How do opiates, epidurals and anaesthesia differ in their levels of relieving pain and side effects?

Opiates are usually given by intramuscular injection or by IV to alter your brain’s perception of pain, so you still feel your contractions, but they don’t hurt nearly as much. The effect however, differs from one mother to the next and timing of administering these tranquilizers is important so that it doesn’t linger in the baby’s system.

Epidurals are administered in a small area of your back in order to cause a nerve block in the spine and can be ‘topped up’ leading to completely a pain-free labour. This method is recommended for mothers with high blood pressure, mothers who needs to remain awake for Caesarean birth and those who needs help deal with exhaustion and fatigue. But there are common side effects such as: uncontrollable shivering, nausea or vomiting, fever. There is also a higher chance for instrumental deliveries as epidurals reduce the mum’s urge to push. Other potential longer-term side effects include headaches, neck aches, slight deafness and paralysis in the hands and legs.

Spinal block anaesthesia is injected in one single dose, acting almost immediately to eliminate all feeling and most muscle control below the waist for only a few hours. This is usually done just before an emergency Caesarean, or for forceps delivery or occasionally for a ventouse delivery.