Are they any risks having an epidural?
You can also have an adverse reaction to the epidural anasthetic itself. Some women experience a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can lead to convulsions. There is also a risk associated with being placed on your back, which is a common position for women who’ve had an epi. When you lie on your back, your tailbone is put under immense pressure and can be damaged or even broken during labour, leading to a very painful recovery period. If you do have an epi, insist that your midwife/ob-gyn places you on your side for delivery, as it allows your body more freedom to stretch the way it should. Or choose a ‘mobile epidural’, which doesn’t paralyse your legs to the extent that a normal epi does. In extremely rare cases, women can be left with permanent paralysis after an epi. This is VERY rare. Research suggests that use of epidurals is associated with increased rates of emergency c-section. This is highly contested though, I wouldn’t expect too many doctors to agree with those research
