Are Epidurals Dangerous?

Finding out about Epidurals...

The following article is really valuable if you are planning to have an epidural. It looks at:

 

  

 

1. What is an epidural?

Before you have one learn exactly what it is and how it works.

Epidurals are widely used for pain relief in labour and involve an injection of a local anaesthetic into the lower region of the spine close to the nerves that transmit pain. Epidural solutions are given by bolus injection, continuous infusion or using a patient-controlled pump. Lower concentrations of local anaesthetic are needed when they are given together with an opiate, allowing women to maintain the ability to move around during labour and to bear down. Epidural analgesia may sometimes give inadequate analgesia, which may be due to non-uniform spread of local anaesthetic. Combined spinal-epidural involves a single injection of local anaesthetic or opiate into the cerebral spinal fluid for fast onset of pain relief as well as insertion of the epidural catheter for continuing pain relief. – See more at: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD000331/epidurals-for-pain-relief-in-labour#sthash.DVa9XP6u.dpuf

2. How Epidurals will medicalise your labour

3. The fact that sometimes it doesn’t work

4. What the side effects to an epidural are...

5. What the benefits to an epidural are...

6. The fact epidurals can be great for very high blood pressure

7. The are risks associated with epidurals

8. Helping Mother Nature with an epidural in place

You can still have an epidural and use Hypnosis during birth.

9. Whether it's right or wrong to plan for an epidural in labour

10. How having an epidural in labour is viewed by you.

 

If you are considering an epidural it helps to know all the facts. The following article fills in most of the blanks in our knowledge of epidural. 10-things-you-need-to-know-about-epidurals