03.20.2010
I haven’t really done extensive research on epidurals and, as much as I would love to say they’re not good for you or the baby, I don’t have the necessary data to back up that statement. I did some superficial research and found a repetitive list of drawbacks to epidurals as follows:
For the mother, there may be a need for additional interventions once the epidural is given:
- Restricted mobility, IV, and EFM (all epidural patients)
- Increased likelihood of bladder catheterization, oxytocin administration, internal monitoring
- Increased likelihood of operative (i.e. forceps, episiotomy, cesarean) delivery
- Automatic blood pressure cuff throughout labor
Possible Short Term Effects (Mother):
- Dural puncture
- Hypotension (29%)
- Nausea, vomiting, shivering (frequent)
- Prolonged labor
- Uneven, incomplete or nonexsistent pain relief
- Feelings of emotional detachment
- Respiratory insufficiency or paralysis
- Convulsions
- Toxic drug reactions
- Slight to severe headache
- Septic meningitis
- Allergic shock
- Cardiac arrest
- Maternal death
Possible Long Term Effects (Mother):
- Neurological complications
- Backache (weeks to years)
- Postpartum feelings of regret, loss of autonomy
- Fecal and urinary incontinence or bladder dysfunction (inability to urinate)
- Paresthesia ("pins and needles")
- Loss of perineal sensation and sexual function
Possible Long Term Effects (Baby):
- Direct drug toxicity
- Fetal distress, abnormal FHR (can lead to emergency cesarean)
- Drownsiness at birth, poor sucking reflex
- Maternal fever (impeded thermoregulation from numb skin) leads to fetal hyperthermia and neonatal NICU workup (spinal tap, etc.)
- Poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours
- Neonatal jaundice
- Decreased maternal-infant bonding, behavioral problems
- Hyperactivity up to seven years (suspected)
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/sideeppi.html
The above info is from 1996-1998 but when I cross-referenced with current data, a lot of the same info came up, particularly the short-term effects for the mother.
What’s interesting, is I landed upon a forum where a soon-to-be mother asked whether she should get an epidural or not and most women responded with an emphatic “Yes!” A few listed some of the short-term side effects but many women commented that they didn’t have any side effects and said they’d have it again no problem.
I’m someone who hates taking any medication of any kind. There are two types of medicines that I take hands down: Excedrin for an oncoming headache (because I am known to get violent migraines) and, when I get pink-eye I take eye drops. I avoid antibiotics and, in fact, I can’t remember the last time I took antibiotics. (I think it’s going on over 10 years now…?) I have managed to always heal myself naturally when I get sick. It may take a few days longer, but I don’t regret it. It’s a matter of listening to my body.
So I’m stuck on this epidural issue. The idea of dealing with contractions is not my idea of “Yay! Gimme some!” Women have told me to imagine the worst cramps I’ve ever had and multiply that by 100 and that’s what you feel for hours. And hours. And hours. This notion makes me want to run away screaming. But, on the flip side, if a woman weren’t capable of handling that amount of pain, children would be born a different way. But, given the drug industry and how much we really don’t know about the drugs we’re given, how positive can we be that there are no lasting effects of something artificial that we inject into our body in the name of “comfort”?
I don’t know…I’m totally open to suggestions and ideas. I mean, I’m not making this decision now, of course; I’m not pregnant. But I’m curious about what you, the reader, thinks.
I went into my labor with the attitude of not ruling anything out. That I would take it as it came and decide what was best at the time and as it happened. My best friend is a labor & delivery nurse and she said the most important thing is to be flexible with your birthing plan. So I go into it thinking if I can handle it without an epidural then great...if not, no big deal. So I was in labor for 14 hours and wasn't dilating. I was staying at 2 cm. Finally, I gave in, got the epidural and within 4 hours was fully dilated. Normal dilation is about 1 cm per hour. So for me, the epidural saved me from a c-section and progressed my labor more quickly. I read all of your side effects and believe they do happen, I didn't experience them. Ava was also awake, alert and had no problems breastfeeding. I did experience the shaking, but I contributed that to nerves because it started when they told me I had to push.
ReplyDeleteI had an epidural, too. It only affects the lower part of your body, and at least at UCLA where I was, they let you control the amount of numbness you want by turning the dial up when you have a contraction. My understanding of the type of medicine they use now is that it directly affects and numbs different parts of the body depending on which point on the spine they place it, but not the whole body. It's not the kind of narcotics our mother was given, and in fact mentally, you do not feel "drugged" or altered mentally. It's more like getting novacaine feels. The most uncomfortable part was the catheter, the constant feeling like I had to pee. And I was shivering but you know, that started even before I got the epidural. And I get cold easily, so who knows !:)
ReplyDeleteLauren was fine, alert, all of that. I had no problems, I still felt *some* pain (just like menstrual cramps) because I didn't have it turned up all the way and I had to be able to feel to push (and it did feel like burning when her head was coming out), but it was very manageable.
I look at it like going to the dentist. Imagine how terrible it would be to get a tooth pulled without novacaine?! And now we can go to the dentist without all of that fear and anxiety because we know they'll manage everything for us.