Epidural

An epidural is a small, thin tube inserted into your back to deliver pain-relieving medicine.

An epidural will take away the pain of the contractions.

An epidural can work well but it’s also the most complicated pain relief and needs to be put in by an Anaesthetist. That means you can only have an epidural in the Labour Suite.

The epidural is inserted into your back using a needle - you will be given a local anaesthetic into your back first. When the medicine is put through the tube it numbs the feeling in the area around your spinal nerve - the epidural space. This blocks the feeling of pain in your lower body, but you can still feel:

• someone or something touching you.
• the pressure as your baby's being born.

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You’ll also have:

• a drip so that you can have fluids and other medicines if you need them.
• your blood pressure checked regularly once the epidural is in.
• your baby’s heartbeat monitored continuously.

Most women can have an epidural. But you may not be able to have one if:

• you've health conditions such as clotting issues.
• you’ve had some kinds of back operation.

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Your midwife or doctor might suggest an epidural if:

• you've had a long labour.
• you’re having twins.
• you've high blood pressure or other medical issues.

Talk to your midwife about speaking to an Anaesthetist if you want to find out more.

• is the best form of analgesia available.
• doesn’t make you sleepy.
• takes away the pain of contractions and may take away the pain of birth too.
• is safe for your baby and you can breastfeed as normal when they arrive.
• can usually be topped up to give pain relief if you need a ventouse or forceps delivery, or caesarean section.

• can cause your legs to feel numb or heavy which can make it harder to push.
• can make it difficult for you to pass urine on your own, so your midwife may need to put a tube called a catheter into your bladder.
• can cause bad headaches for a few days or weeks after the birth in about 1 in 100 cases - this can usually be treated with painkillers and fluids but sometimes needs special treatment.
• can cause a long-lasting nerve injury, such as a numb patch on your leg or a slightly weak leg. This is very rare.
• can cause other side effects, such as itching and some soreness in the place where the epidural goes into your back.
• About 1 in 10 epidurals don’t work perfectly at first. If yours doesn’t work, you may need to have it adjusted or replaced.

If you’ve had an epidural you’re more likely to need an assisted delivery with forceps or ventouse. This is because:

• you may not feel the urge to push as strongly.
• you’re less likely to be able to push well.