I am afraid of having an epidural but I feel I should have one. Any advice?


The procedure is very straightforward and handled by very experienced anesthetists or doctors. You will need to inform the midwife in advance if you want one so that arrangements can be made for it. Basically epidurals block pain nerves. The needle is inserted into the epidural space (spinal cord). Special care must be taken to prevent the insertion from taking place in the spinal cord or its protective covering. For this you will have to sit very still (as guided by your anesthetist). If done improperly for any reasons the side-effects include severe headache, backache and in extreme cases damage to the nerves.