Warning over increase in use of epidurals during childbirth
INCREASING numbers of Scottish mothers-to-be are choosing to have an epidural when giving birth – despite NHS efforts to encourage women to have natural labours.
INCREASING numbers of Scottish mothers-to-be are choosing to have an epidural when giving birth – despite NHS efforts to encourage women to have natural labours.
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Epidurals – an anaesthetic injection into the spine – cost the NHS around £200 a time and for many women the prospect of giving birth without one is unthinkable.
Celebrity mothers Katie Holmes, Kate Winslet and Helen Bonham-Carter all opted for the medical procedure, which leaves the mother numb from the waist down. But as well as being expensive, health experts warn an epidural can slow down a mother's recovery after labour, cause problems with breastfeeding and lead to further medical complications.
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