More rarely, it causes nerve injury or infection. Some studies suggest that women who use epidurals are more likely to need a cesarean section or to have their babies pulled out with forceps or suction. However, epidural techniques have improved, and more recent studies show women are now having these problems only rarely. A spinal block is a type of regional analgesic. An anesthetist injects the drug into the dura, where it then enters the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and reduces sensation from the waist down.
Spinals differ from epidurals in that no catheter is used, so the medication can be given only once.
The pain relief lasts only a few hours, so anesthetists also give some form of painkiller. Occasionally doctors order a spinal block late in labor and sometimes just before a forceps delivery . You have to hold an awkward position for five to ten minutes while being injected. The loss of sensation may make it harder to push the baby out. In rare cases, the drug may temporarily lower your blood pressure, resulting in temporary decreased blood flow to your baby, slowing his heart.