• Epidural anesthesia is generally accepted as the most effective method of providing pain relief during labor.
• The presence of a catheter allow flexibility in type and amount of medication being given
• Presence of a catheter allows additional medications to be given if initial dose is inadequate or wears off
• Presence of a catheter allows continuous infusion of medication to be given to prevent pain relief from wearing off
• If a patient with an epidural catheter in place needs a cesarean section later, the epidural can be used to provide excellent anesthesia for the surgery
• May increase the success rate of VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)

Cons:

• Invasive technique involving placement of a needle and catheter near the spinal cord
• Technically more involved than other methods of pain relief
• Requires more time for relief than other methods of pain relief
• Usually results in slower progression of labor (although this may or may not be harmful)
• Can cause muscular weakness in the mother due to local anesthetics used
• May increase the incidence of forceps delivery.
• May affect newborn behavior (activity level, breast feeding, etc.)