What an epidural is and how it is placed
A catheter in your back, left in place for the whole labor.
You sit or lie curled forward. The skin over your lower spine is numbed. A needle is passed into the space just outside the sac that holds your spinal fluid, a fine plastic catheter is threaded through it, the needle is removed, and the catheter is taped up your back. Medication runs through it continuously and can be topped up.
You will need to hold still through contractions during placement, which typically takes 10 to 20 minutes. Your legs will feel heavy and your blood pressure will be checked frequently. You will not be able to walk, and you will need a urinary catheter or intermittent bladder emptying.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you.