The epidural in 10 questions

The epidural in 10 questions. You have heard everything and its opposite on the epidural. “Dangerous! Painful!” said one. “Great!” meet others. In short, the epidural is still controversial. To help you decide to benefit or you enter knowingly, Doctissimo answers the questions you ask.

1 – Who can benefit from the epidural?
Epidurals All women, unless they have an indication against-the main ones are: fever, infection in the back (boils), abnormal blood clotting, some neurological diseases. In these circumstances, the epidural anesthesia is dangerous and refuse to practice it. Finally do not forget the practical constraints: an epidural requires the presence and availability of an anesthesiologist when you give birth. Do not forget to ask about this if you want to be eligible, it is a very important criterion in choosing your maternity.

2 – You’ve decided to do without, but the test is painful and you regret your choice. Can you change your mind at the last moment? Yes it is … To a certain extent. It is possible to implement it until the cervix is dilated to 6 or 7 inches. After it is a little late and will not have time to act.

3 – In practice, what happens?
A few weeks before your due, you will meet an anesthesiologist. This consultation is now mandatory that you have decided whether to give birth with an epidural. The anesthesiologist will inform you about the epidural and reviewed. You may prescribe a blood test. Feel free to ask any questions of concern. To be sure not to forget, write them in advance on a small notebook.

At the time of your birth, an anesthesiologist (probably not the same) will examine you and check that you do not cons-of indication. Then it will ask you to sit or lie on your side and you sting in the lower back, between two lumbar vertebrae. This will allow it to introduce a small tube (catheter) into the epidural space. The operation will take a few minutes, sometimes more depending on the anatomical conditions (scoliosis …). Then a bandage will keep the catheter in place during delivery and the doctor will inject an anesthetic by monitoring your blood pressure and heart rate. You will probably ask a urinary catheter because the epidural removes the urge to urinate.

After the first injection, it will take 10-15 minutes to feel the pain effetsur. Depending on the length of delivery, it may be necessary to renew the injections, which will be completely painless, as made ??by the catheter.

4 – Does it hurt?
At the time, it can be a bit painful. We feel the needle enter the lower back. It is also possible to feel the electricity in the legs or back. But the pain does not last, and after a few minutes the pain associated with uterine contractions is significantly relieved.

5 – Is there a paralyzed legs?
No, not completely. It is normal to have a sense of “heavy legs” and a weakness of the legs, but you can keep moving. Similarly, the epidural pain decreases but does not completely eliminate sensitivity.

6 – Are there risks?
There may be side effects, but most are benign: the effect of the epidural may be incomplete or nonexistent. You may experience back pain, but it is unclear whether they are due to the epidural or a position taken during delivery. More rarely (less than 1% of cases), some women have high blood pressure, or feel a headache and dizziness for several days due to a lesion of the dura mater (meninges). Serious accidents are extremely rare (allergic shock, heart attack …), but they can occur as with any anesthetic action.

7 – What are the consequences for the child?
Under normal conditions, the epidural does not change anything for the child. In the best case, it helps to shorten working hours, thanks to the relaxation it brings and because it allows the use of products that increase uterine contractions. However, some studies have shown that working hours could be increased epidural. On the other hand, it would make more frequent deliveries “instrument” (forceps, suction cups), making the mother less able to push for expulsion. Finally, be aware that the baby receives, inevitably, a small dose of anesthetic.

8 – Are there other ways to not feel pain?
Yes, there are other solutions, but it depends on how you feel pain. The Chinese, for example, frequently give birth in acupuncture! Without going that far, some midwives will advise you of methods such as relaxation therapy, haptonomy, massage to better tolerate the pain. Spinal anesthesia is another type of regional anesthesia, it is rather less well tolerated than the epidural. Finally, there are of course general anesthesia, but is used only in special cases (against indication for epidural, emergency) and its main disadvantage is that it deprives the mother’s experience of childbirth.

9 – I must have a Caesarean section, I propose to do an epidural. It is possible?
Of course it’s possible. It’s the same principle as for a vaginal delivery, except that the doses of anesthetic will be higher. This may allow you to live your live birth. You will have all your consciousness and you will hear everything that happens. However, of course you will not see any, since drapes hide your belly. But you will see your baby once it is born!. Before making your decision, talk with the anesthesiologist. The most important thing is that you trust him and he will guide you better.

10 – You will soon give birth: you ask an epidural?
It is a question that only you can answer, talking with family and with the help of your anesthesiologist. It depends on how you feel pain, and how you perceive it. For some, the pain of childbirth is unacceptable and the epidural right. Find the benefits to the child in pain is sexist and outdated design. For other women on the contrary, the fact of feeling pain and control can be experienced as an enriching experience. You decide how you move between these two extremes. Today, the only answer that should not be tolerated is: “You will not have an epidural because there is no anesthesiologist available.”