Childbirth Epidural

What it is:  Anesthesia administered to a laboring mother into the epidural space at the base of the spine to numb the lower body. It decreases or eliminates sensations to that area of the body.   

When they are used:  According to Holly Richardson, CD(DONA) of childbirth.org, "Nationwide, the overall rate runs consistently over 85%"  Epidurals are given to laboring women planning vaginal births based on her decision to receive one and they are also used in lieu of general anesthesia in the event of a cesarean section.  When I say 'based on her decision to receive one' I do not mean to imply that all or even most pregnant mothers are made aware of the benefits and drawbacks of the procedure.

   

Why they may be used as a matter of routine:  FEAR!  Most women have heard nothing but horror stories about the pains of labor.  It is uncommon for a woman looking at experiencing something she cannot fathom without overwhelming fear... the fear of pain in childbirth, of intolerable pain, makes epidural look like the messiah of childbirth, when in actuality it may be more a Trojan horse.  The other reason is Control.  A woman unprepared to handle potential pain and the knowledge and trust to work with her laboring body can be quite difficult to control in a healthcare facility where nurses are overworked, units are understaffed and the lady in the next room is now spiraling into fear from the moans and vocalizations coming from the 'natural' patient.  A quiet patient is a good patient and a successful epidural keeps you quiet.

   

Drawbacks to Epidural:  Studies showing that epidural anesthesia slow labor have been disputed amongst professionals for years, but whether or not an epidural itself will slow labor, epidurals have been linked to an increase in cesarean sections.  I call epidural a Trojan horse because it seems to be the one intervention which begets all others.  A woman who receives an epidural will no longer be able to move around on her own and will be confined to bed.  Epidurals have a tendency to affect the laboring woman's blood pressure, so her BP will be continually monitored.  Because labor may fail to progress at 1-1.5 cm per hour (the medical establishment's preferred progression of dilation) in a woman who is confined to bed and anesthetized, she will likely be given pitocin, which can have adverse affects on the baby who will have to be continually monitored with EFM.  Lets see, what have I missed?  There is a phenomenon called an epidural fever which occurs in many women and which will  The laboring woman will not be able to get up to urinate and will therefore have to be catheritized and she will likely have and episiotomy or large tear during pushing due to her inability to feel the force she is applying to the baby.  On the other hand, she may be completely ineffectual at pushing for the very same reason.