Epidural Anesthesia
An epidural, or epidural analgesia, is a regional anesthesia used for rapid pain relief and is the most commonly used anesthesia in childbirth. The purpose of an epidural is to provide analgesia, or pain relief, rather than anesthesia, which is a total lack of feeling. After the injection of an epidural, the mother usually does not feel pain in labor but will still feel pressure. Over half of women who deliver in hospitals ask for an epidural.