Anesthesia for labor and delivery – Today a majority of laboring patients are requesting epidural anesthesia for pain control.  This type of anesthesia administered as described above allows for a painless laboring experience.  While some sensation of pressure is possible the labor and delivery with epidural anesthesia is basically painless.  The following are some frequently asked questions about Epidural anesthesia for labor. 

Is Epidural anesthesia harmful to the baby?  Epidural anesthesia is the preferred mode of anesthesia during labor because it avoids exposing the fetus to pain control medications that would normally be administered to the mother.  All types of anesthesia carry a certain amount of risk.  The effects of epidural anesthesia on the fetus are well studied.  And this type of anesthesia is the safest mode of pain control during labor. 

Does Epidural anesthesia prolong the labor process?  If administered too early, epidural anesthesia can cause a prolongation of the initial parts of the labor process.  But once the patient is in established labor, epidural anesthesia does not affect the length of the process.

What are the side effects of Epidural anesthesia?  The most common side effect from epidural anesthesia is a headache.  This complication happens very rarely.  More serious complications from this type of anesthesia are even rarer.  Serious complications from epidural anesthesia are extremely unlikely.

Can Epidural anesthesia cause back pain or worsen existing back pain?  Back pain after pregnancy is not uncommon.  This is regardless of whether the mother has received epidural anesthesia or not, and has been attributed to carrying the fetus during pregnancy.  The affects of epidural anesthesia on back pain after pregnancy has been studied.  The findings have indicated that epidural anesthesia has no effect on the incidence of or the intensity of back pain after pregnancy. The mother may experience some soreness at the site of administration of the epidural for one or two days after delivery.

Anesthesia for C-sections – While c-section deliveries can be performed under general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia is the preferred mode of anesthesia for this procedure.  Spinal anesthesia for c-sections avoids having to place breathing tube into the mother’s trachea decreasing the chance of complications.  It also allows the mother to be awake during the delivery and see the baby very shortly after.  If an epidural catheter is already in place for labor this catheter can be used to administer additional medicine and provide adequate anesthesia for a c-section.