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Every woman experiences childbirth differently - and the sensation of pain is also very individual. Women who want a birth that is as pain-free as possible greatly appreciate the epidural: It can be used to alleviate or even completely eliminate labour pain. Peri- or epidural anaesthesia is the most effective method of dealing with acute labour pain. Find out here what an epidural is and what you can expect from this spinal anaesthesia.
What exactly is an epidural anaesthetic (epidural anaesthesia)? With an epidural anaesthetic, also known as EDA, women receive an injection near the spinal cord during or before the birth. After five to ten minutes, anaesthesia sets in from the hip downwards and birth pain is relieved or even completely eliminated. This method is widely used, effective and safe. The epidural, which is also used for caesarean sections, does not affect the baby's well-being or the natural course of labour - and the woman experiences the birth in full consciousness.
What are the advantages of an epidural? As a pregnant woman, you can now choose from a wide range of pain-relieving measures before the birth. The epidural anaesthesia procedure close to the spinal cord is the most effective type of treatment, which is why we would like to provide you with special information about it. Nevertheless, you should have a personal consultation with your midwife or gynaecologist. Or contact one of our experienced specialists directly during our consultation hours at the Clinic for Anaesthesiology. Our specialists at Bethesda will be happy to answer any questions you may have about pain relief during labour.
Find out everything you need to know about epidural anaesthesia (PDA) and find out about the benefits, techniques, alternatives and possible side effects.
Spinal anaesthesia (PDA, EDA) is the most effective method for pain relief during childbirth. It also has numerous other advantages:
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With epidural anaesthesia, a thin plastic tube is inserted through a hollow needle into the so-called epidural space via a puncture site in the lower part of the back after local anaesthesia. The painkiller is administered there for as long as necessary. It begins to take effect after about 10 minutes. The injection is not described by women as painful, but rather as unpleasant - but it only lasts a few seconds.
If several low-dose medications are combined with the epidural, pain can be alleviated well and muscle strength is only slightly restricted. The advantage of this is that the strength to push at the end of labour is retained. Another variant is spinal anaesthesia, where the medication is injected once into the so-called spinal space. This method works very quickly, but only lasts for a limited time.
No medical procedure is completely free of side effects, risks and complications. At Bethesda Hospital, we work with the utmost care and have decades of experience in this field. Most women tolerate an epidural very well and experience only minor side effects.
Possible side effects:
Risks and complications:
It is extremely rare for the respiratory muscles to be weakened or for the drug to enter the bloodstream, which can lead to unconsciousness or seizures. Allergic reactions, haematoma or infection at the injection site as well as temporary sensory disturbances or nerve damage in the lower half of the body also occur extremely rarely.
Other anaesthetic procedures
General anaesthesia (general anaesthesia) is only used if regional anaesthesia (PDA, EDA) is not possible for technical or medical reasons, is not effective enough or is rejected by you. The desire of many parents to be able to consciously experience the moment of birth is in line with our aim of recommending and carrying out the regional anaesthesia procedure for a caesarean section, which is safer in many cases.
There is no doubt that epidural anaesthesia, which is a regional anaesthesia close to the spinal cord, is the most effective form of obstetric pain therapy. Nevertheless, we would like to point out a selection of possible alternatives: These are walking, exercising, sitting on an exercise ball or stool, changing position, back massage, targeted breathing techniques, foot reflexology, the versatile methods of naturopathy and homeopathy as well as acupuncture or acupressure. Stimulation of skin nerves in the lower back area (TENS) can also help.
Warm water can also have a pain-relieving effect - this is built upon during labour in a birthing tub. Antispasmodics (spasmolytics) can alleviate labour pain to a limited extent. A local anaesthetic is recommended for the final phase of labour and for vaginal surgery (use of a suction cup or forceps), as well as for suturing any injuries to the vagina or perineum. We will be happy to help you and clarify any questions you may have in a personal consultation.
The application of an obstetric regional anaesthetic is a medical procedure. We will inform you of this in writing and you will give us your written consent. We send the anaesthesiology information and consent form to all pregnant women who register for the birth at Bethesda Hospital. Please read it through, sign it and bring it with you to the birth. This will enable us to minimise the information formalities for pain therapy during the birth. We wish you a good pregnancy and a happy birth of your child.
We have compiled the most frequently asked questions about the epidural, answered by our medical experts.
Do you have any other questions that are not answered here? Please feel free to contact us - we will be happy to help you.
Peridural anaesthesia or epidural anaesthesia (PDA or EDA for short) is an anaesthetic procedure from the field of regional anaesthesia.
Thanks to its effective pain relief, epidural anaesthesia has proven to be particularly effective during childbirth. Here we are talking about an obstetric epidural.
First, the skin and subcutaneous tissue in the lower back are anaesthetised using a local anaesthetic. The epidural space is then located between two processes of the lumbar vertebrae using a hollow needle and a thin plastic tube (catheter) is inserted.
A pump with a drug reservoir is connected to the catheter. Small amounts of anaesthetic are automatically applied to the spinal nerve roots in the epidural space at regular intervals. You can also operate the pump yourself at the touch of a button to adjust the dose to your own requirements (patient-controlled epidural anaesthesia PCEA). A safety device prevents overdosing.
The dosage of medication is selected so that the labour pain is almost eliminated, but you can still move your legs and walk around with some support ("walking epidural").
An epidural that is already in place can also be used for partial anaesthesia if a caesarean section is necessary.
The epidural is considered to be the most effective method of pain relief during labour.
As a pregnant woman, you can choose from a wide range of pain-relieving measures even before the birth. The spinal anaesthetic procedure of epidural anaesthesia is the most effective type of treatment, which is why we would like to provide you with special information about it. Nevertheless, you should have a personal consultation with your midwife or gynaecologist. Or contact one of our experienced anaesthetists directly during our consultation hours at the Department of Anaesthesiology. Our specialists at Bethesda will be happy to answer any questions you may have about pain relief during labour.
No medical procedure is completely free of side effects, risks and complications. At Bethesda Hospital, we work with the utmost care and have decades of experience in this field. Most women tolerate an epidural very well and only very rarely experience side effects.
Possible side effects, risks and complications of an epidural could be:
The aim of an obstetric epidural is to make the birth as pain-free as possible. Every woman experiences a birth differently and the sensation of pain is very individual.
An epidural is the most effective method for a largely pain-free labour. If the effect is insufficient, there are ways to optimise the desired effect for you.
We use a combination of an opiate and a local anaesthetic (fentanyl and bupivacaine). This is a low-dose combination of active ingredients with the aim of achieving freedom from pain while maintaining freedom of movement.
A pain-free birth is possible with the help of an epidural.
The epidural is the most effective method of obstetric pain therapy.
Nevertheless, we refer you to a selection of possible alternatives that you can discuss with your gynaecologist and midwife: These include walking, exercising, sitting on an exercise ball or stool, changing position, back massage, targeted breathing techniques, foot reflexology, the versatile methods of naturopathy and homeopathy, acupuncture or acupressure. Stimulation of skin nerves in the lower back area (TENS) can also occasionally help.
Warm water can also have a pain-relieving effect - this can be very comfortable for a birth in the birthing tub. Antispasmodics (spasmolytics) can relieve labour pain to a limited extent. A local anaesthetic is recommended for the final phase of labour and for vaginal surgery (use of a suction cup or forceps), as well as for suturing any injury to the vagina or perineum. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have in a personal consultation.
The obstetric epidural anaesthesia PDA falls within the specialist area of our anaesthesiology team. Our experienced specialists will be happy to help you - let them advise you individually as to which of the Clinic for Anaesthesiology's services is best suited to your needs.
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