Epidural Anesthesia—What are the Consequences?Here are just some of the effects of epidural anesthesia: • It can cause maternal fever necessitating that the baby be taken for invasive testing after the birth to rule out infection. • It can slow or stall labor. Doctors may then recommend augmenting labor with the medication Pitocin to speed up labor. Pitocin comes with its own set of dangers and side effects. • The birthing woman cannot feel her lower body which results in a sense of loss of control and in ineffective pushing. • It causes the baby to have a more difficult time descending and rotating into the optimal position in the pelvis. This more often results in assisted births requiring the use of vacuum extraction, forceps, or even c-section. • It can in rare cases cause maternal death. • It can cause adverse behavioral effects in the newborn. • The incidence of jaundice in the newborn is increased. • The birthing mother cannot move around easily (if at all) and movement and upright positions facilitate an easier and faster birth. • It can cause a dangerous drop in maternal blood pressure. • It can cause the fetal heart rate to slow to the point where the baby would be in distress and need to be delivered by c-section. • It can cause the baby to have difficulties with breastfeeding due to being lethargic from the medication. • It disrupts the delicate balance of hormones and the feedback mechanism that is flowing between mother and baby—the effects upon bonding between mother and baby are still unknown. There are instances in which pain medication may be helpful or even necessary. When induction is necessary for a true medical reason, the use of pain medication can be helpful. Contractions are unnaturally strong when labor is induced. If a cesarean section is indicated an epidural or a spinal will be used. But, in the majority of births pain medication is not necessary and impedes the physiological process of birth. There are other effective means for alleviating discomfort during labor and birth--such as hydrotherapy (bath tub and shower), touch/massage, movement, hypnosis, and breathing techniques. Of course, epidural anesthesia can give complete pain relief in most cases (it doesn’t always) if that is truly what you are looking for. It is interesting that women who have epidurals report a high level of pain relief, but not necessarily a high level of satisfaction with their birth. If you are seeking to be present and aware in your body and to truly experience all that birth has to offer you, medication will keep you from that full experience.
Return to from Epidural Anesthesia to Natural Birth
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