Questions to Ask Your Doctor About: Epidurals

Ask Your Doctor Which Types of Pain Relief are Best for You:

• Which pain relief options are open to me?

• If I want anesthesia, what type (spinal, epidural or general) do you recommend? Why?

• Which type of anesthesia is safest for my baby? Which is safest for me?

• What percentage of your patients get epidurals?

• What are the benefits of an epidural?

• What are the disadvantages or risks of an epidural?

• What is the procedure for getting an epidural?

• When during labor is it available?

• Will it hurt?

• How will an epidural affect me and my baby?

• How will I feel after the placement of the epidural? Will I be able to walk around after the epidural placement?

• What are possible side effects?

• How quickly does it begin working? How long does it last?

• What combination or dosage of drugs will be used? How will the different drugs or combination of medication make me feel during and after labor?

• How could the medications affect my baby?

• Can I eat and drink after having the epidural? If yes, what foods and drinks can I have?

• Does an epidural always work? What do I do if it doesn’t work?

• If I can’t have an epidural, what are my other options?

• Will I be able to breast-feed after delivery?

These questions are based on research published by publicly available and private medical information sources on the topic.