01/26/2026
Doulas support all births, including medicated births. An epidural is one of the most common birth interventions in the US.
It's important to make fully informed decisions about your birth. Learning about the benefits and risks of varying interventions BEFORE labor can help you stay calm, remember your options, and make decisions you are comfortable with.
No intervention is inherently good or bad. However, we can have negative birth experiences when we feel pressured or we are unaware of what to expect.
An epidural provides significant pain relief for most people. There's brief discomfort, some describe it as pain, when the back is numbed so the needle and then catheter can be placed. You will feel pressure but you should not feel pain when it is being placed.
After it is placed, you'll typically be instructed to lay flat, or mostly flat, to allow the medication to evenly dispurse to provide as effective relief as possible. Some people have absolutely no feeling in their legs, while others have some feeling and movement control.
Once an epidural is placed, you're typically confined to bed even if you have some feeling. This is to prevent falling. However, in the bed you should still have frequent position changes to help with dilation and baby descended. Gravity and an open pelvis are your friends.
Because of reduced feeling, most require a catheter to empty the bladder.
Occasionally, mom's BP dropping from an epidural can cause fetal distress.
Why have a doula if you plan to have an epidural birth?
Nearly everyone labors before they're able to get an epidural. In many situations, you're not admitted until 4-6cms. Even once admitted, it might take time to get your room, get an IV bolus, and have an available anesthesiologist. It's also ideal to labor upright and moving as long as you're able even when an epidural is in your birth plan.
A doula aids with comfort techniques, partner support, and encouragement. Once you have an epidural, they aid in position changes, support as you navigate birth options, support during pushing, and the immediate postpartum period.