How does it work? of Epidural anaesthesia

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An epidural anaesthetic blocks sensation (feeling) in the lower half of the body. When the anaesthetic starts working, you canâ€™t feel anything below the waist, but you stay conscious.

Epidural anaesthesia is sometimes used in childbirth because it stops feeling in the uterus, abdomen and vagina. This means you are not be able to feel pain in this area, but can still feel and touch your baby being born.

You will be asked not to eat anything eatbetween six to twelve hours before you have an epidural anaesthetic. This is because itâ€™s sometimes necessary to change to a general anaesthetic - the stomach needs to be empty so that you donâ€™t vomit. You can also choose to stay conscious during the operation, or be mildly sedated so that you arenâ€™t fully aware of what is happening.