It is a form of local anaesthetic. An anaesthetist will administer it by injecting a specific area of your spine, called the epidural space. It effectively blocks pain signals from reaching your brain, so you feel little or no pain during labour.
The most common side effects include: low blood pressure, nausea and weakness in the legs. More permanent neurological risks, as outlined by Dr Mike Blackburn, a specialist anaesthetist in private practice in Johannesburg, include paralysis, abscess formation and blood clots, but these
