Side-effects and risks of an epidural

Epidurals lessen the pain of labour more than any other treatment. However, they are associated with side-effects and carry some risks.

• With an epidural, the chance that your obstetrician will need to use a ventouse or forceps to deliver your baby is increased
• With an epidural, the second stage of labour (when your cervix is fully dilated) may be longer, and you are more likely to need medication (oxytocin) to make contractions stronger
• You have more chance of getting low blood pressure. This can sometimes make you feel nauseous until it is treated
• Your legs may feel weak while the epidural is working
• You will find it difficult to pass urine, and you may need a catheter inserted to drain your bladder
• You may feel itchy

Other possible, although less common, risks of an epidural include:

• Severe headache, which occurs in approx 1 woman in every 100. If it occurs it may last for days or weeks, and may require specific treatment
• Bruising in the skin may be caused by the needle, or very rarely a blood clot may form near the spinal cord
• The site of needle puncture, and the region surrounding the spinal cord, may become infected. This is a serious condition requiring treatment with antibiotics or, rarely, surgery
• 'Pins and needles', numbness or weakness can sometimes persist after epidural or spinal anaesthesia. In approx 1 patient in 10,000 this may be long lasting or even permanent.
• The epidural may spread higher than intended and cause difficulty with breathing or, very rarely, unconsciousness. For this reason you are monitored very carefully when the epidural is being established until stable.