Epidurals, a most recent variation on the theme of spinal anesthesia, are today considered “the Cadillac” of all pain relief in birth. It is also linked to many complications in labor and delivery, including:
- Rapid drop in the moth
er’s blood pressure
- A fever in the mother
- Stopping the progress of labor
- Making it impossible for the baby to properly negotiate its way through the pelvis
Complications
An astounding 96% of all women who get a fever in labor have had an epidural. A tragic 86% of newborns who are put on full-spectrum antibiotics, and have full septic workups while in the ICU, have been born to mothers who had epidurals in labor.
Nurses and breastfeeding consultants have observed that babies born following epidurals often seem to be numb around the mouth. This may be the reason why so many babies have difficulty getting breastfeeding started. The domino effect of this one intervention is broad, yet the full information about its adverse effects is seldom given to parents.
The heart of the physician’s Hippocratic Oath:
Above all, do no harm.