Regional anesthesia that prevents pain in certain parts of the body

The goal of having an epidural is to have some pain relief instead of loosing feeling in your whole body

You loose feeling in the lower half of your body starting at your lower spine down to your feet

There are two main types of epidurals 1. Regular Epidural (used by most women)

› Pumped or injected into your lower spine through a catheter

› Combination of narcotics and anesthetics (given with the epidural to decrease the required dose of local anesthetic)

2. Combined Spinal-Epidural (CSE) “walking epidural”- Inserted into the intrathecal area through a catheter- Can be either a narcotic or anesthetic or both at once- Allows you to move more freely (walk around)- Allows pain relief for 4-8 hours

Provides pain relief while your still conscious Before the mother receives epidural she receives 1-2 liters

of IV fluid throughout labor For a regular epidural they lie the mother curled up on her

side and the anesthesiologist cleans your back and injecting a numbing medicine into the spinal column (where the needle is inserted).

Then they insert the needle in the lower part of the spine through a catheter

Throughout labor more of the epidural is periodically given after the catheter is in place

http://video.about.com/pregnancy/During-an-Epidural.htm

Allows you to rest Allows you to control the pain by adjusting the

amount given Still conscious Helps the recovery process Once you have an epidural it can also be used to

provide anesthesia for a C-section or any other complication during birth

It can cause blood pressure to drop (if this happens you will need to be treated with IV fluids, medication and oxygen

Leaking of spinal fluid may cause severe headaches

In rare occasions, permanent nerve damage may result in the area where the catheter is inserted

Shivering Ringing of ears Back aches Soreness when needle is inserted Nausea

Low blood pressure A bleeding disorder A blood infection Skin infection on lower back Any allergies to local anesthetics If you take specific blood thinning

medications Low platelet counts If you are not at least 4 cm dialated

Does getting an epidural hurt? Some women would say you would feel discomfort and

pressure where the back is numb and when the catheter is inserted

When will an epidural be placed? Usually they are placed when the cervix is

dilated 4-5 cm (active labor).

How will an epidural effect the labor? It causes the labor to slow down and it weakens

the contractions. If your labor does slow down Pitocin will speed labor up.

How will I feel after the epidural?After the initial dose the nerves of the uterus will

begin to numb after a couple of minutes. After 10-20 minutes you will feel completely numb. If labor prolongs for more than a few hours, a urinary catheter will need to be inserted because your abdomen will be numb. As the medication wears off some women will experience a burning feeling around the birth canal.

"Epidurals and Labor - What Happens During an Epidural Video." How-to Videos: How-to and DIY Videos - About.com Videos. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. <http://video.about.com/pregnancy/During-an-Epidural.htm>.

"Epidural Anesthesia : American Pregnancy Association." Promoting Pregnancy Wellness : American Pregnancy Association. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. <http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/epidural.html>.

"Epidural Pain Relief for Labor | BabyCenter." BabyCenter | Homepage - Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Kids. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. <http://www.babycenter.com/0_epidural-pain-relief-for-labor_1489911.bc>.