Doctors have to wait until the cervix is at least 4 centimeters dilated before doing an epidural. Otherwise, the epidural will slow the process down too much. However, once the cervix becomes fully dilated it is too late for an epidural to be given.
When can you get an epidural? Typically, you can receive an epidural as early as when you are 4 to 5 centimeters dilated and in active labor. Normally, it takes about 15 minutes to place the epidural catheter and for the pain to start subsiding and another 20 minutes to go into full effect.
If you are bleeding heavily or are suffering from shock, you will not be given an epidural for safety reasons. 2 Since many women tend to have lower blood pressure with an epidural, this may be made even more dangerous with the lowered blood pressure of some of these problems.
In most cases, however, an epidural will not be given until the mother is at least 3-4 centimeters dilated. Once the mother is fully dilated most doctors and hospitals will consider it too late for an epidural to be given.
With an epidural, you might be able to feel contractions — they just won't hurt — and you'll be able to push effectively. There is some evidence that epidurals can speed the first stage of labor by allowing the mother to relax.
New data suggests you are better off getting the epidural after reaching 3cm dilation, in order NOT to increase your C-section rate, especially during induction of labor. Epidurals do not cause chronic back pain, and they do not harm your baby.
Phew. It used to be common for doctors to turn down or stop the pain medication flowing in an epidural during labor if progress slowed down. This practice was particularly common if the pushing stage of labor was prolonged.
You can still push in all sorts of positions even with an epidural! At a minimum, you can push on your side or with support under your back to still make space for the sacrum. If you can move, you can even try all fours or kneeling, using the back of the bed as support!
Be it the needle, the procedure or whatever, some mothers are afraid of the epidural enough that they would prefer to avoid it. While some try to overcome the fear by taking a childbirth class or reading information about it, they remain more fearful of labor with an epidural than without.
When your baby is ready to begin the journey through the birth canal, your cervix dilates from fully closed to 10 centimeters. This process can take hours, days, or even weeks. But once you hit active labor – about 6 cm dilated – it's usually just a matter of hours before you reach full dilation.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists considers 3 hours or more (especially with a first time mom and/or those with epidurals) to be perfectly normal.
Women in the early epidural group were significantly more likely to be white (80%), compared with the late epidural group (66%). Several other factors besides timing of the epidural were associated with significantly increased risk for C-section after adjusting for confounders.
You can still feel some pressure of contractions, but you don't have constant pain going through your entire body. Study participants said having an epidural had a positive impact on their birth experience, changing their challenging situations into something manageable and even enjoyable.
Established labour is when your cervix has dilated to about 4cm and regular contractions are opening your cervix.
Most of the time, you can walk within a half hour or so of your epidural injection. However, you will not necessarily be walking normally at this point. Most clinics and hospitals monitor you for 15 minutes to an hour after an epidural injection. During this time, they will likely ask how you feel.
While being told you're dilated toward the end of your pregnancy is exciting, keep in mind that it doesn't necessarily mean labor is imminent. You can walk around for weeks with your cervix at 1 cm, or go from zero to 10 cm over the course of one day.
Most women will feel increased pressure in their perineum, rectum, and low back at this stage. For many women, the rectal pressure feels the same as having a bowel movement. As the baby's head begins to appear, you may feel a stretching or burning sensation.
Most women experience great pain relief with an epidural, but it won't be 100 percent pain-free. Many women report feeling pretty comfortable after receiving an epidural, but there's also some pressure felt when the contractions occur and you need to push.
The whole procedure usually takes around 40 to 50 minutes.
Several studies have found that the babies tend to have more difficulty in latching well and breastfeeding effectively when the mother has received an epidural. However, with good help such difficulties can usually be overcome.
A C-section might be recommended for women with certain health issues, such as a heart or brain condition. There's a blockage. A large fibroid blocking the birth canal, a pelvic fracture or a baby who has a condition that can cause the head to be unusually large (severe hydrocephalus) might be reasons for a C-section.
The most common description of the level of pain experienced was extreme menstrual cramps (45 percent), while 16 percent said it was like bad back pain and 15 percent compared it to a broken bone.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation. This is because the weight of the baby applies pressure to the cervix.
Try being upright
One of your biggest allies is gravity. When you are upright—standing, sitting or kneeling—the weight of your baby presses on the cervix, encouraging it to open. An upright position may also help get your baby into the best position for birth.
Can you feel your cervix dilating? As your cervix starts to thin and soften, you may or may not notice twinges and sensations in that area of your pelvis. This can be as much you trying to convince yourself something is happening though!