What Are the Disadvantges of an Epidural for the Baby

Epidural

three-minute read

An epidural is a type of pain relief for women in labour or who are having a caesarean section.

What is an epidural?

An epidural is a procedure that injects a local anaesthetic in to the space around the spinal nerves in your lower back.

This anaesthetic usually blocks the pain from labour contractions and during the nativity very finer. With an epidural you can usually move and tin push your baby out when you need to.

An epidural is usually washed by an anaesthetist.

The process

Before an epidural, you will normally have a drip for fluids put into your arm.

Yous can sit upwardly and curve forwards over a pillow, or lie on your side curled up into a ball. This makes it easier for the needle to be inserted into the correct identify. You will be asked to stay still.

Your lower dorsum will be washed with cold clarified. A small amount of local anaesthetic will be injected into the skin of your lower back. A needle will be inserted between the bones of your spine into the space around your spinal nerves. Your anaesthetist volition insert the epidural needle when your contraction stops, then it is of import that you tell them when you take a wrinkle.

A small soft plastic tube will be inserted and the needle volition be removed. That tube delivers the anaesthetic that volition numb your pain.

It usually takes between 5 and xxx minutes for your pain to be relieved by the epidural.

Y'all usually only have an epidural during the first phase of labour — only information technology can be given at whatsoever stage of labour.

Advantages and disadvantages of an epidural

Epidurals are available at almost hospitals only non in nascency 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 motion around in bed and push when yous need to
if you lot 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 in that location

The disadvantages of an epidural are:

for medical reasons, not everyone can have an epidural
you might need to accept fluids given to you through a tube in your arm, and will demand to accept your blood force per unit area monitored
you lot might lose feeling in your float 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 dull down the second phase of labour
yous might not be able to push and demand aid to give birth
your infant will need to exist closely monitored during your labour

Whether y'all have an epidural or not makes no difference to the chance of you having a caesarean department.

Risks and side effects

An epidural is effective and fairly condom. But at that place are some risks.

Some women feel common cold or itchy.
A small number of women become lilliputian or no pain relief.
Some women become 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 nativity.
Some women develop a bad headache 24 to 48 hours subsequently an epidural.
In that location is a modest take chances of developing a skin infection.
Very rarely a few women become permanent nervus harm.

What to discuss with your doctor or midwife

Y'all tin check:

if you can take an epidural at your chosen hospital or nascency centre
what their epidural procedures are
the blazon of hurting relief that might suit you best

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Last reviewed: Jan 2020

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Source: https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/epidural