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| What is an epidural? What are the benefits? Are there any downsides to having an epidural? Can I cope with labor without an epidural? When would the benefits of an epidural outweigh the risks? Are there other drugs that can reduce pain in labor? What exactly is an epidural?  Simply put, an epidural is a continuous intravenous injection of pain medication that is given to a laboring woman to help reduce or eliminate the sensation of labor contractions. This short video will give you a good visual of how an epidural needle is placed in a mother's lower back during labor.The medication that is inserted through the needle can vary, depending on the mother's needs at the time. It can be an analgesic, which reduces the sensation of pain without numbing the muscles, an anesthesia, which numbs the lower part of a laboring mother's body, or, most commonly, it is a combination of the two. The American Society of Anesthesiologists sums it up this way: Analgesia is the relief of pain without total loss of feeling or muscle movement. Analgesics do not always stop pain completely, but they do lessen it. Anesthesia is blockage of all feeling, including pain. Some forms of anesthesia, such as general anesthesia, cause you to lose consciousness. Other forms, such as regional anesthesia, remove all feeling of pain from parts of the body while you stay conscious. In most cases, analgesia is offered to women in labor or after surgery or delivery, whereas anesthesia is used during a surgical procedure such as cesarean delivery. Excerpted from the ASA Patient Education Pamphlet: Planning Your Childbirth: Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists explains the procedure, including the risks, in this patient education pamphlet. What are the benefits of an epidural? An epidural numbs the areas of the body that would otherwise feel pain during labor contractions, providing a virtually pain-free labor for the mom. This can be a helpful tool for a mother who has had a very long labor and needs to rest in order to regain her strength for the last part of her labor. It is also a useful medication when a cesarean is necessary. While you might think that pain-free is a good thing, that's not always the case. Read on to find out how an epidural can interfere with the body's production of hormones that can interfere with the natural process of childbirth. Are there any downsides to having an epidural?  As with any drug, there are pros and cons to the medications used in epidural injections.One of the logistical downsides for many women is that once an epidural is in place, the mother is no longer able to move off the bed. This is for several reasons: the epidural itself is inserted in the mother's back, she has an IV and the mother is hooked up to two monitors that are wrapped around her belly to record contractions and the baby's heart rate. Since mobility is one of a laboring mother's greatest assets (link to All About Birth/Natural Birth Process/Greatest Assets), restricted movement could be a significant downside for a mother who wants to be able to walk, labor on a birth ball, shower, bathe, or simply move into positions that feel right for her during labor. A second downside to having an epidural is the way the drugs interfere with the body's natural hormone production during labor. According to Dr. Sarah Buckley, the epidural prevents the body from producing the hormones that help to push the baby out of the mother's body in second-stage labor, often leading to a vacuum or forceps delivery, or even an unplanned cesarean birth. Other risks of epidural medications to the mother and the baby are listed here, as provided by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
Excerpted from ACOG's Patient Education Pamphlet: Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery Can I cope with labor without an epidural?  Many women go through some or all of their labors without getting an epidural. Their ability to do so depends on how well they prepared for labor through childbirth classes, the severity of the contractions, and the length of the labor. There are many non-medical coping techniques that are quite effective in helping a laboring mom handle contractions.When would the benefits of an epidural outweigh the risks? The answer to this question depends on an individual woman's specific situation. Generally speaking, a mother might opt for an epidural in one of these situations:
Are there other drugs that can reduce pain in labor? Narcotics are sometimes used to help reduce a mother's sense of pain in labor, but, as with epidural medications, there are risks to both mother and baby. The American Pregnancy Association has put together a list of pros and cons to help you decide what is right for you during your labor. |
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