Pregnant mothers usually ask for an epidural if the pain from the labor contractions becomes unbearable. Epidural is effective in numbing those nerves, thus blocking you from feeling the pain. Epidurals are also required when a mother undergoes a C-section delivery.
The same concept is true with epidural birth. Before delivering a baby naturally, a doctor injects an epidural into the mother’s spine. It will then take effect around 20 to 30 minutes after the injection of the anesthesia.
A lot of mothers prefer to have an epidural vs a normal birth because it simply makes labor and giving birth much easier. They might still feel pain during their pregnancy and delivery period. However, it tends to be not as painful as how it will usually feel.
Considerations for Epidural Birth
Mothers should be informed if they do opt for an epidural during their pregnancy. Although it does help ease the process, it still poses certain risks to both the mother and the baby.
The main difference between an epidural vs normal birth, aside from the pain relief, is that there’s the use of medicine in assisting the mother during the delivery of the baby.
Studies show that babies whose mothers use an epidural took a longer time to be delivered because the baby was not yet in the right position. Because of this, doctors tend to use other instruments to get the baby out successfully, like using vacuum suction.