spinal epidural-how do you know if you need it or not?

marlyn · Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

I am now 8 months pregnant and I am already pretty anxious about the labor. First I thought I would like having a normal delivery but now I am thinking of some spinal or epidural anesthesia –and I wonder how do you know you need it or not? And also I would like to hear what the difference between spinal and epidural is and would I feel any pain during delivery if I got this spinal or epidural injection? Also what if I start having a normal delivery and than doc decide to end the labor with spinal or epidural –how do you know you need it or not?-for I have red there are some cases like that. Thanks much!

kaye · Newbie Joined: 20 Nov 2006 Posts: 3

You could even chose to have it or not but on the other hand there are some urgent situations during normal labor for example if the labor is not progressing or if the mother and the baby are at risk than the labor could be managed with whatever spinal or epidural anesthesia or it could even be combined. Anyway the difference between spinal and epidural is in the manner of giving the injection as well as in the time needed to take effect that is spinal anesthesia makes you numbing almost immediately after it has been injected while epidural needs some more time to take effect. Also spinal anesthesia is being given directly into the fluid sac while epidural is given into the epidural space that is into the space around the spinal sac and plus in the case of epidural anesthesia you have this catheter injected that stays there during all the delivery time so the anesthesia could be maintained as much as it is needed. and of course if it happened you need cesarean to be done than the spinal or epidural anesthesia is needed and you still won’t feel no pain but you would be aware of what is happening and it is not like you will be asleep.

spinal epidural-how do you know if you need it or not?

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