Gimme that jab in the back

You may have heard of some good and not-so-good stories about epidurals. M&B gives you all the dope you need

RITIKA, a friend in Kolkata, still shudders when she talks about the delivery of her first child. “I was into labour for 10 hours and there was no end in sight. My body felt as if it were breaking into pieces. It hurt so much that I just didn’t want the baby anymore. I screamed at my doctor to cut me up and just take the baby out. That’s when she suggested an epidural. 15 minutes after the procedure, the pain subsided a little. She kept urging me to push. I pushed, and within an hour, I had my baby.”

If you’ve also heard labour horror stories from friends or relatives and are terrified of your own delivery, you need to know that you have the option to do away with or greatly reduce labour pains. Epidural pain relief can ease out a painful labour and can make the whole delivery experience positive for the mother. However, you need to know exactly what it entails and what the pros and cons of an epidural are before you opt for it.

WHAT IS AN EPIDURAL?