Backache
Women commonly experience lower back pain during pregnancy and in the early weeks after the birth of their baby. The relationship between backache and having an epidural is a controversial one. It has long been thought that having epidural was the direct cause of developing backache in up to one third of women. In the first few days after the birth this is probably so, but as far as long term backache, the picture is not so clear.
There is now mounting evidence that backache after an epidural may be more linked to the woman lying in an awkward position for a long period of time, rather than the actual procedure itself. As the woman's sensations are reduced (or removed) from the lower back with an epidural, it is hard for her to give feedback from any back discomfort. Caregivers should be aware of the woman's positioning and how she is moved when the woman has an epidural anaesthetic.
Be aware that back pain is very common for many women after childbirth, especially due to the abdominal muscles being weakened. Whatever the cause the new mother should do
postnatal exercises and take care with lifting and her posture. You can read more in
back pain after the birth.
Severe headache
Occasionally the epidural needle will advance beyond the epidural space and inadvertently pierce the dura mater tissue to reach the spinal canal and the spinal fluid (about 1% of the time). This means that the epidural has then become a spinal anaesthetic. This in itself is not a major complication, except that an epidural catheter cannot be left in place and the woman is then subject to the possibility of experiencing a spinal headache after the birth.
A spinal headache is caused by small amounts of the cerebral spinal fluid (or CSF), leaking from the spinal puncture site, once the needle is removed. The leakage of CSF fluid reduces the fluid pressure around the spinal cord and the brain, sometimes causing a severe headache. You may wish to read more in