Epidural: how labour pain relief through your back works, and what it costs
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An epidural is labour pain relief given through a fine plastic tube that an anaesthetist places in your lower back. Medicine runs through the tube to numb the pain from your womb and birth canal while you stay awake. SingHealth calls it the most effective labour pain relief, and KKH says it is the most preferred choice of first-time mothers there. You ask for it in the delivery suite.
| Given by | An anaesthetist, in the delivery suite |
|---|---|
| Time to work | About 15 to 20 minutes to set up, then 15 to 20 minutes, SGH says |
| Not enough relief | 1 in 10 to 20 women, needing an adjustment or a new tube |
| Severe headache | 1 to 2 in 100 women, SGH says |
| Private anaesthetist fee | $817.50 to $1,090 with GST, MOH benchmark |
How an epidural is put in
SGH describes the steps. A drip goes into a vein in your hand or arm first. You sit bent forward or lie curled on your side, your back is cleaned, and local anaesthetic numbs the skin. The anaesthetist passes a needle into your lower back, threads a thin catheter through it and removes the needle. You need to keep still while it goes in; once the tube is taped down, you can move.
Extra medicine then goes in as a top-up, through a steady pump, or from a patient-controlled pump that you press yourself to give a dose. Which type? KKH anaesthetists, writing on HealthXchange, say a combined spinal-epidural works faster and the anaesthetist decides based on the stage and progress of your labour. If you need an emergency C-section, SGH says the same tube can usually be used to numb you for the operation.
What it feels like once it works
KKH says an epidural reduces labour pain considerably but may not remove it completely, and some discomfort may remain when you push. Your legs and lower body go numb and you may lose the urge to pass urine, so a urine catheter may be used. Feeling returns as the drug wears off.
Because you may not feel your contractions or the urge to push, the NHS says the midwife may tell you when to push. SGH says the epidural gives inadequate relief in 1 in 10 to 20 women, which is fixed by adjusting or reinserting the tube.
Side effects and risks, in numbers
SGH's anaesthetists list common, short-lived side effects: lower blood pressure, weak legs, shivering, itching, a slight fever and difficulty passing urine. An epidural may lengthen the pushing stage, and forceps or vacuum are needed a little more often, 17% with an epidural against 12% without.
The rarer risks: a severe positional headache in 1 to 2% of women, which can be treated, short-lived nerve damage in 1 in 3,000, and long-term nerve damage in 1 in 80,000 to 320,000. KKH puts the risk of paralysis at 1 in 1,000,000 and says an epidural does not harm your baby, though the baby's heartbeat may change for a while.
Two worries you can drop. SGH and KKH both say an epidural does not raise your chance of a caesarean, and does not cause long-term backache. Problems with blood clotting, spine conditions or past back surgery may rule an epidural out, so SGH suggests asking to see an anaesthetist before labour.
What an epidural costs in Singapore
MOH publishes fee benchmarks for private hospitals. For a vaginal delivery (procedure code SI836U), the anaesthetist fee benchmark is $817.50 to $1,090 with GST, or $750 to $1,000 without, as read on 9 November 2026. MOH notes that this figure covers epidural administration only.
The anaesthetist fee is one part of the delivery bill. Estimate your total for a public or private hospital with our delivery cost calculator, and read our epidural guide for how it compares with laughing gas and pethidine.
Frequently asked questions
Does getting an epidural hurt?
SGH says local anaesthetic is injected into the skin of your lower back first, to reduce the pain of the epidural needle going in.
Does an epidural harm my baby?
KKH says it does not, though there may be a temporary change in your baby's heartbeat, and SGH lists only minimal side effects for babies.
Will an epidural make me need a C-section?
No. SGH and KKH both say an epidural does not increase your chance of a caesarean. It may slightly raise the chance of a forceps or vacuum delivery.
Can I have an epidural for a VBAC?
Yes. KKH says an epidural is safe for a vaginal birth after caesarean.
Related terms
- Contractions: The tightening and relaxing of your womb that opens the cervix and pushes your baby down in labour.
- C-section (Caesarean Section): An operation to deliver your baby through a cut in your tummy and womb, planned ahead or done in labour.
- VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean): Giving birth vaginally after a caesarean in an earlier pregnancy; possible for many women, with close monitoring.
- Induction of Labour: Starting labour with medical help, such as a pessary, balloon or drip, instead of waiting for it to begin.
- Dilation: How far your cervix has opened in labour, measured in centimetres from closed to 10cm.
- SGH via SingHealth - Pain relief options (including epidural) for women in labour (read 9 November 2026)
- KKH via HealthXchange - Labour Pain Relief: How Does An Epidural Work? (read 9 November 2026)
- KKH via HealthXchange - Pregnancy: Myths About Epidural Pain Relief (read 9 November 2026)
- HealthHub - Labour and Delivery: What to Expect (read 9 November 2026)
- MOH - SI836U: Uterus, Pregnancy, Vaginal Delivery (With Or Without Episiotomy Repair) (read 9 November 2026)
- SingHealth (KKH) - Pregnancy Labour and Delivery (read 9 November 2026)
- NHS - Pain relief in labour (read 9 November 2026)
- KKH via HealthXchange - VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-Section): What You Need to Know (read 9 November 2026)
