Epidural anaesthesia is a type of anaesthetic used for childbirth, whether it be a vaginal or caesarean birth. It does not make the woman unconscious, but it stops her feeling any sensation in the lower body. This means there will not be any feeling in your abdomen (stomach), pelvis and legs. Epidural anaesthetic is a popular method of pain relief during labour and childbirth because you stay conscious throughout. The epidural is usually given once labour has started, before the cervix has started to dilate This video shows how its done- you can see the area being anaesthetised first