The drug acts quickly and helps relieve muscle spasm, relax the muscles. As a result, the cervix begins to open faster, and the delivery time is shortened. "No-Shpu" is used in the stimulation of labor on a par with "Oxytocin", which avoids discoordination of contractions when there is a contraction of the uterus, but there is no disclosure.
Of course, it does not have a direct analgesic effect, like some blockers, but relaxation of the muscles of the uterus and its cervix reduces pain.
In a certain sense, the drug acts as a pain reliever during labor.
Thus, the No-Shpa injection during childbirth promotes:
- easier and less painful opening of the cervix in the first stage of labor;
- easier teething of the head and the advancement of the baby along the birth canal in the second stage of labor;
- elimination of discoordination and arrhythmia of contractions at any stage of the labor process;
- increasing the elasticity of the tissues of the birth canal, reducing the risk of ruptures and birth trauma from a woman.
For all its advantages, "No-Shpa" does not have a suppressive effect on the nervous system, like some painkillers. Epidural anesthesia with lidocaine, for example, pain relieves contractions significantly better, but can reduce the intensity of contractions, thereby increasing the time of labor. "No-shpa" never leads to this. A woman need not be afraid of this drug if the dosage is agreed and approved by the attending physician.
Can I drink if not prescribed?
After listening and reading about the positive effect of the drug, some pregnant women may think that the drug is harmless, like vitamins, and therefore it is quite possible to take it, even if the doctor has not made the appropriate appointment. This impression is wrong.
Drotaverin is an active active ingredient, "No-shpa" is a drug, not a dietary supplement or a homeopathic remedy, it has contraindications.
Self-administration of the drug before childbirth or at the time of the onset of labor pains is strongly discouraged. It is especially dangerous to drink yellow tablets after 37 weeks of pregnancy in the absence of a medical prescription.
The fact is that the drug can cause premature birth, and in large quantities can lead to a pathological decrease in the tone of the muscles of the uterus, which will make it difficult for the normal course of contractions at the beginning of labor and is fraught with the development of bleeding after childbirth due to hypotension or atony of the uterus.
Contraindications and side effects
Drotaverin is contraindicated in pregnant women who have a history of severe kidney disease, since the agent is partially excreted with the help of this organ. The ban is also imposed on the use of the drug in women with hepatic insufficiency for the same reason - some of the metabolites are excreted in the bile.
The drug is not prescribed to expectant mothers with problems of the cardiovascular system, in particular, low cardiac output syndrome is considered a direct contraindication.
Quite often, you have to refuse to take the drug, even if there is evidence, if a woman has low blood pressure. Do not prescribe a remedy for pregnant women with an incompetent cervix with isthmic-cervical insufficiency.
Side effects when taking "No-Shpy" in pregnant women and women in labor are extremely rare, but this possibility is not completely excluded. While taking the drug, the following conditions may occur:
- lowering blood pressure;
- dizziness, increased sweating;
- increased heart rate;
- sleep disturbances, insomnia;
- headaches;
- constipation;
- nausea.
If the drug is given in the form of an injection, then redness of the skin and a moderate skin reaction are not excluded at the injection site.
Is it safe for the baby?
Unfortunately, the question of the safety of the drug for a child in the womb does not have a clear answer. The study of the effects of drotaverine on the fetus is still ongoing. In Russian obstetric practice, the tool is used widely and everywhere. In the United States and some European countries, it is not prescribed to pregnant women precisely because of insufficient scientific data.
American pediatricians claim that taking drotaverine while carrying a child can cause delayed speech development. This argument has not yet found sufficient confirmation. Reviews of mothers who were recommended to drink "No-Shpu" during pregnancy indicate that the children were born healthy and are developing according to the norms.
For more information on the drug, see the next video.
