What are the risks of an epidural?

Question

Are there any risks you take when having an epidural? I know one woman that had it done and remained paralised and I'm worried to have it because of this fact. And could this make labour go longer? help

Answer 1

MATERNAL RISKS
Hypotension (Drop in blood pressure)
Urinary Retention and Postpartum Bladder Dysfunction
Uncontrollable Shivering
Itching of the face, neck and throat
Nausea and Vomiting
Postpartum Backache
Maternal Fever
Spinal Headache
Uneven, incomplete or nonexistent pain relief
Feelings of Emotional detachment
Postpartum feelings of regret or loss of autonomy
Inability to move about freely on your own
Loss of perineal sensation and sexual function
Convulsions
Respitory paralysis
Cardiac arrest
Allergic shock
Nerve injury
Epidural abscess
Maternal death

LABOR SIDE EFFECTS
Prolonged First Stage of Labor
Increase of malpresentation of baby's head
Increased need for Pitocin augmentation
Prolonged Second Stage of Labor
Decrease in the ability to push effectively
Increased liklihood of forceps or vacuum extraction delivery
Increased likelihood of needing an episiotomy
Increase in cesarean section

BABY SIDE EFFECTS
Fetal distress; abnormal fetal heart rate
Drowsiness at birth; poor sucking reflex
Poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours.

Answer 2

Although most people will tell you they are fine, I would do everything I could to not have to have one. They not only effect you, but the baby as well. I have been reading a lot about this lately. They can cause a domino effect during labor. The epidural can slow down labor which can cause the doctor's to believe they need to speed things up which can cause them to break your water unnaturally. Once the water is broken, then you only have so much time to deliver before there is a risk of infection, which means you have a much higher chance of recieving a C-section. Even if none of this happens, an epidural causes the mother to feel drowsy after birth and the baby will be drowsy as well. I would definately read books on natural childbirth, they are very informative.

Answer 3

I had an epidural with all three of my girls and I plan on having one again. I think as long as you are still when the doctor is putting it in then you will be good. I like not feeling any pain, but with the last one I waited a little late to ask for it so I did feel her shoulders and I swore the next time I wouldn't wait so long. That was the worst pain I had ever felt.

Answer 4

Sometimes you outweigh the risks, paralasis and continued numbness are risks you take like all medication, there are no real conclusive studies about the affect of the time of labor with or with an epidural, I have had one epidural, spinal block and one with iv drugs (IV drugs only help for a short period of time).

Answer 5

those are from a area I appeared up. Hypotension (Drop in blood tension) Urinary Retention and Postpartum Bladder affliction Uncontrollable Shivering Itching of the face, neck and throat Nausea and Vomiting Postpartum Backache Maternal Fever Spinal Headache uneven, incomplete or nonexistent discomfort alleviation emotions of Emotional detachment Postpartum emotions of remorseful approximately or loss of autonomy lack of ability to circulate approximately freely on your very own loss of perineal sensation and sexual function Very severe and uncommon damaging aspects Convulsions Respitory paralysis Cardiac arrest Allergic marvel Nerve harm Epidural abscess Maternal dying do not pay attention to your pal. I had 2 epidurals without issues. My females are the two superb and suitable. that's 2009 now, lady shouldn't might desire to be in all that discomfort to have a newborn while there is alleviation for it. i does not enable the area consequences scare you. everybody i know who has had one had no issues, so as that they are actually not too common. in case you desperate to not or desperate to offer up breastfeeding thats no ones organization yet your very own, you recognize? So your pal might desire to easily lower back off. i does not shop acquaintances like that around. She sounds slightly loopy. listed under are some hyperlinks! sturdy success! I enjoyed the two one among my epidurals and that i would be having one with this toddler! the countless sites make the epidural look undesirable yet particularly i might have died without one!

Answer 6

I watched a story on 20/20 where a woman actualy died from getting one. She got an infection that traveled through her spinal fluid to her brain and she died hours later. There have been several cases of women being paralyzed as well. Of course this rarely ever happens, but there is that chance. Most of the negative effects have to do with the recovery time, and increased risk of having a C-section.

Answer 7

My sister had an epidural and they stuck the needle into far in her back. It did not even help her, she felt everything.
She kept on complaining of severe headaches but the doctor would not listen. She got out of the hospital 2 days later then she collasped and couldn't feel her legs so they rushed her to the hospital then they done a cat scan and she had air pockets in her brain from that epidural. They transferred her to a different hospital and done a blood patch on her. It is where they take blood from a certain part of the body and put it in another part -i believe from the back to the hand-
She got better after that and has had not no problems, she couldn't sue because she signed that paper.
That is why i would never have one myself. They offered me one when i had my son (i had a c-section) but i refused and asked to be knocked out which they done.
Good luck to you

Answer 8

They don't put the needle in your spinal cord. It goes below the cord in an area called the epoduarl space ( i think thats what they called it). I had no complications at all. I loved it, I think it made the birth experience better for me and my husband- he didn't have me yelling at him. We were botha ble to enjoy it. My baby came out pretty quickly too just a few pushes.

Ihave heard of women that the epidural did not work. They had one and still had pain, but I think that is rare.

Also it did not hurt going in. I didn't fell anything.

Answer 9

I had an epidural with my first son and it didnt work the right side at all. With my second son, it gave me the worst head ache of my life. I could only lay flat, although I felt Barely any labor pains.

Answer 10

Paralysis can happen, but it's extremely rare. They do advise you not to move when they are inserting the needle though. The only complaint I had is that it seemed as if I had extended back pain after the delivery. However, I wouldn't have changed my decision to get one...I was in terrible pain!