Epidural-child Birth Pain Reliever

An epidural is an anesthetic that relieves pain by temporarily numbing the nerves in the lower body. It can be specially good in a backache labor. Not all hospitals offer epidural. The epidural must be timed very carefully, so its so its effects have worn out by the second stage. Otherwise you will take longer to push the baby out, and this increases the likelihood of having a forceps delivery.

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An epidural takes around 20 minutes to set up. You will be asked to tuck your knees up under your chin, so that your back is rounded. The anesthetic is injected through a tube into your lower back. This is left in place, so that you can be given top-ups as necessary; the anesthetic wears off in about two hours. You will have a drip in your arm, and be monitored continuously. If the epidural works properly, you should feel no pain, and remain fully aware of what is happening. Some women feel  faint, and have a headache that may last for a few hours afterwards. Your legs may feel rather heavy for several hours, but there will be no effect on baby due to this.