First and foremost, an epidural is not proven to be 100% "safe." According to Penny Simkin, physical therapist and Childbirth Educator the use of epidural anesthesia increases the chance of Cesarean section 2-3 times in first time mothers. It can slow labor necessitating the use of pitocin to speed up contractions. This oxytoxic creates unnatural contractions whose intensity more easily creates fetal distress, requiring that the baby be continually monitored with an external or internal monitor (electrodes screwed into the baby's scalp while in utero.)

An epidural can cause a drop in maternal blood pressure and a subsequent reduction in blood flow to the uterus increasing the potential for a decrease in fetal heart rate. It can also cause the mother to have a significant fever without having an infection; because maternal fever puts the fetus at risk regardless of the source, the mother may now be treated with antibiotics (as will her baby following birth.) The mother is no longer free to eat or drink and must be fed intravenously; she may experience nausea, vomiting, or itching. She can no longer walk or squat and may need to be catheterized in order to urinate. In short, complete control of the labor process has been given over to medical personnel.

In spite of the common notion that epidural narcotics do not "reach the baby," the manufacturer of bupivacaine hydrochloride (one of the common drugs used for epidural analgesia) warns that "local anesthetics rapidly cross the placenta and when used for ... epidural anesthesia can cause various degrees of maternal, fetal, and neonatal toxicity." The FDA has given bupivacaine hydrochloride a C rating for use during pregnancy indicating that human studies are lacking and animal studies are either positive for fetal risk or lacking at all.

THE ABOVE PARAGRAPHS ARE GROSSLY INCORRECT!!!!!

1. Epidurals can actually speed up labor by allowing the mother to relax and not fear her contractions...an epidural will probably slow ones labor is given befor the cervix is 3cm but even then a walking epidural (involves the use of spinal sufenta instead of epidural local anesthetics) can be used to reduce the risk.

2 Oxytocin is the bodys natural hormone secreted by the pituitary gland resulting in uterine contractions.. Pitocin is the synthetic form administered iv..Induction of labor does not always include the use of pitocin but when used the contractions are certainly more painful but it does not cause UNnatural contractions...Pitocin has saved millions of mothers from having a c/s

3. Mothers in labor can have nausea and or vomiting with or without epidural.

4. Quote mothers with epidurals have in short given up complete control to the medical personnel...DO u think once the contractions start u are in control anymore... When i ask patients in labor if they have any questions about the risk of the epidural the most common response is NO, JUST HURRY UP AND PUT THE FUKIN THING IN...

5. Bupivicaine is NOT a narcotic but a local anesthetic...some bupivicaine will reach the mother and fetus but in concentrations that are not clinically significant(sure u love that phrase) .. A c rating during pregnancy is totally irrelevant because those ratings are refering to the risk of birth defects... Birth defects from iatrogenic causes happen during the first trimester not during labor when all the babys parts are already formed.. a c rating refers to using bupivicaine on the mother during her first 3 months of pregnancy

Anyways a little info in the wrong hands can be so misleading

It is true that an epidural just like any other medical procedure is not 100% safe and does carry risks.. That is why they are mostly placed by anesthesiologists and crnas with years of training to rapidly recognise/halt and treat any side affects/complications.