For or against the epidural ?

Epidural: advantages and disadvantages

For the epidural

According to the latest survey by the Interassociative Collective Around Birth (CIANE), 78% of women who wanted and had an epidural say they are satisfied! There are many arguments in favor of epidurals …

• Less tired from the pain, you will be more available for the arrival of your baby
• You will be able to keep all your lucidity without suffering
• The current dosages of the epidural make it possible to feel the passage of the baby. Gone are the days when half the body was paralyzed and when we passively witnessed the birth of our baby.
• Some maternities offer ambulatory epidural, whose dosages make it possible not to remain bedridden during labor.
• You decide for yourself when you want your epidural to be injected. But ideally, you should not wait until the last minute because the numbing product may not work.
• The epidural does not increase the risk of cesarean section.
• In the event of an unscheduled Caesarean section, the epidural allows a less abrupt anesthesia than the administration of analgesics by intravenous route.
• The epidural, like any medical act, can cause complications: accidents are however very rare.

Against epidurals

Nearly a quarter of women who wanted and had an epidural were ultimately disappointed, reports the Ciane survey. At the same time, 97% of women who decided to give birth without an epidural were satisfied. If you choose to give birth without an epidural …

• The duration of childbirth can be lengthened. The epidural modifies somewhat the duration of labor and can slow down the descent of the baby at the time of expulsion.
• The epidural suppresses the urge to urinate and therefore very often requires the insertion of a urinary catheter.
• Too dosed, the epidural can suppress the sensations. The mother then does not know when or how to push. The use of instruments (forceps, suction cup) to get the baby out thus seems more frequent.
• Afterwards, some moms are disappointed because they don’t feel like they have felt their baby.
• There are also possible side effects: anesthesia can cause, exceptionally, headaches after childbirth.
• There may be contraindications: an epidural cannot be performed if you have a skin infection in the area where the bite was taken, if you have a carbuncle or an abscess, if your temperature exceeds 38 ° C, if you have severe bleeding disorders or some herniated discs.