How is epidural used

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Medical Review Policy All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. There are a lot of reasons this pain-management procedure is used by two-thirds of laboring moms.

Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Signs of Labor. What Is Cord Blood Banking? View Sources. American Society of Anesthesiologists, Epidurals , Pregnancy Groups. Third Trimester. Vaginal Birth. Jump to Your Week of Pregnancy. Pregnancy Week. Please whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners.

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What is an epidural? An epidural is usually done by an anaesthetist. The procedure Before an epidural, you will usually have a drip for fluids put into your arm. It usually takes between 5 and 30 minutes for your pain to be relieved by the epidural. Advantages and disadvantages of an epidural Epidurals are available at most hospitals but not in birth centres or for home births. The advantages of an epidural are: it is usually very effective it is generally very safe you can often still move around in bed and push when you need to if you have a long labour, it allows you to sleep and recover your strength if you're having a caesarean , you can stay awake and your partner can be there The disadvantages of an epidural are: for medical reasons, not everyone can have an epidural you might need to have fluids given to you through a tube in your arm, and will need to have your blood pressure monitored you might lose feeling in your bladder and need a catheter tube in your bladder to help you pass urine you might lose feeling in your legs for a few hours it might slow down the second stage of labour you might not be able to push and need help to give birth your baby will need to be closely monitored during your labour Whether you have an epidural or not makes no difference to the chance of you having a caesarean section.

Risks and side effects An epidural is effective and fairly safe. But there are some risks. Some women feel cold or itchy. A small number of women get little or no pain relief. Some women get weakness in the legs; it wears off after a few hours. There is an increased risk of needing forceps or a vacuum to help with the birth.

Being aware of your contractions will help once you start to push. As the doctor adjusts the dosage, your legs may feel a little weak, warm, tingly, numb, or heavy. Unlike with some other labor and delivery medicines, you'll be fully alert and aware of what's going on. Some studies suggest that epidurals may increase the chances of C-sections or vaginal deliveries that require forceps or vacuum extractions, but others show no connection. Some epidural medicine does reach the baby.

But it's much less than what a baby would get if the mother had pain medicines through an IV or general anesthesia. The risks of an epidural to the baby are minimal, but include possible distress. Usually, this means the mother's lowered blood pressure causes a slower heartbeat in the baby. You may shiver a little after your baby is born which is common with or without an epidural. Your legs might be numb and tingly as the medicine wears off, which may take a little while. So you might not be able to walk around for at least a few hours after the birth.

Even after that, ask someone to help you until your legs feel back to normal.