Epidural for pain relief in labour

13 May Epidural for pain relief in labour

At the time of pregnancy, many women think of the pain associated with labour and childbirth and how they will cope with it. Some women prefer to avoid medications and others feel relieved that there are effective ways to deal with the pain and hence decide to have an epidural.

What is an epidural?

An epidural is a technique of anaesthesia that is done by placing a small tube in the lower back to give local anaesthesia near the nerves that cause pain in labor. This does not induce sleep.

How does it work?

An epidural is used to give continuous pain relief to the lower part of the body while you stay conscious. It basically reduces the sensation but does not vanish the sense of feeling complete. The epidural is delivered through a catheter, which is a thin, flexible and hollow tube that is inserted into space outside the membrane surrounding the spinal cord and spinal fluid.

Initially, a small test dose is given to check if the epidural is placed safely and then thereafter the full dose is given. The heart rate of your baby is monitored continuously and your blood pressure is also checked after every 5 minutes. This is done to make sure that there are no negative effects after the epidural.

An epidural takes around 10 minutes to give you relief from labor pain. Once the epidural is in place, medicine will go through the tubing continually to maintain pain relief through the rest of your labor and the delivery of your baby.You and your baby will stay fit at the time of taking epidural. It will not depress your breathing or put your baby to sleep. They will just make the contractions feel less strong and easier to manage. Being totally numb is undesirable during labor because you need to know when and where to push at the end of your labor.An anesthesia doctor is available for labor and delivery 24 hours a day.We adjust the type of medication in a way so that it meets the requirements of the patient.Within the limits of safety for you and your baby, we will work with you to obtain the comfort level that you desire.

At Triveni Obs and Gynae clinic in Gurgaon, we counsel you about the options for pain relief in labor.

Common Side effects

• You might feel numb and heavy in your legs. This will go away after the delivery
• You might experience some itching and there may be a chance that you may feel difficulty in passing urine.
• Temperature elevations might also be experienced temporarily.

If you have more questions about the epidural and its effects, we would be glad to speak with you. We at Triveni Obs and Gynae clinic have strong desire to make your experience of childbirth safe and rewarding.