A rise in the woman's temperature, regardless of the cause, will usually need to be managed because it is hard for the caregiver to know the exact cause, immediately. Swab tests can be taken of the amniotic fluid (or the woman's vagina), but results are not able to be ready for a couple of days, (usually long after the baby is born). Therefore, even if the fever is only being caused by an epidural, your caregiver will more than likely treat it as a possible infection, 'just in case'.
If you develop a low grade temperature (less than 38
o Celsius), then your caregiver will more than likely suspect you are dehydrated, and suggest increasing your drinking fluids (or in some cases an intravenous drip to give you fluids via the vein). If the labour has slowed down, (or stopped) due to dehydration and
ketosis, then you may need an oxytocin (Syntocinon) drip to
augment the labour. For women labouring in a birth centre, or at home, needing a drip for hydration or augmentation would mean transfer to the hospital delivery suite. You may wish to revise Class 4,
augmentation.
Other treatments can include: