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You will be
asked either to lie on your side or sit up and curl your
back out as much as you can as shown in the preceding images
in the section 'How do I position for epidural'. The
anesthesiologist will feel bony landmarks in the lower back
and will clean your back with an antiseptic solution prior
to placing the epidural. A small amount of local
anesthetic will be injected to numb your skin prior to
insertion of the hollow epidural needle. After the needle is
advanced to the epidural space, a tiny catheter (plastic
tube) is inserted through the needle into the epidural
space. Occasionally, some women may complain of 'very
transient' tingling nerve sensation (parasthesia) of legs
when the catheter brushes against the nerves in the epidural
space during its passage. However, this is very transient
and passes off very quickly. Once the catheter is in place,
the needle is removed, and the catheter is taped onto your
back. Initial medication is injected through the
catheter. Some women report 'feeling cold sensation in the
back while medications are being injected'.
Thereafter, the medication is delivered via an automated
pump until your baby is born. Since the nerves from
the uterus and cervix pass through the epidural space, as
explained earlier, the medication bathes these nerves and
blocks the sensation of pain.
The epidural
can take 15-20 minutes to place, and the medication works
gradually in the epidural space over next 15-20 minutes.
Initially, many women notice that their pain during
contractions is less intense and lasts for a shorter
duration, until eventually, all they feel is the tightening
feel (little pressure) of the contraction. You may not
feel the contractions at all; it differs for every
woman.
What
happens after epidural placement
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