Epidural or Spinal Block

Every woman's labor is unique. The amount of pain a woman feels during labor is going to differ from that of another woman. Pain depends on size and position of the baby and the strength of contractions. When it is time to give birth women want to know whether to have an epidural or a spinal block, both of which are used to decrease labor pains.



An epidural causes some loss of feeling in the lower areas of a woman's body, yet she is awake and alert. An epidural may be given soon after contractions start, or later as labor progresses. An epidural with more or stronger medications can be used for a c section or if a vaginal delivery requires the help of forceps or vacuum extraction.



An epidural is given in the lower back below the spinal cord. During the procedure, a woman will be asked to sit or lie on her side with her back curved outward. When completed, a woman may be allowed to move, but may not be allowed to walk around. Because the medication needs to be absorbed into several nerves, it make take a short while for it to take effect. Pain relief will begin within 10-20 minutes.



An epidural will make you more comfortable, but you still may be able to feel your contractions, and the doctor's exams as labor progresses.



A spinal block is also injected in the lower back. You must sit or lie on your side while a small amount of a drug is injected into the spinal fluid to numb the lower half of the body. It brings good pain relief and it works very fast, however, it only lasts an hour or two.



A spinal block is given by using a much thinner needle, and it uses a much smaller dose of the drug, however, once the drug is injected, pain relief starts right away.



A spinal block is usually given only once during labor, so its main use is for pain relief during delivery.



So when you decide on an epidural or a spinal block here is what you need to keep in mind. An epidural can be given when you start having contractions or, and small doses of the medication can be given continuously without another injection throughout labor. It takes about 10-20 minutes to take effect, and given with a much larger needle.



A spinal block is given by using a much smaller needle and uses a much smaller dose of the drug. It is only given once during labor and is best suited for relief during delivery, and once the drug is injected, pain relief occurs right away.



In a nutshell, do you want continuous pain relief with a larger needle, or do you just want short pain relief with a smaller needle for delivery only. I had an epidural and did not feel the needle at all, so if you dislike needles, I would not let that alter your decision.



Paula Snyder is mom, business owner and author.



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