What is an epidural? - Health Channel

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What is an epidural? |

Epidural is for pain relief during labor. It’s given by anesthesiology or certified CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) in a catheter into women’s back and will provide pain relief for the entire labor and delivery.

Dr. Ellen Schwartzbard, Obstetrician and Gynecologist with Baptist Health South Florida, describes with a graphic how epidural works.

Transcript

Here’s something that a lot of women always struggle with before they’re going to give birth, and you know the not only the anxiety of course of the first baby, but the epidural, you know am I going to get it?, do I really want it?, i and I tend to think that a lot of women say you know I really I’m gonna try not to, it but sometimes it gets to the point you’re like, just give it to me, so let’s talk about the epidural, what is it? and what are your thoughts on it when women come in?.> So the epidural is for pain relief during labor, Labor’s has any woman knows who’s gone through it is very painful, so it’s given by the anesthesiologist or we have CRNAs certified registered nurse anesthetists, who will provide the epidural, it’s a catheter that goes into your back, and it will provide pain relief for the entire labor and delivery.> And we do have a graphic that I’d like to show our viewers of where the epidural is injected and dr. continue the conversation and show us what’s happening here.> Yeah so you can see the spinal cord is right there the yellow in the middle, and the epidural catheter goes in the space off to the side, so it actually is a catheter that gets placed, and the benefit of that catheter is the medication can be continually given throughout the entire labor process, so women can be comfortable somewhat, throughout the entire labor process.> Do you tend to see mothers to be saying?, you know I want it now, oh very common women show up in the hospital and labor is painful.

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