Marcia Gayle

Mrs. Hensel
English IV Honors
14 November 2014
Epidural Controversy

Every day there is another woman going into labor. Labor pain is said to be one of the
most painful physical experiences a woman undergoes. Although it is very painful there are
some women who wish to deal with pain themselves, with no help from anesthesia. The
controversy of epidural anesthesia is very common for expecting mothers because some may feel
that an epidural can be harmful to them and their baby, but others may feel like an epidural may
be the better option for them.
An epidural is an anesthesia that is commonly used but few people know what it is or
even the history of it. Epidurals are made of cocaine injected into the back. In 1855, a neurologist
injected cocaine into one of his patients back who had spinal weakness and this was the first
recorded use of an epidural anesthesia (Buckley). It is known that epidurals may interrupt the
birthing process contributing to the reason why women may feel the need to have a natural birth.
Oxytocin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland that causes increased contraction of the
uterus during labor and stimulates the ejection of milk into the ducts of the breasts
(Dictionary.com). The use of an epidural makes the oxytocin levels decrease. When a women is
injected with an epidural anesthesia the pain level decreases and the bottom half of her body is
unable to move which can have serious side effects. Now epidurals are being developed with
lower concentrations of anesthetic drugs so that women will be able to walk (Buckley).

Pain is defined as the unpleasant experience associated with actual or perceived damage
of the tissues (Smetannikov). Pain indicates that our body is damaged which is why it is
important. Labor pain is significant because it signals when the labor has started and she now
has to take steps to deliver her baby (Smetannikov).
There are benefits to having epidurals also. Receiving an epidural numbs the bottom half
on the body so pain will not be felt during labor or delivery. The pain almost instantly disappears
when the epidural anesthesia is injected. Even the cooperation of the patient is greater when
under an epidural anesthesia. It provides anesthesia for episiotomy or forceps delivery [and]
allows extension of anesthesia for cesarean delivery (Asheya). If complications do arise then the
patient is already under the epidural anesthesia so it is quicker and easier for doctors to perform a
cesarean section. Epidural anesthesia also avoids opioid-induced maternal and neonatal
respiratory depression (Asheya).
Along with benefits there comes risks. The most common side effect is a drop in blood
pressure. Breathing difficulties may occur with women who have taken the epidural injection.
Studies also show that women are twice as likely to experience postpartum hemorrhaging when
they used an epidural in labor (Buckley). Epidurals interfere with natural birthing hormones that
are produced when a women goes into labor. Oxytocin is a hormone released by the pituitary
gland that causes increased contraction of the uterus during labor and stimulates the ejection of
milk into the ducts of the breasts. The levels of oxytocin that are released during labor decrease
or stop completely when under an epidural anesthesia. Another hormone that is released during
child labor is Beta-endorphin which is an endorphin produced in the pituitary gland that is a
powerful pain suppressor. This hormone is naturally produced to help women cope with the pain.
Even though the epidural coincides with the Beta-endorphin hormone the levels of the hormone

still reduce in a laboring women. An important factor to the birthing process is pushing the baby
out. Since the epidural numbs the womens pelvic floor muscles, her baby will be more likely to
be facing up leading to an instrumental birth.
An instrumental birth is when doctors use forceps to assist in birthing the baby. Facial
injury, displacement of bones and blood clots are risks that the baby may face with an
instrumental birth. Instrumental births are 20 times as likely to receive a forceps delivery. When
an unborn baby is lacking blood and oxygen the fetal heart rate changes due to epidurals.
Changes in position may resolve the problem but it can also lead to a cesarean section. Although
there are many different effects that come with taking an epidural anesthesia, the maximum
effects are likely to be at birth and in the hours immediately after, when drug levels are highest
(Smetannikov). Lack of behavior related to breastfeeding, like feeling for the nipple and licking
or sucking the nipple occurs when babies are born under epidural anesthesia (Heinze).
In delivery rooms the choice laboring women are faced with is whether they want an
epidural anesthesia or to no have one. Many women choose to have an epidural anesthesia
because of the level of pain that comes with labor. There are also many risk factors that come
with an epidural anesthesia causing many women to not want one. Knowing all the information
about epidurals is very important when going into labor and making the decision of having an
epidural anesthesia or not.

Works Cited
Asheya. "Epidurals: The Controversy." Mothers of Change RSS. N.p., 9 May 2011. Web. 25
Sept. 2014.
Buckley, Sarah J. "Epidurals: Risks and Concerns for Mother and Baby."Midwifery Today.,
Spring 2007. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.
Heinz, S. D. "Epidural or No Epidural Anesthesia: Relationships between Beliefs about Child
Birth and Pain Control." Ebsco. Journal of Reproductive & Infant Psychology., 25 Mar.
2003. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
Smetannikov, Eugene. "Welcome." All about Epidural.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Comment [1]: Find publishers