6 things to know about an epidural

A range of different options can help relieve pain during childbirth. These can include breathing exercises, different birthing positions, nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), and an epidural. Used by more than half of people who give birth in hospitals, an epidural is a form of anesthesia that uses a needle to inject medicine into your back to numb the lower part of the body.

Here, Jennifer Buck, MD, an OBGYN with Medical Center of Trinity in Trinity, Florida, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the procedure.