If an epidural is the Cadillac of all medical pain relief options, the Patient-Controlled Epidural Analgesia (PCEA) - is the pain relief option that gives you the steering wheel. The PCEA is an epidural connected to a special pump that is programmed by your anesthesiologist to release the amount of medication necessary for pain relief throughout your labor and birth. The advantage of this type of epidural is that you have control over how much medication is given. Don't worry about accidentally giving yourself too much medication. You are only able to give yourself the doses measured by your anesthesiologist and a precise timing mechanism, called a lockout device, prevents the possibility of overdosing.

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