Many women consider their epidurals the saving grace during labor. Women have varying beliefs; with some believing a natural birth is the safest thing for mom and baby. Others can’t understand why anyone would ever give birth without the benefit of an epidural.
As it turns out, there may be a price to pay for the comfort of little pain during labor. Having an epidural increases the likelihood of certain medical interventions in labor. Some studies show it can raise the risk of needing a c section too.
Natural child birth advocates point out studies which show epidurals can increase the rate of c section, particularly when given at two or three centimeters of dilation. The earlier an epidural is given, the greater the chance a c section will be the end result. Some studies have shown a c section rate as high as 50% when the epidural is given at two centimeters. For this reason, some hospitals wait a bit longer before administering it.
Other studies refute this result, particularly with newer low concentration medications used in epidurals. A Singapore study published in the BMJ medical journal looked at women given low concentration infusions via epidural. The study found that the c section rate was not significantly higher in the epidural group when compared to the control group.
The study did find there was a greater risk of interventions such as vacuum extraction. In addition, the women given the epidurals tended to have a longer second stage of labor, when the baby is pushed out. These results are consistent with earlier studies which showed that epidurals can negatively affect the pushing phase of labor.
The final decision of whether to use an epidural is up to you. You have to consider whether the benefits outweigh any potential risk. The best way to make that determination is through research and reading as much as possible about labor and birth during your pregnancy. It doesn’t hurt to learn natural methods for pain relief and at least give those a try first.
Related Articles: