SPINAL BLOCK

A spinal block may sometimes be called a "spinal." A narcotic or anesthetic, such as fetanyl, bupivacaine or lidocaine is injected below the spinal column directly into the spinal fluid and provides pain relief for up to 2 hours.

It is easy to confuse a spinal block and spinal epidural because they are both injections into the spinal area. For a spinal block, narcotics or anesthetic is injected once with a needle. For a spinal epidural or combined spinal epidural, a catheter is placed in the epidural space to allow continuous anesthesia. Spinal blocks are not widely administered today because of the popularity of epidurals, though they may be used in a more complex birth situation or cesarean delivery.

What you need to know about a spinal block

A spinal block may cause one or more of the following concerns:

• Hypotension (low blood pressure) 
• Difficulty pushing during the second stage of labor
• Severe headache requiring an epidural blood patch
• Dizziness
• Pruritus (itching)
• In rare instances, convulsions
• Both narcotics and “caine” medications cross the placenta and enter the baby’s blood stream
• Baby may have trouble breastfeeding after birth