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Modern day epidural anesthesia for labor and delivery
uses extremely low doses of medications. Sensitive assays can detect the
presence of these medications in the baby, although the absolute levels are
extremely low, even after prolonged epidural infusion during labor or cesarean
delivery. Some women may experience difficulty with breast feeding, for wide
variety of reasons, regardless of the methods of anesthesia used during
labor or delivery. A lactation consultant may be available at your hospital, who
could help you achieve successful breastfeeding. Breastfeeding offers optimum nutrition to your child in the absence of medical
contraindications.
ACOG (American College Of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists) Practice Bulletin on Obstetric Analgesia and Anesthesia. July
2002;36:177-191.
Bader AM, Fragneto R, Terui K, Arthur GR, Loferski B,
Datta S. Maternal and neonatal fentanyl and bupivacaine concentrations after
epidural infusion during labor. Anesth Analg 1995;81:829-31.
Halpern SH, Levine T, Wilson DB, MacDonell J, Katsiris
SE, Leighton BL. Effect of labor analgesia on breastfeeding success. Birth
1999;26:83-88.
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