Natural vs epidural - what choice is right for you? Should you try for a natural childbirth (ie. no drugs!), or should you just go for the epidural (which is the most common type of pain medication given during labor)?

Obviously, the main reason you would opt for an epidural is to minimize the pain that labor brings! Being pain-free, or having minimal pain, will allow you to be more in control of the situation. Many women who have had drug-free labors will tell you that they started to "lose it" when labor progressed!

If during the natural vs epidural debate, you've chosen to go the natural way, see our section on pain management options to reduce the discomfort of labor naturally. These are techniques that you should become familiar with beforehand so that you are prepared when labor arrives!

Things To Consider When Choosing To Have An Epidural

Consider the following when deciding about getting an epidural, which is the most common type of pain relief offered during labor:

* You can have a partial epidural, which will still allow you to feel a little bit of the contractions. You can have a full epidural, which should completely numb you from the waist down, which is usually administered during a c-section .

* There is a possibility that your baby's blood pressure may decrease if you have an epidural, though the epidural shouldn't have any adverse affects on your baby since the epidural is not injected directly into the bloodstream. A fetal heart monitor system will be put in use to make sure the baby is ok throughout labor.

* Having an epidural may slow labor down a little bit.

An epidural is given by a needle, or thin tube, into the area surrounding the spinal cord. The medication in this thin tube goes through the epidural space, through the membrane, and to the spinal nerves. This is what causes the numbing.

You are completely alert, since this is only local numbing, and doesn't involve the central nervous system (which would cause you to be completely out).

The pain medication can be adjusted as required throughout labor, without risking the pain medication from wearing off before childbirth!

Risks

* Prolonged labor. Studies suggest that women who had the epidural had a labor that was about an hour longer than if they hadn't had it.

* Drop in blood pressure, which can in turn lower your baby's blood pressure.

* Increased risk of needing forceps or vacuum to pull the baby out. This is because you are unable to feel the contractions (which is when you are supposed to push), which assists in pushing the baby out faster.

* Having a sore back after delivery. Though this seems to be rare.

* Severe headache if the spinal cord sheath is punctured during the administration of the epidural. If this happens, an anesthesiologist will have to repair the puncture, which should relieve the headache.

Decide if a natural childbirth is for you, or if you prefer to have the epidural. Sometimes the pain and discomfort of labor will decide this for you!

Check out our section on natural labor pain management for tips on dealing with labor without the use of drugs: