The Benefits of an Epidural No One Talks About

We hear a lot that the epidural is evil and should be avoided at all costs. Conversely — some say the epidural was their savior in taking away their pain. But there is more than means the eye for the most common labor pain relief in the US. Today I’m going to share a few great benefits of the epidural that people don’t talk about. I hope you find it helpful!

Now, before you go saying that I hate “natural birth” >> let me remind you that I also have a post on reasons to avoid the epidural as well. I want patients to have a well-rounded knowledge of what an epidural CAN and can NOT do for them at their birth…. and then make the choice on their own.

Ok, let’s jump into those benefits!

Rest

This is a HUGE thing that a lot of people don’t talk about — the fact that you’ve labored for hours, without good rest and you’re just dying for a nap but those contractions are relentless.

Many people get the epidural because they’re just tired and they need to sleep.

They also know that it’s not like they’ll be able to sleep for weeks after this baby is born, and it might be good to fill up their gas tank a bit with some rest before baby is born.

Honestly, all of that is valid.

If you’re aiming for an epidural-free birth I always encourage people to rest as much as possible in the beginning (perhaps gaslighting themselves into believing they’re not in labor). That is often easier said than done though.

BTW, a recent study showed that hardly any birth classes talk about the unplanned things of birth — unplanned cesareans, inductions and yes — epidurals. That’s why I recommend this. I think you’ll love it (in fact, it’s guaranteed).

Being Able to Pee Afterwards

Now, this isn’t true for everyone — sometimes that epidural lays claim to the muscles that help your bladder relax. BUT I will say the worst cases I’ve seen of patients being unable to pee after birth come from people who get local anesthesia on their perineum at birth (this is often given if you’re tearing or they need to do an episiotomy).

SO, you may have an easier time to pee after baby is born. It’s not guaranteed.

BUT if you’ve heard this as a “risk” it can be better than other options.

Not being able to pee after birth is actually not all that uncommon. Your nurse will have a few tricks she can try to help you (if you don’t pee, there’s a chance you’ll bleed more, so we like to minimize that).

Want to know more about birth? — check out these posts:

• Common Choices During Labor
• How to Push During Labor (What No One Explains)
• What To Do If Labor Isn’t Progressing?
• Secret Keys to Labor that No One Talks About
• What You Need to Know About Wired vs Wireless Monitors in Labor

Decreased Blood Pressure

Some of you may be experienced increased blood pressure, especially as you head towards your due date.

And, as you can imagine the pain of labor can also make that blood pressure drive upwards.

One of the big benefits of the epidural is it can help manage that blood pressure as well.

Yes, there are medications that we can give to lower your blood pressure in labor, but sometimes they work or don’t work depending on how you’re experiencing pain.

I’m just here to say that if your blood pressure is trending upwards, it may be something you want to consider. If your blood pressure gets too high it can have serious consequences including heart issues, and possibly a stroke (although super rare). SO, we want to avoid that for sure!

And be sure to check out my article about 5 things you need to know about preeclampsia that goes along with this one!

Not Having to Pee

Clearly, pee is a big deal when a person is pregnant or postpartum.

But a LOT of people really LOVE that we put a catheter in you to drain out the urine once you’re numb from the epidural (or they may put one in every couple of hours depending on your hospital and your requests).

This means uninterrupted sleep! I will admit that when I was pregnant and a nurse, I’d get jealous of my patients who had an indwelling catheter (learn more about catheters here) in — knowing I’d be up a few times in the night to pee!

Some of you might be thinking that’s a big NO THANKS to an epidural — because a catheter doesn’t sound fun. I have a whole post on if you can refuse a catheter — because you DO have options!

I’m just here to say a lot of people are big fans of it!

Everyone is so different — this is why having a birth plan can be so helpful to know what’s important to you:

Helps Your Body Relax!

This is the big one, my friends.

Imagine the last time you were in a lot of pain — maybe it was a kidney stone, or a bad bout of tummy troubles? Did you find yourself wanting to relax into that pain — or did you tense up like a ball of tinfoil around your body?

Most people don’t find relaxation easy in labor.

If you’re unable to help relax that pelvic floor you’re not going to let baby descend into the birth canal, or let that cervix dilate.

Which is super tricky. Honestly, learning to relax is important in all parts of labor, even early labor or ligament pains. That’s why I recommend a birth class that covers natural pain management (this one does).

However, sometimes all the breathing and relaxation in the world just doesn’t help that pelvic floor relax and an epidural can be a great option to help with that.

Often, in patients who aren’t progressing we will recommend an epidural to see if it can help them relax, and help baby move down into the birth canal. Often I’d check that patient an hour later and baby will have moved into the pelvis nicely — they just needed some help relaxing.

This is the part where I remind you that you can’t tell yourself that “Sally down the road was able to relax — why can’t I?”

We don’t know what Sally was doing, or how her baby was positioned, or how big it was. All you can do is make the right choice for you, and also know that both natural pain management and an epidural have proven to be effective and safe for labor pains. Anyone who says otherwise is misinformed.

That’s honestly all an epidural is – it’s a little help. It often ends up being the villian or the hero in labor stories but it is just a little help!

Want to know more about epidurals? — check out these posts:

• Epidural Myths vs. Facts: What Social Media Gets Wrong About Labor Pain Relief
• Why People Get An Epidural Even When They’re Not Planning On It
• Why Labor Pain Can Feel So Different For Each Person
• 5 Simple Tips for a “Natural” Labor & Delivery
• Is an Induction More Painful than “Regular Labor”

So, as you can see there are benefits to an epidural that we don’t talk about. I’m not saying that any of these are a reason to get the epidural — and honestly, I don’t think you have to make up your mind on your plan right now either way. I have a whole post on What to Do If You Can’t Decide if You Want an Epidural or Not? << and the spoiler alert is, that’s fine….

Get educated on what it will be like, when you might want it or not want it, and look forward to a great labor day.

Most of labor is like that. Education is key, and learning to make choices in the moment will be a huge skill both in labor and postpartum to help you thrive as a new family.

So, did you learn anything new about the epidural in this one? Tell me in the comments!