Mobile epidural

What is a mobile epidural?

A mobile epidural is similar to a low-dose epidural, as it gives excellent pain relief, while allowing you to keep some feeling in your legs. This means you may be able to move around during labour.

However, mobile epidurals are only offered in a few hospitals. They require additional, specially trained staff, which most maternity units can't provide.

The few hospitals that do offer mobile epidurals have procedures in place to ensure that it is safe for you and your baby to move about. There will be extra staff on duty to support you while you're doing so.

Before you can get out of bed and walk with your epidural in, doctors need to ensure that you have enough feeling and strength in your legs. Your blood pressure and your baby’s heartbeat must also be stable.

The main aim of this type of epidural is to relieve your pain. Keeping you mobile is only a secondary concern. Bear in mind that after having your mobile epidural, you may not find it convenient to move around.

How does a mobile epidural work?

A mobile epidural is a regional anaesthetic. Your doctor injects the area around the nerves that carry signals from the part of your body that feels pain when you're in labour.

Mobile epidurals use the same lower dose combination of drugs as the low-dose epidurals that most hospitals offer. The combination of drugs is usually the local anaesthetic, bupivacaine (or levobupivacaine), and the opioid painkiller, fentanyl. These drugs maximise pain relief while limiting the loss of sensation in your legs (OAA 2012). So you may be able to move around after having one.

When can I have a mobile epidural?

If you want an epidural at any stage of labour you should be allowed to have one (NCCWCH 2007: 115). Most women have them during the first stage of labour, when contractions may be hard to cope with.

What are the pros and cons?

A mobile epidural has the same pros and cons as a standard low-dose epidural. The only difference is that you should be able to get out of bed (NCCWCH 2007: 120), which is an added advantage.


Any useful tips?

Check whether your hospital offers mobile epidurals. Very few UK maternity units offer them, because of the extra resources that are needed for them.

For other useful tips, see our main epidural article.

Last reviewed: July 2012





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